The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh

The Teatro Lirico in Cagliari, Sardinia, mounted this 2008 production of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's penultimate opera, first staged in St. Petersburg in 1907. Patriotic and mystical, it tells the tale of a medieval nobleman's love for a peasant girl, set against the Tartar invasion of Russia. Both Prince Vsevolod and his betrothed, the pious Fevronya, die, but they are reunited in eternal bliss in a heavenly version of the city of Kitezh on the Volga, which is saved from destruction by divine intervention that renders it invisible to the Mongols. The score is a striking chain of soaring arias and rousing choruses, punctuated by instrumental intermezzos that act as tone poems portraying various segments of the action. The orchestra and chorus respond dutifully to the conducting of Alexander Vedernikov, and the largely Russian cast is authoritative. Tatiana Monogarova brings silken richness to the role of Fevronya, and Vitaly Panfilov, while lacking the ringing timbre of an ideal Vsevolod, hits the right notes. The physical production, however, is less impressive; the costumes are decent, but the chintzy sets lack the splendor required by the story, and some of the effects—such as having children carry cutouts of deer in a forest scene—are positively silly. But even in imperfect form, this rarity is still welcome. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.0, DTS 5.0, and PCM stereo, this is recommended. (F. Swietek)