Dead Souls by Rodion Shchedrin

Dead Souls (Мёртвые души) is a 1976 Russian-language opera in three acts by Rodion Shchedrin based on Gogol's novel Dead Souls to a libretto by the composer. It was premiered at the Kirov Theatre in 1977, and overseas in Boston in 1988. A major revival was premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow on 22 November 2025, by the following cast:

Folk Song (mezzo-sopranos/contraltos in Russian folk style) - soloists of Komon Folk Ensemble Pavel Ivanovich Chichikov (baritone) - Vasily Sokolov Korobochka (mezzo-soprano) - Elena Manistina Sobakevich (bass) - Vladislav Popov Plyushkin (mezzo-soprano or character tenor) - Evgenia Segeniuk Manilov (lyric tenor) - Tikhon Goryachev Madame Lisa Manilova, his wife (lyric-coloratura soprano) - Anna Aglatova Selifan, Chichikov's coachman (Russian folk tenor) - Andrey Zorin Mizhuev, Nozdryov's brother-in-law (low bass) - Demian Onufrak Anna Grigorievna, a pleasant lady in any respect (coloratura soprano) - Ramilya Minikhanova Sofia Ivanovna, a merely pleasant lady (coloratura mezzo-soprano) - Daria Belousova Governor (bass) - Danil Knyazev Governor's wife (contralto) - Irina Berezina Governor's daughter (ballerina) - Kristina Latysheva Public Prosecutor (baritone) - Andrei Bulgakov Chief of police (bass-baritone) - Chingis Bairov Postmaster (dramatic tenor) - Alezander Chernov President of the local council (tenor)- Zakhar Kovalyov Priest (lyric tenor) - Igor Yanulaitis Superintendent of Rural Police (baritone-bass) - Andrei Prys The Mother's Solgier's Lament (mezzo-soprano) - Svetlana Shilova ["Orchestration" (approximately)] Three flutes, one of them doubling a piccolo, two oboes (doubling cor anglais), two clarinets in B, 1 clarinet in A, bass clarinet in B, two bassoons (doubling contrabassoon), four french horns, two trumpets, three trombones, tuba, timpani, snare drum, bass drum, clash cymbals, suspended cymbal, bongos, timbales, crotales, tubular bells, glockenspiel, xylophone, jingle bells, whip, triangle, gong, wind chimes, harpsichord or prepared piano, celesta, harp, bass guitar, balalaika, small domra, alto domra, small choir (sopranos, altos, tenors & basses- 2 pultes of 4 soloists), violas, cellos, double basses.

Text from the Wikipedia article "Dead Souls (opera)", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

About the Composer

Rodion Shchedrin is the composer of record for this opera.

Text from the Wikipedia article "Rodion Shchedrin", licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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About the Composer

Other Operas by Rodion Shchedrin