Life with an Idiot
Life with an Idiot (Russian: Жизнь с идиотом) is an opera by the Russian composer Alfred Schnittke to a Russian libretto by Viktor Erofeyev. An allegory of Soviet oppression,[1] the opera was first performed at Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam, on 13 April 1992.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast Conductor: Mstislav Rostropovich |
|---|---|---|
| I | baritones | Dale Duesing/Romain Bischoff |
| Wife | soprano | Teresa Ringholz |
| Vova | tenor | Howard Haskin |
| Guard | bass | Leonid Zimnenko |
| Marcel Proust | baritone | Robbin Leggate |
Synopsis
Act One
As a punishment for not working hard enough, "I" is forced by the authorities to live with an idiot. He chooses Vova from a lunatic asylum. Vova is only capable of speaking a single word: "Ech".
Act Two
At first Vova behaves well but then he suddenly begins to make a nuisance of himself, including tearing up I's wife's copy of the works of Marcel Proust. I and his wife go to live in another room and Vova calms down. I's wife falls in love with Vova and becomes pregnant by him. Then Vova and I turn on the wife. Vova kills her and I becomes an idiot.
Recordings
- Life with an Idiot (live recording of premiere cast), Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Rostropovich (Sony)
References
- ↑ Penguin, p. 382.
Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide, ed. Holden (Viking, 1993).
- Penguin Guide to Opera on Compact Discs (Penguin, 1993).
- Del Teatro (in Italian).
- Amadeus Online.