Nikolai Gogol's story "Taras Bulba" inspired many Russian and foreign composers. In total, more than 10 pieces of music were created based on her motives. Not all of them were successful, and some were never staged.
The first operas based on "Taras Bulba"
The first opera based on Gogol's story was created by the composer Nikolai Yakovlevich Afanasyev around 1860. Nikolai Afanasyev was the author of many successful operas, such as La Bayadere, Joseph, Robert the Devil, but his Taras Bulba does not belong to the best part of the author's legacy - the opera has never been staged.
Taras Bulba by the Russian composer Kashperov was first staged in 1887 at the Bolshoi Theater. The opera was a success, but it never became a classic: now it is not in the repertoires of the world's leading theaters.
Musical works based on Taras Bulba were also created by Kuhner (for the Mariinsky Theater), Argentine composer Arturo Berutti, Russian author Trailin and Frenchman Russo.
Sokalsky's large-scale opera "The Siege of Dubno" was created based on the plot of Taras Bulba. The composer began work on it in 1876 and finished it in 1884. According to critics, the work was not sustained in the desired style, the composer lacked experience and knowledge, although his innate talent is felt in the opera.
The entire "Taras Bulba" by Sokalsky was never installed anywhere.
Opera "Taras Bulba" Lysenko
Ukrainian composer Nikolai Lysenko became the author of the most famous opera based on Gogol's story. Lysenko created his work for 10 years, from 1880 to 1890, but the first productions were released only in the 1920s. The composer did not manage to complete his version of Taras Bulba, which remained unorchestrated.
The first version of the opera was made by Steinberg, but he only supplemented the original version with orchestration. The work was significantly enriched by the editors of Revutsky, Lyatoshinsky and Rylsky. They reworked the overture and wrote several new scenes, including the final of the opera - the burning of Taras. In addition, the plot was slightly redesigned: its focus shifted from the tragedy of Andria to the general picture of historical events and the personality of Taras. Lysenko's Taras Bulba is considered one of the brightest works of Ukrainian opera, the pinnacle of its development. It combines the legacy of Glinka, Mussorgsky and other great Russian composers with Ukrainian folk motives.
Contemporary musical production based on "Taras Bulba"
In 2002, at the Poltava Academic Ukrainian Music and Drama Theater. N. V. Gogol was presented to the public the musical work "Taras Bulba" by the Ukrainian composer Alexey Kolomiytsev. Its genre is designated as "light opera": the work is not overloaded with complex ensembles and its form is understandable for ordinary viewers.
