Arensky - one-act opera “Raphael. A.S. Arensky - one-act opera “Raphael Duet of Raphael and Fornarina

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Characters:

Rafael Sanzio mezzo-soprano
Fornarina (Raphael's model) soprano
Cardinal Bibiena bass
Folk singer (backstage) tenor

Citizens, women, Raphael's students, people in masks and costumes during the carnival.

The action takes place at the beginning of the 16th century in Rome.

INTRODUCTION

Raphael's large studio in Rome, filled with easels, statues and art supplies. At the back of the stage, to the right of the audience, there is a large marble arch draped with a silk curtain. On the left side is a small door decorated with sculptural moldings. To the left is a large easel with a painting covered with a curtain on rings. Raphael, surrounded by students, writes. Some students are busy preparing and grinding paints in vessels; some are sitting on the floor, others are standing and sitting watching Raphael's work.

1. Student Choir

Choir

Friends, get to work boldly,
Radiant time flies,
Under the sun of flowering fields
Forward, our young tribe!

Without knowing struggle or labor,
Not knowing the stormy feeling,
We can never go
The thorny road of art.

But if our chest trembles
Fire of inspiration and passion,
Our path is strewn with roses -
Glory and happiness are in our hands.

Follow diligently ahead
For genius with a bold hand.
He leads us gloriously to the light
A cheerful, free crowd.

Raphael

The work is over; fun is calling you.
Your beloved family is calling, and a carnival awaits you.
I can't share the fun with you.
Hello to you, friends.

Choir

Goodbye, teacher.

2. Arioso by Raphael

Raphael

Freedom in a moment
I'm glad beyond words
Dreams, inspiration,
Like a desired life.
But thoughts fly
Hold back treacherously
Destiny strives:
A huge job
My heart is oppressed
Orders from the pope, nobles and court,
And waits with greed
A crowd of art creatures.
I am my work and genius -
I gave everything to art
And few happy moments
To the omnipotent feeling
Love.

And so, as soon as I recognized love
That an ardent heart burns,
My vain friend, Cardinal,
A crazy marriage offers me:
He is from his family
Unfortunately, I found a bride
But Fornarin with all his passion
I love you like the joy of my days.

[He approaches the painting and looks.]

I remember a wonderful moment:
In the jets on the marble fountain
She stood there, bashful like Diana
And the tenderness of the feet is unearthly
In the water sparkling streams,
I watched with greedy eyes.
Oh beauty, I've been yours ever since.

3. Duet of Raphael and Fornarina

Raphael

But Fornarina is not coming!
I'm waiting for her like the happiness of the world.
Silence all around
No answer...
As expected
It burns the soul!

[Fornarina runs in from the side door.]

Fornarina!

[Approaches her.]

Fornarina

Oh darling, I'm yours again!

[They hug.]

Raphael

Oh my bliss
Dream of love,
You and I together
Alone with you.

Fornarina

You are more beautiful than flowers
Fresher than spring,
Love burns us
Fire of love.

Raphael

Inspiration comes to me
A heavenly vision soars,
Oh, give me a moment of happiness...

[He quickly takes Fornarina, places her on a pedestal and paints a picture from her; behind the stage there are sounds of music and dancing of the approaching carnival.]

Choir

All Rome is in full swing with joy,
Labor has been replaced by idleness,
Maestro Raphael
We invite you to a holiday.
Enjoy the pleasure
All life is one moment,
And the music and singing
The blood burns with fire...

Voice

[off stage]
The heart trembles with passion and bliss,
Songs of love flow languidly,
Her gaze sparkles with passion and bliss,
The stars of love shine in it.

Breasts, excited in hot embraces,
The sea basks in a sparkling dream.
How much I love - I cannot say.
It's scary and sweet to me.

My life is a delight and torment for my heart,
Clear sky of blooming spring,
Your voice is like a fairy tale, thoughtfully singing,
Singing or murmur of waves.

Oh, if only I could wave a carefree
It's crazy to say a tender word
I would be glad to be a fast-flying seagull,
Cry in a storm with waves.

Choir

Raphael

Fun, life and enjoyment...

Fornarina

Oh my dear, how wonderful life is.

[Flowers, ribbons and small bouquets fly into the open windows of the workshop.]

Raphael

Look, flowers are falling like rain!

Fornarina

Do you love me?

Raphael

[approaching her]
Gently, passionately,
Like a pearl of heavenly beauty.

Raphael

Oh my bliss
Dream of love,
You and I together
Alone with you.

Fornarina

You are more beautiful than flowers
Fresher than spring,
Love burns us
Fire of love.

Raphael

Oh, Fornarina!
In a wondrous creature
The world of rebirth
World of beauty,
Oh, Fornarina!
Passions of desire,
A moment of pleasure
Flowers of life.

Be carefree
With youthful tenderness,
Life is fleeting
In the world of dreams.

Sonorous strings
Hearts are not eternal -
The flowers are withering.

[Rafael and Fornarina are in each other's arms. In a large arch, lifting the curtain, Cardinal Bibiena appears, pauses for a moment, amazed, then majestically approaches.]

4. Cardinal's Aria

Cardinal

God Almighty! Are these eyes
Are you forced to see the shame?
In the brightness of the day, not in the darkness of the night,
Not in the secret of darkness and silence!..

Stop! You are a crime
Having broken his vow, he committed:
You are my blood and consolation,
I insulted your fiancee.
You have forgotten the shrine of heaven,
There are no heavenly images here.
You turned a genius into a desert,
Your art is sinful nonsense.

Crazy, blind inspiration,
You are a son unworthy of the church;
I swear, your birth is a shame
My country, my gray hairs.
You surrendered to beauty to power,
Your gaze burns with the fire of love,
You're looking for fame, you're looking for happiness
And maybe you will find shame.

No. 4a. Trio

Rafael, Fornarina, Cardinal [together]

Raphael

Holy Father, you can strictly
I must pronounce my sentence,
But you have no power in a frenzy
Kill the love of my soul.
I swear, I love you like inspiration,
Like a ray of sunshine, like the happiness of days
I am this gentle creature
With her heavenly beauty.

Fornarina

Holy Father in front of me
You see a woman like this
Whose world is in one; love him.

Cardinal

Oh, come back, wonderful Raphael,
On the path of goodness and truth,
And forgetting the ungodly sin,
Forget this woman.

Raphael

No, never, I swear on my soul,
I can't forget her.

Fornarina

I swear to love him until the grave.

5. Final

Cardinal

So stay stuck
Sin and evil, from generation to generation.

Choir

[off stage]
All of Rome is buzzing with joy,
Labor has been replaced by idleness,
Maestro Raphael
We invite you to a holiday.
Enjoy the pleasure
All life is one moment,
And the music and singing
The blood burns with fire...

Cardinal

I'm calling here for accusations
I am a merry people.

[Goes to the window.]

Come all here, O people,
Tear the crown from his brow
And rip your heart out of your chest
Slave of sin and sons of evil.

Choir

[off stage]
What's happened? Why are we called?
Holy Father! Why did you call us here in a crowd?

Cardinal

I have called you, my friends,
Then, so that you know from now on,
That this sinner is alien to the shrine
And he is deprived of the love of the church.
See everything and know, brothers,
He is with a demonic brush in front of me
This woman's embrace
Depicted it on canvas.
But the mask of evil hypocrisy
I'll tear it off like a crown.
Look everyone!

[Tears down the curtain big picture, which Raphael draped when she appeared, and retreats in a stupor of delight and horror.]

I'm crazy!
How could I have thought!
In eternal greatness
Features of heavenly beauty.
I bow with trembling hearts
To dust before you. Oh, dream world!

People's Choir

What a joy
Joy is spilled
Spilled in heavenly features!
Her gaze penetrates with fire
And it fills the heart
Divine faith and fear.

Chorus, Raphael and Fornarina

Whose clear mind
He wants to comprehend the secrets of the sky,
And, full of thoughts,
Who forgot about the need for bread,
Who is simple at heart
And kindly with my soul,
That bright bridge
Created between heaven and earth,
He is close to us
And every groan of his suffering
Calls to us
Asking heaven for hope.

Rafael and Fornarina

Oh my bliss
Dream of love,
You are fresher than flowers
More beautiful than spring.

Cardinal and Chorus of the People

And the nations will tremble at the thunder of heaven
Great solemn glory:
Not an angel who fell into the abyss, disappeared,
It is not the wind that bends the oak groves,
Then the roar of distant worlds rushes,
And the sonorous strings of the universe
They thunder with inspiration
An immortal name from mortal ages.

In April 1894, an event of no small importance for Russian art was to take place in Moscow: the first All-Russian Congress of Artists. By this congress Arensky, at that time it was already enough famous composer, the author of the opera “Dream on the Volga,” two symphonies, a piano concerto and chamber works, was commissioned for the opera. The subject chosen for the occasion was one of the legends associated with the name of the great Renaissance artist Raphael - about his love for the young model Margarita, nicknamed Fornarina (baker). The libretto was written by a certain A. A. Kryukov, about whom no information has been preserved. At that time there lived in Moscow two pretty famous person with the following surname and initials: a minor poet and journalist who worked in one of the Moscow newspapers. Probably one of them was the author, but the dates of their lives are unknown.
Of course, the image of Raphael in the libretto turned out to be very far from the true image of the brilliant master, but this did not stop the composer from working with enthusiasm. “Raphael” was created by him very quickly - in just five weeks. This was facilitated by the correspondence of the one-act opera genre to the talent of the composer, a lyricist par excellence, who preferred small forms. Arensky gave his opera the subtitle “Musical Scenes from the Renaissance.” Initially, the role of Raphael was intended for mezzo-soprano, but was later assigned to a tenor.
The opera was first performed on April 24 and 25, 1894 on the stage of the hall of the Moscow Noble Assembly by students of the Moscow Conservatory in front of the participants of the congress, who received it very kindly. Taneyev, one of the most respected musicians in Russia, who was present at the premiere, was so touched that he could not hold back his tears. The press was also positive. First theatrical production"Raphael" was performed at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater. The premiere took place on December 13, 1895.
The peculiarity of the opera "Raphael" is that it was written for performance on Italian, although an equal Russian-language version has also come into practice.

The action takes place in Florence at the beginning of the 16th century.
In Raphael's workshop, the students say goodbye to the master, rushing to join the carnival fun. Left alone, he reflects on his fate (Cardinal Bibiena, his patron, offers to marry his niece, but Raphael loves another - a modest peasant girl Margarita, nicknamed Fornarina (baker), who poses for him for the image of the Madonna.)
Fornarina appears. Seized with inspiration, the artist takes up his brush. The sounds of a cheering crowd can be heard from the street. Someone sings a song praising love. Having interrupted his work, Rafael returns his thoughts to Fornarina - not a model, but the woman he loves, and hugs her. Suddenly the cardinal appears. He accuses the artist of insulting the bride, of trampling the shrine: after all, he identified the sinful Fornarina with the Madonna...
The artist boldly objects: the cardinal cannot kill his love! In terrible anger, the cardinal calls the people to show the “slave of sin.”
The workshop is filled with merry townspeople and bow before the beautiful painting, glorifying the genius of its creator.
The opera ends with a hymn celebrating art.

"Raphael" is distinguished by a clear, compact structure, extreme laconicism, economy expressive means. The music of the opera is exquisite, full of lyricism and distinguished by poetry, dreamy and clear melody; the lyrical scenes are set off by successfully resolved genre scenes.
The most popular “Song of the Singer Behind the Stage” is based on an authentic Italian folk melody, borrowed by the composer from the collection “All of Naples”.

The basis of the opera is melodic lyrical numbers, but since the opera takes place against the backdrop of a medieval carnival, it contains choral scenes and echoes of typically Italian motifs. In the orchestral and vocal musical techniques used by the composer, there is a clear continuity with the works of Tchaikovsky. The opera “Raphael” was highly praised by Taneyev, who considered it capable of equally delighting both specialist musicians and the public, touching “to tears.”

The fate of the short (less than 40 minutes of playing) opera “Raphael” has developed in the best possible way, individual performances of the opera still occur to this day (mainly in concerts or in student productions).

Opera in one act. Libretto by A. Kryukov.
Premiere: St. Petersburg, Mariinsky Theater, December 13, 1895.

Characters:

Raphael, artist (tenor)
Fornarina, model (soprano)
Cardinal Bibiena (bass)
Backstage singer (tenor)
Students, townspeople

The action takes place in Florence at the beginning of the 16th century.

History of creation

In April 1894, an event of no small importance for Russian art was to take place in Moscow: the first All-Russian Congress of Artists. For this congress, Arensky, at that time already a fairly well-known composer, the author of the opera “Dream on the Volga”, two symphonies, a piano concert and chamber works, was commissioned to perform an opera. The subject chosen for the occasion was one of the legends associated with the name of the great Renaissance artist Raphael - about his love for the young model Margarita, nicknamed Fornarina (baker). The libretto was written by a certain A. A. Kryukov, about whom no information has been preserved. At that time, two fairly famous people with that surname and initials lived in Moscow: a minor poet and a journalist who worked for one of the Moscow newspapers. Probably one of them was the author, but the dates of their lives are unknown.

Of course, the image of Raphael in the libretto turned out to be very far from the true image of the brilliant master, but this did not stop the composer from working with enthusiasm. “Raphael” was created by him very quickly - in just five weeks. This was facilitated by the correspondence of the one-act opera genre to the talent of the composer, a lyricist par excellence, who preferred small forms. Arensky gave his opera the subtitle “Musical Scenes from the Renaissance.” Initially, the role of Raphael was intended for mezzo-soprano, but was later assigned to a tenor.

The opera was first performed on April 24 and 25, 1894 on the stage of the hall of the Moscow Noble Assembly by students of the Moscow Conservatory in front of the participants of the congress, who received it very kindly. Taneyev, one of the most respected musicians in Russia, who was present at the premiere, was so touched that he could not hold back his tears. The press was also positive. The first theatrical production of "Raphael" was performed at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater. The premiere took place on December 13, 1895.

Plot

In Raphael's workshop, the students say goodbye to the master, rushing to join the carnival fun. Left alone, he reflects on his fate: Cardinal Bibiena, his patron, offers to marry his niece, but Raphael loves another - the modest model Fornarina, who poses for him for the image of the Madonna. Fornarina appears. Seized with inspiration, the artist takes up his brush. The sounds of a cheering crowd can be heard from the street. Someone sings a song praising love. Having interrupted his work, Rafael returns his thoughts to Fornarina - not a model, but the woman he loves, and hugs her. Suddenly the cardinal appears. He accuses the artist of insulting the bride, of trampling on the shrine: after all, he identified the sinful Fornarina with the Madonna... The artist boldly objects: the cardinal cannot kill his love! In terrible anger, the cardinal calls the people to show the “slave of sin.” The workshop is filled with merry townspeople and bow before the beautiful painting, glorifying the genius of its creator.

Music

“Raphael” is distinguished by its clear, compact structure, extreme laconicism, and economy of expressive means. The music of the opera is exquisite, full of lyricism and distinguished by poetry, dreamy and clear melody; the lyrical scenes are set off by successfully resolved genre scenes.

The most popular “Song of the Singer Behind the Stage” is based on an authentic Italian folk melody, borrowed by the composer from the collection “All of Naples”.

History of creation

The opera was commissioned by the Moscow Society of Art Lovers to Arensky after the success of his first opera, Dream on the Volga. First staged in 1894 by students of the Moscow Conservatory.

Characters

Summary

Raphael dismisses his students in celebration of the carnival. His thoughts are absorbed in Fornarina, the beauty he met at the fountain. However, the artist's patron, Cardinal Bibiena, would like to marry Raphael to his daughter.

People on the street call “Maestro Raphael” and Fornarina to join the festivities. The love song of a wandering singer is heard. Suddenly the cardinal appears. He reproaches the artist for the fact that, being almost a member of the family, he is left alone with an unfamiliar woman. Rafael confesses to the cardinal that he loves Fornarina. The angry cardinal incites the people to tear off the “mask of evil hypocrisy” from Raphael and condemn the artist’s sinfulness. In anger, he tears off the canvas from the just completed painting and reverently retreats before the image of the Madonna, painted from Fornarina.

Musical numbers

Introduction (Overture)
« Andiam, su compagni al lavor" - choir of students.
Arioso by Raphael « Son libero alfine!" - Rafael.
Duet of Raphael and Fornarina « Oh, delizia del cor" - Rafael, Fornarina.
Song of the Wandering Singer « " - wandering singer (behind the stage).
Cardinal's Aria « Gran Dio possente!" - Cardinal.
« O Cardinal! Ben puoi severo" - trio, Rafael, Fornarina, Cardinal.
Finale - Raphael, Fornarina, Cardinal, chorus.

Famous performers

Song of the wandering singer, " Ah! Di voluttade già il mio cor si fonde"(in Russian translation: " The heart trembles with passion and bliss") is an integral part of the repertoire of Russian tenors. At the same time, the performer of this most famous aria of the opera, a wandering singer, does not appear on stage.

The wandering singer behind the stage: I. Kozlovsky, S. Lemeshev, L. Sobinov

Famous audio recordings

- conductor V. Smirnov, Choir and Orchestra of the All-Union Radio, “Melody”, USSR.

Performers: Raphael- V. Kaluzhsky (part transposed to tenor), Fornarina- Z. Dolukhanova, Cardinal- A. Korolev, Wandering Singer- V. Kravtsov.

- conductor K. Orbelyan, Choir spiritual rebirth Russia and the National Philharmonic Orchestra, “Delos”, Russia.

Performers: Raphael- M. Domashenko (part transposed to mezzo-soprano), Fornarina- T. Pavlovskaya, Cardinal- A. Vinogradov, Wandering Singer- V. Grivnov.

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Notes

Excerpt characterizing Raphael (opera)

- Well, he will find out, well, your brother, groom!
“I don’t have a fiance, I refused,” Natasha shouted.
“It doesn’t matter,” continued Marya Dmitrievna. - Well, they’ll find out, so why leave it like that? After all, he, your father, I know him, after all, if he challenges him to a duel, will it be good? A?
- Oh, leave me alone, why did you interfere with everything! For what? For what? who asked you? - Natasha shouted, sitting up on the sofa and looking angrily at Marya Dmitrievna.
- What did you want? - Marya Dmitrievna cried out again, getting excited, - why did they lock you up? Well, who stopped him from going to the house? Why should they take you away like some kind of gypsy?... Well, if he had taken you away, what do you think, he wouldn’t have been found? Your father, or brother, or fiancé. And he’s a scoundrel, a scoundrel, that’s what!
“He’s better than all of you,” Natasha cried, standing up. - If you hadn’t interfered... Oh, my God, what is this, what is this! Sonya, why? Go away!... - And she began to sob with such despair with which people only mourn such grief, which they feel themselves to be the cause of. Marya Dmitrievna began to speak again; but Natasha shouted: “Go away, go away, you all hate me, you despise me.” – And again she threw herself on the sofa.
Marya Dmitrievna continued for some time to admonish Natasha and convince her that all this must be hidden from the count, that no one would find out anything if only Natasha took it upon herself to forget everything and not show to anyone that anything had happened. Natasha didn't answer. She didn’t cry anymore, but she began to feel chills and trembling. Marya Dmitrievna put a pillow on her, covered her with two blankets and brought her some lime blossom herself, but Natasha did not respond to her. “Well, let him sleep,” said Marya Dmitrievna, leaving the room, thinking that she was sleeping. But Natasha was not sleeping and, with fixed, open eyes, looked straight ahead from her pale face. All that night Natasha did not sleep, and did not cry, and did not speak to Sonya, who got up and approached her several times.
The next day, for breakfast, as Count Ilya Andreich had promised, he arrived from the Moscow region. He was very cheerful: the deal with the buyer was going well and nothing was keeping him now in Moscow and in separation from the countess, whom he missed. Marya Dmitrievna met him and told him that Natasha had become very unwell yesterday, that they had sent for a doctor, but that she was better now. Natasha did not leave her room that morning. With pursed, cracked lips, dry, fixed eyes, she sat by the window and restlessly peered at those passing along the street and hurriedly looked back at those entering the room. She was obviously waiting for news about him, waiting for him to come or write to her.
When the count came up to her, she turned restlessly at the sound of his man’s steps, and her face took on its former cold and even angry expression. She didn't even get up to meet him.
– What’s wrong with you, my angel, are you sick? - asked the count. Natasha was silent.
“Yes, I’m sick,” she answered.
In response to the count's worried questions about why she was so killed and whether anything had happened to her fiancé, she assured him that nothing was wrong and asked him not to worry. Marya Dmitrievna confirmed Natasha’s assurances to the Count that nothing had happened. The count, judging by the imaginary illness, by the disorder of his daughter, by the embarrassed faces of Sonya and Marya Dmitrievna, clearly saw that something was going to happen in his absence: but he was so scared to think that something shameful had happened to his beloved daughter, he He loved his cheerful calm so much that he avoided asking questions and kept trying to assure himself that nothing special had happened and was only grieving that due to her ill health their departure to the village had been postponed.

From the day his wife arrived in Moscow, Pierre was preparing to go somewhere, just so as not to be with her. Soon after the Rostovs arrived in Moscow, the impression that Natasha made on him made him hasten to fulfill his intention. He went to Tver to see the widow of Joseph Alekseevich, who promised long ago to give him the papers of the deceased.

Mitkova Anastasia Dmitrievna, student at Kazan University State Conservatory them. N.G. Zhiganova [email protected]

Opera by A.S. Arensky “Raphael” in the context of Russian art at the turn of the 19th century

Annotation. A.S. Arensky's opera "Raphael" was created to order for the first All-Russian Congress of Artists and Art Lovers. The article identifies the main stylistic trends of Russian art at the turn of the 19th century and their trends that influenced the creation of the opera. The content of the opera “Raphael” is considered in the context of the influence of the ideas of symbolism and aestheticism. Keywords: Arensky, opera, symbolism, aestheticism, World of Art.

Anton Stepanovich Arensky is one of the most talented Russian composers late XIX century. His popularity during his lifetime was extraordinary. Tchaikovsky spoke about Arensky: “Arensky is amazingly smart in music, somehow he thinks everything through subtly and correctly! This is a very interesting musical personality!” In addition to Tchaikovsky, the compositional talent of A. Arensky was noted by S. Taneyev, G. Konyus, G. Laroche, B. Asafiev. Arensky was also known to the public as a pianist, and the musician’s conducting activities also received recognition. In the list of students of Arensky, professor of the Moscow Conservatory in the class of composition

such famous names as S. Rachmaninov, A. Scriabin, G. Konyus, R. Glier, K. Igumnov, A. Goldenweiser.

But, as if obeying the words of his own teacher, N.A. Rimsky Korsakov, “he will soon be forgotten,” at the beginning of the 20th century, the name of the composer, once surrounded by the close attention of his contemporaries, began to really be forgotten. Arensky's intimate, subtle lyrics did not correspond to the spirit of the new pre-revolutionary time. Under Soviet rule, interest in his work was also not renewed due to its “non-ideological nature.” Creative heritage Arensky suffered a difficult fate: his music remained misunderstood and underestimated. Meanwhile, the sphere of musical talent of A.S. Arensky, better known to the public as the author of “The Singer’s Song Behind the Stage” and “Fantasy on Themes of Ryabinin,” was more multifaceted: the composer wrote 2 symphonies, symphonic fantasy"Marguerite Gautier" and other orchestral works. His ballet “Night in Egypt” (1900) was staged during Diaghilev’s “Russian Entreprises” in Paris (1908). The composer found his greatest success in chamber lyrical forms of expression, and his romances have proven to be in demand in our time. piano works and chamber ensembles. The opera genre attracted Arensky throughout almost his entire life. creative path. Having begun his quest as a composer with the large four-act opera “Dream on the Volga” (early 1880s–1888), Arensky continued to work in this genre with undying interest. In the year of the premiere of the production of “Dream on the Volga” (1890), inspired by the success of his first opera, Arensky began work on the three-act opera “Nal and Damayanti” (1903). Many years of work on it were interrupted by the creation of the one-act opera “Raphael” (1894). The opera “Raphael” was written to order for the first All-Russian Congress of Artists and Art Lovers, held in Moscow on April 24, 1894. In the article “The First Art Congress in Moscow” G. Konyus notes that “among the phenomena that marked the first congress of artists in the past April, in the field of music art, special attention was drawn to the new work by A.S. Arensky, written especially on the occasion of the congress and performed twice at the art festival held in the halls of the Moscow Noble Assembly.”

This Congress has become important event in the history of Russian painting. The external reason for it was the transfer to the city art gallery Pavel and Sergei Tretyakov. In the leading art magazine of that time, “Artist,” it was noted that “this gallery is, as it were, a set of artistic tasks set for the solution of Russian painting during that historical period which Russian society has just experienced before our eyes.” It should be noted that Russian culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was a complex and contradictory period in the development of Russian art. This is due to the rapid process of searching for new ways to develop culture, and, as a consequence, the diversity of directions and schools. In the art of the turn of the 19th century. Symbolism is becoming one of the leading worldviews in culture. Russian symbolism arose at the turn of the 80s and 90s. XIX century as a leading ideological, artistic, religious and philosophical movement. It absorbed all the cultural achievements of the turn of the 19th century, and therefore largely determined the largest philosophical, artistic and also indirectly scientific and socio-political achievements of the era Silver Age, including artistic avant-garde, Russian religious philosophy. The apotheosis of Russian symbolism was the idea of a synthesis of art, philosophy, life, and the creation of a “holistic style.” The very idea of art expands to human activity in general. At the same time, symbolism was largely based on the position of F. Dostoevsky: “Beauty will save the world.” It was taken by Vl. Solovyov as the metaphysical basis of his philosophy of unity, which became the foundation of Russian symbolism. Russian symbolism can be viewed more as a kind of never-ending creative process, which is valuable in itself for its active side, rather than a specific result. From here the process itself comes to the fore artistic creativity. Focus on creative personality and the phenomenon of theurgy, as the realization of the divine principle in man, led to a certain cult of personality (a echo of the Renaissance). The personality of the artist-poet is understood as the personality of “the bearer of the inner word, the organ of the world soul, the signifier of the intimate connection of existence, the seer and secret creator of life.” He is a kind of “transformer” and “translator” of the music of the celestial cosmic spheres, which is accessible to him and not accessible to mere mortals. It is the artist, with the help of poetry, music, painting, who brings this “encrypted information” to mere mortals through creative revelations, which are a poem, symphony, painting, etc. The creative process, creativity becomes a phenomenon synonymous with the concept of beauty. Here the idea is embodied that the purpose of art is to create the beautiful, the sublime, confronting the problems of real life, and not a reflection of the surrounding reality, its negative sides and acute social problems, as was previously the case. At the end of the 19th century, a change in attitude towards the role of painting occurred in the minds of Russian painters. In contrast to the realistic ideas of the Peredvizhniki turn of the 19th century In the 20th century, the artistic association “World of Art” was created. The artists of this association tried to contrast the disturbing reality with primordial spiritual and artistic values; they considered the aesthetic principle in art a priority, assigning art the role of a kind of transformer of life. The World of Art program contained many fundamental provisions that stemmed from the concepts of aestheticism and symbolism. Main rod new program became the problem of artistic individualism, the autonomy of the art world, free from social and political problems, and the aesthetics of beauty has established itself as an eternally important theme of artistic creativity. In an era when one aesthetic ideal has exhausted itself (the Wanderers), and another has not yet been formed (“World of Art”), the worldview of aestheticism is becoming more acute. He asserts the predominant value of beauty in life and art, the predominance of beautiful form over content. In the philosophy of aestheticism, refined thinking leads to the cult or religion of beauty. One more characteristic feature philosophy of aestheticism: since all forms, regardless of their aesthetic value, acquire a higher, religious meaning, then it is not the content and form that become more important, but the personality of the contemplator, connoisseur, connoisseur.

In a broad sense, aestheticism is the recognition of beauty as the absolute highest value, and its enjoyment as the meaning of life; it is a cult of beauty in art and life. The basis of this aesthetic concept is the affirmation of the independence of beauty and its main container - art - from morality, politics, religion, and other forms of spiritual activity. At the same time, in Russian art throughout its history, it was not the purely artistic, but the moral, ethical principle, the search for truth that prevailed, which , according to academician D.S. Likhachev, is the core of all Russian culture. This understanding of the essence of art is true for all Russian artists from A. Rublev to M. Vrubel. It manifested itself both in the iconography of religious ascetics - ancient Russian painters, and in the paintings of democratically minded Itinerants of the second half of the 19th century century, and in the paintings of artists of the early 20th century. The period of the late XIX - early XX centuries in the development of Russian culture strives to synthesize all the achievements of culture: art, philosophy, religion - everything is interconnected.A. Blok called such integrity of the artistic environment “synthetic culture”, believing that in Russia “painting, music, prose, poetry, philosophy, religion, the public are inseparable and together they form a single powerful stream that carries the precious burden of national culture.” Following these patterns, new trends in painting at the turn of the 19th century could not but have a significant aesthetic impact on the art of music. Significant changes in musical art expressed in new trends in attitudes towards art and its role in life. Composers of the 6070s followed a principle that corresponded to the ideals of " natural school"in literature and peredvizhniki in painting. This principle of "musical truth" at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries gave way to an aesthetic approach, a tendency towards philosophical concepts embodied in music, increased psychologization of heroes, and renewal of genres and forms. Thus, in the musical art of the 80s and the first half of the 90s, new trend- affirmation of beauty in spite of the suffering and oppression of the surrounding reality. The need for an aesthetically beautiful beginning is manifested in many ways in the music of the 80-90s: in Tchaikovsky - as a hymn statement of love and truth, the victory of light over darkness (ballet “Sleeping Beauty”, opera “Iolanta”); in Glazunov as a lyrical, epic and hymn statement of the beautiful in life ( in the Fourth Symphony). In Rimsky Korsakov this tendency was embodied in images of the sunny glorification of nature and the art of the people ( symphonic suites"Scheherazade" (1888) and "Spanish Capriccio" (1887), the operas "The Night Before Christmas" (1894-1995) and "Sadko" (1897)). The worldview of this composer is characterized by a tendency towards the aesthetics of pure contemplation, towards admiring the beauty and honed perfection of form. These trends were clearly evident in the 1880s in the operas “The Snow Maiden” (1881), “Mlada” (1892), and later in the opera “The Tsar’s Bride” (1899), “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (1899-1900) and “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevronia” (19031907).

In the same context, A. S. Arensky’s opera “Raphael” appears, where the aesthetically beautiful principle is associated with spiritual truth, and the worship of the all-encompassing power of beauty resolves the moral conflict. The plot, which corresponded to the task of embodying new artistic trends, was a plot from life Italian artist Renaissance by Raphael Santi. Thus, for the first time in the history of Russian opera, there was an appeal to the personality of the artist, the creator. The only opera based on the plot with the participation of an artist at the end of the 19th century was comic opera“Benvenuto Cellini” (1838) by Hector Berlioz (Libretto by L. de Vailly and O. Barbier based on the autobiography of the Florentine sculptor Benvenuto Cellini). The premiere of this early Berlioz opera ended in failure. Only many years later, in 1852, the opera was successfully staged in Weimar new edition Liszt. The plot was based on an episode about the adventurous adventures of Cellini. At the end of the opera, the theme of creation arises when, in the finale, a work of art appears before the admiring audience

the statue of Perseus and the aria-hymn to creativity “Seulpourlutter, seulavecmoncourage” sounds. But, perhaps due to belonging to the comic genre, the theme of the creator and art in this opera fades into the background, not being the bearer of philosophical and aesthetic content. In Arensky’s opera, the aesthetically beautiful principle was embodied in the image of Fornarina - artist's muses. Hence the love for ideal beauty. This love becomes an impetus for creativity, equated to artistic inspiration. Thus, the creative process itself becomes an action that embodies high love. The sublimity of the feelings of the main characters is emphasized by the comparison with the earthly passion that invades the central episode of the opera (the love duet) of “The Song Singer Behind the Stage.”

Thus, the central idea of the opera became philosophical idea about the synthesis of love and art in the creator’s worldview; about art and creativity as the highest form of expression of the artist’s existence. Here the idea about the purpose of art is embodied not in reflecting the surrounding reality, its negative sides, acute social problems, but in creating the beautiful, the sublime, opposing the problems of real life. Following this idea, two leitthemes can be distinguished: the theme of art and the theme of love. The theme of art first appears in the first section of Raphael’s arioso performed by solo violin:

The theme of art also sounds in the trio of Raphael, Fornarina and Cardinal Bibiena, and completes the opera, merging with the theme of love. The second leittheme

Theme of love. She first appears in the scene of the duet between Raphael and Fornarina. This is “a real pearl of musical beauty,” G. Konyus admired. It contains an abyss of loving tenderness, poeticized dreaminess, brought to the highest degree of intensity, to ecstasy.”

Then it sounds at the moment when Cardinal Bibiena pulls back the curtain from the Madonna's face. It is also the main theme on which the final chorus of the opera is built, glorifying heavenly beauty. As the action progresses, the theme takes on a broader meaning. Starting as a theme of love, it acquires a more capacious content, becoming a theme of creativity, when the artist’s feelings for the muse degenerate into falling in love with an ideal example of beauty, and the process of creativity becomes its glorification. This development of the semantics of the theme indicates a close connection between these two concepts in the Artist’s perception of the world. The denouement of the action occurs at the moment when Cardinal Bibiena pulls off the veil from Raphael's work and the choir, amazed by what they see, sings praise to the heavenly beauty of the Madonna. The basis of the melody of the final chorus is the theme of love and creativity, sounding first in the orchestra and then in the choir. Supported by the tutti of the orchestra, it acquires a hymn sound. The same theme concludes the opera. In the orchestral conclusion, the theme of art in the affirming, majestic timbre of the trumpet is woven into the sound of the leittheme of love and creativity, as its completion:

Thus, in the works of A.S. Arensky found their embodiment in the most striking artistic and aesthetic ideas of the late 19th century. A.S. Arensky created an opera in which the idea of the purpose of art in creating the beautiful, sublime and the idea of art and creativity as the highest forms of expression of the artist’s existence were expressed.

Thus, A.S. Arensky’s one-act opera “Raphael” embodied in a concentrated form new aesthetic trends in the art of the turn of the 1920th centuries, which would be developed already in the 20th century.