Duration: full-length
Place and time: Nishni Novgorod and its surroundings, end of the 15^th century

Characters: Fürst Nikita Danilytsch Kurljatev, the Grand Prince’s deputy in Nishni Novgorod (Bar) – Fürstin Eupraksia Romanowna, his wife (Mez) – Fürst Jurij, their son (T) – Mamyrov, an old deacon (B) – Nenila, his sister, the Princess’s lady-in-waiting (Mez) – Iwan Žuran, the Prince’s hunter (Bbar) – Nastassja, known as “Kuma” (godmother), young innkeeper (S) – Foka, her uncle (Bar) – Polya, Kuma’s girlfriend (S) – Balakin, merchant from Nishni Novgorod (T) – Potap & Lukaš, sons of merchants (Bbar,T) – Kičiga, a boxer (B) – Paissij, a vagabond in hte guise of a monk (T) – Kud’ma, a magician (Bar) – Maids, merchants from Nishni Novgorod, wardens, princely servants, hunters and beaters, jesters and people (SSAATTBB)

Highly esteemed by the composer, little understood by the audience at first: “Die Bezaubernde” [The Enchantress] has remained an insider’s tip, despite successful new productions (most recently Vienna 2014, Lyon 2017, Frankfurt 2022). Frank Reinisch’s Urtext edition presents the work on the basis of all relevant sources – the autograph, the bilingual first printings of the score and piano vocal score (Russian-German) as well as the respective volumes of the complete edition – in the final version that Tchaikovsky prepared in 1887 before the premiere. A preface by Peter Gülke, conductor of the first GDR performance in Rudolstadt in 1963, lends special authenticity to the edition. Gülke’s conducting score, now in the publisher’s archives, is an extremely valuable source and contributes significantly to clarifying questions of performance practice. The vocal text is printed in German and English prose translations in the appendix to both the full score and the piano vocal score.