Alexander Borodin Opera Prince Igor

Plot Synopsis and Character Description of a Russian Medieval Epic

Alexander Borodin (November 12, 1833 – February 27, 1887) composed Prince Igor, posthumously completed by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and Aleksandr Glazunov, a four-act opera based on a Russian medieval epic, libretto by Borodin after V.V. Stassov. It was premiered at the Maryinsky Theatre, St Petersburg, November 4th, 1890. The settings are in the town of Poutivl and the Polovtsian Camp, in 1185.

Notable arias: “No little time has passed” (Jaroslavna), “Unhappy, prince?” (Kontchak), Jaroslavna’s lament (Jaroslavna).