Prokofiev's The Love for Three Oranges

After his successful visit in the United States in 1918, Prokofiev received a commission to compose an opera from the director of the Chicago Opera Association, Cleofonte Campanini. The result of this commission was The Love for Three Oranges, a satirical opera drawing its inspiration from Carlo Gozzi's play published in 1761. It is thanks to the avant-garde stage director, Vsevolod Meyerhold, that Prokofiev discovered Gozzi's work. Inspired by this play in which many plots are intertwined, several fairy characters appear, having all the 'Commedia dell'Arte's' features, Prokofiev composed a spirited musical accompaniment on a libretto written by himself in Russian. The premiere took place at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Illinois, on the 30th of December 1921, in French.

With this production of The Love for Three Oranges at the Aix-en-Provence Festival in 2004, Philippe Calvario made his début as a stage director. As this video bears witness, the set designs, the costumes and the actors' playing – and especially Andrei Iliouchnikov's performance, give a perfect rendition of this burlesque opera filled with slapstick comedic moments. The young Tugan Sokhiev, a former pupil of Valery Gergiev, conducts here the musicians throughout this frenzied performance.

Summary:

Truffaldino, the jester, has been commissioned by the King of Clover to heal his son the Prince, a man made miserable by excessive reading of tragic works, through laughter. But the task is a difficult one, all the more so as the king's niece Clarice, her lover Léandre and the witch Fata Morgana seek to get rid of the prince and take his place as soon as he dies. The prince is amused, however, when he sees the witch stumble and fall to the ground. Furious, the witch decides to take revenge by casting a spell on the prince: he falls in love with three oranges, guarded by a horrible cook. With the help of Truffaldino and a few magic items, the prince conquers the hearts of the three oranges, transforming them into three beautiful princesses. Two of them die, but one survives to marry the prince.

© Picture: Elizabeth Carecchio