The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh

This work by Rimsky-Korsakov with a libretto by Vladimir Belsky, is a rarely performed Russian opera of Wagnerian allure. Following the performances in Amsterdam, the production will run at the Opéra National de Paris, the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and La Scala in Milan.

Rimsky-Korsakov?s imposing work is at once a fairytale abounding in fantasy and a parable about oppression and political arrogance. The peasant girl Fevronia?s wish to make the city of Kitezh invisible, thus protecting it against attack by the Tartars, is magically answered. However, the girl herself is taken captive. Ultimately she succeeds in finding the entrance to Kitezh, and the city turns out to be a true paradise.