The libretto was written by the composer,[b] and is based on a Russian fairy tale about Koschei the Deathless, an evil, ugly old wizard, who menaced principally young women.
[5] A similar fairy tale was also used by Igor Stravinsky (Rimsky-Korsakov's pupil) and Michel Fokine to create their iconic ballet, The Firebird.
27 March) 1905 and was given at the Komissarzhevskaya Drama Theatre performed by students of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and conducted by Alexander Glazunov.
[7] The United States premiere, given in Russian, took place in January 2018, at Island City Opera in Alameda, California conducted by Lidiya Yankovskaya, directed by Richard Bogart.
Kashchey's realm The beautiful Tsarevna Beloved Beauty (Russian: Царевна Ненаглядная Краса), imprisoned by the evil wizard Kashchey the Deathless in his gloomy kingdom, longs for her beloved groom Ivan-Korolevich.
Kashchey breaks the mirror and sends the Burya-Bogatyr (Storm Knight) to Kashcheyevna to ask how safely she keeps his death.
Burya-Bogatyr opens the gates to show the lovers the way out of the gloomy kingdom, and into the world of light, spring, and love.