Sadko (Russian: Садко, romanized: Sadkó listenⓘ, the name of the main character) is an 1898 opera in seven scenes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov.

From the opus 5 tone poem the composer quoted its most memorable passages, including the opening theme of the swelling sea,[1] and other themes as leitmotives[4] – he himself set out to "utilize for this opera the material of my symphonic poem, and, in any event, to make use of its motives as leading motives for the opera".

[5] The composer was closely involved in the "assiduous" rehearsals, and he "drilled the orchestra with great care, together with [the conductor] Esposito who proved a very fair musician".

[9] The St. Petersburg premiere followed 26 January 1901 at the Mariinsky Theatre, conducted by Eduard Nápravník, with scenic design by Apollinary Vasnetsov.

[citation needed] In 1906, the opera was presented at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow conducted by Vyacheslav Suk, with scenic design by Konstantin Korovin.

[10] A truncated production was mounted in Monte Carlo in 1921, conducted by Victor de Sabata, with Dimitri Smirnov in the title role.

In reply, Sadko also sings, but the merchants laugh at him when he suggests that Novgorod would be more prosperous if a river joined Lake Ilmen to the ocean.

Scene 4 – A pier in Novgorod (on the banks of Lake Ilmen) Merchants assemble at the quayside and Nezhata sings another gusli song.

Scene 5 – A peaceful expanse of the ocean Sadko's fleet of ships is returning home, laden with treasure, but becomes becalmed.

The wedding celebrations become so boisterous that a storm springs up, sinking ships on the surface of the sea, and the realm of the Sea-Tsar is destroyed.

Lubava finds her husband asleep and wakes him: he believes that his voyage was nothing but a dream, but the sight of the new river and his fleet of ships convinces him that he really is now a very wealthy man.

In 1953, a Russian film directed by Aleksandr Ptushko entitled Sadko based on the opera and featuring Rimsky-Korsakov's music was released.