Ru
EnE. Andrushchenko
Contemporary libretto publications in context of researches on the history of the Russian musical
This article examines recent Russian publications on the history of the musical, specifically within the field of librettology. The focus is on the recently published collected works of prominent Russian playwrights and librettists Yuri Dimitrin and Mark Rozovsky – figures who collaborated extensively with the musical theatre for over half a century and were, in fact, instrumental in the origins of the musical and rock opera in the Soviet Union. The significance of these genres within the oeuvres of both authors is clearly demonstrated by the way their relevant texts – accompanied by highly informative commentaries – are gathered into specific volumes, each bearing the concise title “Musical” (or “Musicals”). These publications are exceptionally rich in information, offering the first large-scale, multifaceted representation of the emergence and development of key areas within the Russian light musical theatre from the 1970s to the 2010s. Their value extends well beyond simply making the literary components of several historically significant projects – such as Yuri Dimitrin’s “Orpheus and Eurydice” and “Flemish Legend”, or Mark Rozovsky’s “Poor Liza”, “The Story of a Horse”, “The Murderer” (or “Crime and Punishment”), “The Three Musketeers” and others. The authors shed light on the significant twists and turns in the creation of celebrated stage productions, share insightful reflections on the key characteristics of the musical and rock opera genres within the Russian context, and describe the creative collaboration process with prominent composers (including A. Zhurbin, R. Grinblat, E. Artemiev, M. Dunaevsky, V. Lebedev, and I. Levin). In this light, the authors underscore the undeniable value of such “librettological sources” for contemporary musicological research and for high school educational courses currently being developed on the history and theory of the musical. The text also briefly evaluates the strengths and weaknesses of similar entries found in the popular encyclopedic publication “Great Musicals of the World” (2002).
Key words
light musical theatre, librettology, theory and history of the musical, rock opera in the USSR, Yu. Dimitrin, M. Rozovsky.
For citation
Andrushchenko E. Contemporary libretto publications in context of researches on the history of the Russian musical. In: South-Russian Musical Anthology. 2026. No. 3. Pp. 151–158.
