A dramatic Mazepa at the Mariinsky last night, in Tchaikovsky’s (via Pushkin) tale of Maria, a girl driven mad by the greed, scheming and conflicts instigated between her Father and Husband. She is the naive victim, only wanting to be loved but instead encountering murder and war. Two intervals, and both much needed to recover and have a stiff drink as her doom marches onto its unrequited conclusion of love and the loss of her redemption. Thought-provoking as much of Tchaikovskys work was – dealing with the cruel hands of fate.
The opera closes with a bitter-sweet,and lovely aria, as Maria sings an affecting lullaby to her unrequited lover, singing him to sleep. In fact, he’s been stabbed by her Father and lies dead at her feet. A powerful way to end a bloody story.
