The Mariinsky Theatre is set to unveil a fascinating rarity – scenes from Modest Musorgsky’s unfinished opera Salammbô. This early work, a captivating glimpse into the composer’s burgeoning genius, receives its premiere on the Mariinsky Theatre’s New Stage on 22 and 23 February (at 13:00 and 19:00).
Musorgsky embarked on Salammbô at the tender age of twenty-four, right at the start of his professional journey. Composed between 1863 and 1866, it offers a compelling insight into his lifelong preoccupation with themes of national identity and his extraordinary ability to weave a grand historical narrative through the personal struggles of individuals.
The opera draws its inspiration from Gustave Flaubert’s eponymous novel, which chronicles the conflict between Carthage and its rebellious mercenary army. Musorgsky adapted and expanded upon Flaubert’s plot, envisioning a four-act opera. However, the work’s path was fraught with challenges from the outset. Lacking support from his fellow composers in the Mighty Handful, Musorgsky eventually abandoned the project, leaving behind a tantalising collection of incomplete musical fragments.
The resurrection of this operatic rarity is largely due to the Mariinsky Theatre’s commitment to championing lesser-known works. In 1989 the theatre commissioned the renowned St Petersburg composer Vyacheslav Nagovitsyn to create a performing edition of the opera. This edition incorporates numbers orchestrated by Musorgsky himself, along with orchestrations by Rimsky-Korsakov and Vissarion Shebalin. In 1991 the edition was expanded to include several related works by Musorgsky, and the Mariinsky Theatre presented this version later that year at the atmospheric setting of the ancient Roman amphitheatre in Mérida, Spain.
Now, in 2025, scenes from Salammbô will be presented at the Mariinsky Theatre in a new production by stage director Sergei Novikov, with evocative designs by Rostislav Protasov. This production was recently acclaimed at the Bolshoi Theatre of Russia, where it received two successful performances in late 2024.
“This was a fascinating challenge for me as a director,” says Novikov. “We had to weave together these disparate musical fragments to create a coherent narrative. To achieve this, we introduced a narrator, Hamilcar, the ruler of Carthage and father of Salammbô. This role is performed by the esteemed actor Vladimir Steklov, People’s Artist of Russia. We also added a duet for Salammbô and her spiritual mentor, Shahabarim, drawing on musical sketches that Musorgsky later developed into the duet for Marina Mnisheck and Rangoni in Boris Godunov.”
Novikov’s production reveals a lesser-known facet of Musorgsky’s genius – his capacity for profound lyricism. The opera poignantly captures the emotional turmoil of a young woman torn between love and duty.
The production interweaves historical and battle scenes with captivating mythological narratives, including the theft of sacred fish and the legend of the Zaïmph, the sacred veil of the goddess Tanit, believed to protect Carthage from harm. Protasov’s designs reflect the interplay between the earthly and the celestial through striking colour contrasts, shimmering gold accents in the costumes and sets, flowing fabrics and opulent brocades.
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