Prince Igor

Time of action: 1185.

Prologue

In Putivl area  Prince Igor's armed force  is preparing for a campaign against Polovtsy. People and boyars call Prince Igor and his son Vladimir:

Glory to red sun!
Glory to Prince Igor!
Glory to young Volodymyr!
From Great Don to curved seashore
Glory is ringing in the steppes Polovtsian!
And on the Danube River, girls are singing you the glory!
Their voice is pouring from the sea to Kiev,
Glory to Brave armed forces! ..

Igor emotionally listens to glorification and promises to protect the native land, saying that he fights not for treasures, but for Russian land and Russian people.

At this moment the solar eclipse begins. All immerses in the darkness. The crowd  scaredly asks: what does it mean?  The sun grows dim... People see a bad omen in it and beg the prince:

Terrible darkness enveloped the earth, the night has come

Oh, don’t go to campaign, Prince!
Wait  home, wait more, Prince!

But Igor is unshakable, he is not frightened by evil omens. The fatherland requires protection. It is necessary to take the campaign.

We follow the right cause,
For the great motherland Russia,
Shall we go back without  a fight?
And the way open to the enemy?

His determination infuses courage in the hearts of cowards. Only two gudochniks. Skula and Eroshka, are hiding quietly.  At Igor's site battles, danger, perhaps death are waiting for them. They are looking for a new owner:

Let's go to look the services for ourselves
To Volodimir Jaroslavich, prince Galitsky.
Full, drunk and safe we will be!

Buffoons throw down their arms and go to the Galitsky house.

Before getting under way at the head of his guards, Igor says goodbye to Yaroslavna with a heavy heart. Tears dim eyes of the princess, she begs her husband to refuse a campaign, she is excited with terrible presentiments.

But also entreaties of his wife cannot shake Igor. He entrusts his wife to her brother, prince Galitsky, who does not stint promises. After all he is obliged  to Igor. When his father kicked him out of the house and he came to Putivl as a poor wanderer, Igor has given him weapons, money, power, has returned his ancestral lands. How not to pay gratitude for all these blessings!

The priest blesses a banner of soldiers going to a campaign. People glorify Igor and his team.

Act 1

Scene One.
Courtyard  of Prince Galitsky;  drunk rabble is walking,  also Skula and Eroshka are here. Their songs are trembling mansion.

The dissolute prince likes this song, he looks favourably on gathered drunkards. Galitsky frankly declares: “I would reign not like Igor! Girls kisses, feasts and fun — that's what I need!  If you choose me the prince in Putivle you will not repent…”

He took a liking so much that already sees himself as the prince of Putivl. He also decided to send Yaroslavna in a monastery.

Intoxicated by wine steams the visitors  approve dishonest  plans  of Galitsky. At this time excited girls come running into the tower, asking  the prince of protection: servants of the prince have stolen their girlfriend.

To ask the prince of protection? It was impossible to think up  worse! The kidnappers of the girl tried just for Galitsky. According to the prince, it is a great honour: after all she will live with him as a spoiled concubine. Entreaties of girls are vain. The prince roughly banishes them. Only Skula was scared a little. Even if Igor  is not home, his wife also has a very strong hand.  But soon his doubts carries wine, abundantly current from the barrels of the prince.

Scene Two.
Yaroslavna embroiders with her hay girls, but the work is not succeed: the princess is tormented by alarm for her husband and stepson that  are fighting somewhere far away.

Yaroslavna’s  old mother comes and tells her that there are women waiting  in a courtyard who came with a complaint, they  ask to let them in. The princess listens to women and learns that it is a question of abduction of the girl, but the name of the criminal women decide to call only after  long persuasion: the stolen girl is locked at the prince Galitsky. From the story of women it is found out that since Igor has left the city, Galitsky keeps people in constant fear, pursues women and girls. His drunk henchmen set fire to houses, rob defenceless people, abduct the most beautiful girls.

At  this moment Galitsky enter the tower. His first words are already rough: «Why are you holding  council with mean serfs! Banish them!» Women run away in fear. Brother and sister — Galitsky and Yaroslavna — stand face to face now. Yaroslavna calls prince Galitsky for the answer. But he just shrugs his shoulders. His behaviour becomes more and more provocative, until, finally, Yaroslavna declares that she would tell everything to Igor. Here Galitsky also reveals his low nature. "I'm not afraid of nobody, - he says - because the power is almost in my hands! If I only nod,  people will enthrone me:  these drunk serfs, these slaves kiss my feet with tears, - brags Galitsky and adds: - When I start to reign, I'll pay you for all, my sister. "

Seeing indignation of sister, he changes his tone: "This is in fact a joke in fact! I just wanted your face to blush with  anger. " And once again begins to insult his sister: "Such a beauty  probably doesn’t spend  days and nights alone, you must have found someone to comfort your  loneliness!"

Igor's wife indignantly answers it:

You forgot that I am a princess!
That the power  is given me by the prince!
I’ll order to bail youin Galich to father
Under reliable protection!
Let him manage you!

Galitsky has become a little frightened: «Okay, Okay,  I will release the girl». But then shamelessly adds: «And tomorrow I will get another».

As soon as Galitsky leaves, boyars enter the tower. They bring sad messages that Russian host is broken, and Igor and Igor and his son are in captivity of the khan.

Yaroslavna falls helplessly in the chair, her old mother rushes to help her.

But the princess soon overpowers herself. Igor is in captivity! Now she must save the motherland and the people!

The Khan army, which impoverishes and destroys everything in its way,  is already standing under the walls of Putivel. The alarm is heard, red reflections of  fire are visible through the windows - Polovtsians burn villages around the city.

Boyars  are firmly on the side of Yaroslavna. All men should take up arms and defend Putivl  together.

Act 2

Polovtsian camp.

Resting on a bed, Konchakovna, daughter of the Polovtsian Khan admires Polovets dancing girls.

The night falls. Guardian bypasses camp. Everybody’s going to rest.

Appears  Igor’s son, Vladimir, and directs longing look  to the tent of Konchakovna, calling her with words of love.

Opens the entrance to the tent, Konchakovna shows up, she hurries to the young man. Their lips merge in a kiss. But Igor comes nearer, Khan's daughter and the prisoner  hide in their tents. This polovtsian night seemed magic  for young enamoured. But it brings only  flour and suffering to prince, tortured in captivity.

No sleep, no rest to exhausted soul,
The night does not send me  joy and oblivion.
I endure again all the past
Alone in the quiet of the night.
... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

Oh, give, give me freedom,
I will manage to expiate the shame,
I will rescue my honour and glory,
I will save Russia from enemies!

Polovtsian  soldier Ovlur approaches to the prince  and suggests him to arrange his escape. Ovlur embraced Christianity long time ago, and his heart draws him not to Khan-pagan, but to Orthodox Russian. The captive prince, first turns Ovlur out, even the thought of escape makes him sick, but the arguments of Ovlur are stronger: "You should not run for yourself, but for Russia."

And the thought of escaping seizes Igor. He sees that there is no other way. But his doubts still doesn’t  blow over. He doesn’t want to betray Khan’s  trust, which has given him complete freedom in the Polovtsian camp.

«The oath which you have given to the people and Russia, — answers Ovlur, —  is more strong and more sacred, than gratitude of the captive to the jailer».

Ovlur leaves, knowing that the hope and desire of freedom have sunk down in soul of the captured prince.

Khan Konchak comes back from hunting. He speaks with Igor with respect and trust, offering him his friendship and alliance. Seeing how sad is the prince, khan offers him a tent and a horse, a sword and a beautiful captive.

But Igor doesn’t want any horse, nor sword, nor  beautiful slaves. He asks to give him back only freedom. But he does not hide the fact that if he was free again, he will not be an ally to the Khan, but the deadly enemy.

This frankness does not push away the khan. On the contrary, he appreciates courageous candour of the captured prince.

The camp livens up again. Singers and dancers emerge. But also music cannot disseminate a shade on Igor's forehead.

Captured Igor's tent...

Vladimir is sleeping, but Igor is awake: he is immersed in thoughts about his native country and his release.

Ovlur steals  into the tent: "Get ready! Now the way is free... All the guards are very drunk ... I'll wait for you and the prince across the river with saddled horses. At midnight you will hear a sharp whistle. It is a sign to flight. Silently cross the river and immediately on horses!»

At night, the prince finally has made a decision to run. He agrees with the plan of Ovlur and begins to prepare to escape. But Konchakovna found out that her lover is going to run. She rushes into the tent of the captives and rushes into Vladimir’s arms. She begs him to stay.

Igor enters the tent. He immediately notices that in his son’s soul  there is a struggle between love and loyalty to the native land and the people.

Igor indignantly exclaims: «What  I see? You want to betray me and my people?. .You became a slave to the woman?!»

Konchakovna begs Vladimir on bended knees: "Stay with me." But his father grabs his son's hand and leads  to follow him to the door of the tent. Prince turns around and asks the girl just one farewell kiss. But Konchakovna rushes to the drum and rouses the whole camp. Igor should run. Vladimir cannot follow him any more.

The tent is filled with armed Polovtsy. The girl protects  beloved with her  body.

The message about the escape reaches Konchak. The khan is magnanimous: «He was a friend to me, — he says, — and he is worthy of me... He escaped, and I will tell: it was wise».

And then makes a decision: the careless guards will be punished. And let prince Vladimir marry Konchakovna.

Lamenting, Yaroslavna bitterly cries in Putivle on a city wall. She appeales to the wind, to the Dnieper, to the sun, asking them where is Igor.

The crowd comes nearer. Homeless people, bearing on a back their  simple belongings, catch instruments  right away  to construct new dwellings instead of the burnt.

Bitter words escape from princess’  lips: "The devastation everywhere, empty homes, villages burned to the ground, where earlier people lived happily! Cheerful song became crying! "

But suddenly her voice becomes excited. She notices two riders in the distance. Who are they? Whether the enemy scouts, followed by the Khan's army? Friends or relatives, hurrying to help?

The riders have already reached city walls.

"Igor!" - Exclaims Yaroslavna and rushes towards her husband. A moment later, they, happy, embrace each other. Everybody’s going to the princely mansion.

Buffoons Skula and Eroshka don’t know about Igor's arrival yet. They still sing the song, learned at the Galitsky courtyard in which the prince is derided. But having seen Igor, stop and rush to a bell tower, ringing bells to inform the people a joyful message and who knows, perhaps, to save the life. The people gather for a peal, and it almost cost the lives to both idlers. If not guards protection, the disgruntled putivlies would spare them.

Cheerful,  Igor forgives them. People  celebrate the return of prince Igor.