The Tsar's Bride

Paul Curran directs Rimsky-Korsakov's Russian masterpiece in its first ever performances by The Royal Opera. When Tsar Ivan the Terrible selects Marfa as his new bride, a web of romantic and political jealousy and intrigue brings about death and disaster for her and everyone around. Historical fiction and today's fact intertwine in this new production to startling effect. Marina Poplavskya, Johan Reuter and Ekaterina Gubanova lead a cast under the baton of Mark Elder. (Sung in Russian with English surtitles; running time is three hours and 15 minutes.)