Vienna at the end of the 18th century 
Scene 1 
Salieri is deep in thought. He remembers his own convoluted path to glory and sorely envies Mozart: “Where, where is rightness? When the sacred gift, immortal genius, comes not in reward for fervent love, for total self-rejection, for work and for exertion and for prayers, but casts its light upon a madman's head, an idle loafer's brow...” 
Mozart enters. He brings with him a blind fiddler, who played tunes from Mozart’s operas in an inn. The old man plays Zerlina’s aria from Don Giovanni, but does so out of tune. Mozart roars with laughter, while furious Salieri send the fiddler away. 
Mozart shows his new work to his friend. Salieri is astounded by it and cannot hide his jealousy. Mozart and Salieri decide to dine together and part ways. Alone, Salieri decides that he has been chosen to stop Mozart, whose genius brings only destruction: “Like some celestial cherub, he came to bring us several tunes from heaven, to rouse within us, creatures of the dust, wingless desire and fly away thereafter. So fly away! The sooner now, the better.” He procures poison and intends to kill Mozart.

Scene 2 
A room at the Golden Lion Inn. Mozart and Salieri are talking. Mozart tells his friend of a strange man in black, who came over a couple days ago – he commissioned Requiem from him and then never showed up again. He confesses that “by day and night my man in black would not leave me in peace.” 
Salieri tries to soothe Mozart and suggests that he uncork a bottle of champagne, as advised by his companion Beaumarchais, or to reread Le Nozze di Figaro. Mozart asks whether it is true that Beaumarchais had poisoned someone, and hears the answer: “too laughable a fellow for such a serious craft.” He was a genius, objects Mozart, and “genius and evildoing are incompatibles.” 
Salieri hesitates for a second and then eventually throws poison into Mozart’s glass. Deep in his thoughts, Mozart drinks his wine, then sits down at the piano and plays his Requiem. Rattled by this, Salieri cries. He unburdens his heart in a small arioso: “As if I had fulfilled a heavy duty, as if at last the healing knife had chopped a suffering member off.” Mozart, seeing Salieri’s tears, exclaims: “If only all so quickly felt the power of harmony!” But then he feels sick, bids his farewell, and leaves. 
Salieri is alone again. Heavy doubts crawl into his soul as he is recollecting Mozart’s words of genius and evildoing being incompatible. Then what? Does it mean that he, Salieri, is no genius? “That is not true,” he cries desperately, “and Buonarotti? Or is it a legend of the dull-witted, senseless crowd – while really the Vatican's creator was no murderer?” His exclamation is left unanswered.

Premiere of this production: 26 March 2019, Concert Hall of the Mariinsky Theatre, St Petersburg

Running time 45 minutes

"Kashchey the Immortal"

Music and libretto by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

Stage Director: Vyacheslav Starodubtsev 
Set Designer: Pyotr Okunev 
Lighting Designer: Sergei Skornetsky 
Video Designer: Vadim Dulenko 
Stage Movement: Sergei Zakharin 
Musical Director: Irina Soboleva 
Conductor: Timur Zangiev

Scene 1 
All is despondent and gloomy in Kashchey's kingdom. It is mid-autumn. The Princess of Untold Beauty languishes in her confinement, forcibly separated from her beloved Ivan-Tsarevich ("Days without light, sleepless nights, like wintry clouds they pass in an unchanging course..."). Kashchey enters. The Princess begs that the evil wizard gives her a chance to see her betrothed. Kashchey gives the Princess a magic mirror in which she sees Kashchey's daughter, and next to her is Ivan-Tsarevich. Kashchey also looks into the mirror and sees his own death there. Frightened, he sends Storm-Wind to his daughter to discover whether she still keeps his death close to her. The Princess asks Storm-Wind to reveal her intended and to tell him hwo she languishes in captivity. Storm-Wind sets out for the Far-Away Kingdom where Kashcheyevna lives. 
Kashchey speaks of the secret of his immortality which lies in his daughter's tears – until Kashcheyevna cries nothing can threaten the wizard ("I have discovered the mystery of nature: I have found the gift of immortality"). Then he calls the Princess and asks her to sing him a lullaby, but she does not wish to enter the tower. Vengeful, Kashchey calls forth a snow-storm and blizzard on his kingdom.

Scene 2 
A rocky island by the sea. In the moonlight, Kashcheyevna approaches the sea with a cup containing a magical elixir that she offers to young knights before killing them ("Night has fallen. The wind has dropped. Sweet-smelling darkness all around, and the wicked waves roll in more strongly...). Ivan-Tsarevich appears. The beauty of nature makes him think once more with nostalgia about the Princess ("Hark, oh night and sweet-smelling garden, night waves, stars and flower!"). Kashcheyevna offers the Tsarevich the goblet. He drains it and falls under the power of Kashcheyevna's magic charms. The wizard's daughter is also attracted by the knight ("A wave of passion shall carry us in a golden boat, through a sea of sweet dreams."). The Tsarevich falls asleep and Kashcheyevna holds a sword above him, but in a moment of indecision she hesitates. Suddenly Kashchei's Storm-Wind herald appears. Storm-Wind dispels the witch's charms – upon wakening, Ivan-Tarevich sets of with Storm-Wind for Kashchei's kingdom. Kashcheyevna also races there.

Scene 3 
Kashchei is asleep in his tower, while the Princess, sitting on the porch, sings an evil lullaby to him ("Hush, hush, grey-headed Kashchey, evil immortal!"). Storm-Wind brings Ivan-Tsarevich to Kashchey's kingdom. The lovers greet each other in delight. ("The hour of separation has passed, my beloved friend is with me."). The Tsarevich lures the Princess after him to her freedom, but on the way they are stopped by Kashcheyevna. Love has erupted in her cold heart. She begs the Tsarevich to remain with her, promising to grant the Princess freedom. Moved by a sudden feeling of compassion, the Princess kisses Kashcheyevna. Kashcheyevna's heart softens, and tears appear in her eyes ("My eyes weep tears, for the first time. Like the dew on a fragrant flower, the tears refresh my heart..."). Kasheyevna is transformed into a beautiful weeping willow, and as she weeps so Kashchey's death comes. 
Unseen voices announce the death of Kashchei. Storm-Wind throws the gates open wide – from the kingdom of death they may now travel the road to the kingdom of love and happiness.