Anton Rubinstein, The Demon (1871)

Rubinstein was a Russian composer. What can I say? He composed. He wrote twenty operas, according to wikipedia (though typing "Rubinstein operas" into google gets you fewer than that), but this is the only one that's ever performed, I think, and it's still very obscure. Fortunately, there's this production on youtube from this guy known only as "Nervous Gentleman" who, before he abruptly stopped for reasons unknown, specialized in uploading performances of rare operas, generally from old TV broadcasts, often adding custom English subs. I saw Dantons Tod back in the day thanks to him. And now I've seen this one, from the Latvian National Opera.

Yeah, so there's this unnamed demon. He's still a demon, but he's getting kind of bored of doing demon things. He comes across this princess, Tamara, and is immediately fascinated for, promising her the kingdoms of the world and like that if she marries him (none of her attendants can see or hear him). She kind of freaks out and they all go home. Then we see her fiancé, Prince Sindol. He's heading for her court for the wedding but has been delayed by a landslide. The demon declares he'll never see his betrothed and then--presumably at his behest--his party is attacked and slaughtered by Tatars. When Tamara hears about this, she decides to join a convent. The demon goes there and begs her again to marry him. She tries to resist but she's also kind of into him. He kisses her and she dies. She goes to Heaven. The demon does not. And that is that.

This is all reasonably fun; as is typically the case, any opera with a demon in it is good. Especially when he's trying to seduce her in the last act: I was put in mind of some of the stronger passages in Melmoth the Wanderer. And yet, I must confess myself confused and bemused by all this. The demon goes on and on about how he's open to being good and Tamara will redeem him etc. Is he sincere? Well, you think, no, he's a demon, and anyway, he (apparently) killed her fiancé and also ultimately her. EXCEPT: how does he get into the convent? Because--it is specifically noted--"his spirit has been opened to goodness." This is why the angel protecting Tamara can't stop him. That seems significant, and yet the opera then goes on as if it hadn't just said that. Am I putting too much stock in that one line? Well, maybe. If you took it out, the whole thing would make more sense. And yet, the idea of a potentially repentant demon is a really interesting one that you don't see in operas, like, ever, so I kind of wish more was done with it even if it wasn't the intent. Hmph, say I. Hmph!