The Snow Maiden

A animated version of the Rimski Korsakov opera. For the opera lover is especially the palace in the animation interesting it based on the original stage design. The voices & music is one of the most delicate versions I know. In the early fifties in which it was recorded the understanding of the opera was much more suiting the romantic/esoteric character of the opera, then todays practice.

As an opera it isn't much played.

For the ones not familiar to opera it's a nice introduction. Following the fairytale of the snow-maiden, the story it's more interesting and richer of content then the average opera. Rimsky Korsav's and his libretto writer made a few changes to the fairytale that brought the esoteric content of the opera much more to the surface.

The animation, in a beautiful early 50's Russian fairytale style, in the one hand keeps the static style of the opera intact, while on the other hand much more focusing on the story the opera is bases on, and telling it as a fairytale should be told, while it's dynamic is still the dynamic of the opera. It's not degraded into a Disney comedy animation, killing the deeper layers of the story.

That at the time it was made the ideology of social realism was (often)leading in animation, so a lot of "rotoscoping" is used, helped to keep it a very dignified adaptation of the opera. While at the same time keeping the dialog spoken, and cutting some elements of the first act make it much more accessible. Although I think the role of Kupava and the role of Lel and perhaps the parents get a bit cut too much. I understand it's a director's choice where to cut to keep the animation around 1 hour long, but I would have left more of the 1st act intact.

The version of the animation in circulation, by the way, has a very abrupt cut in Lel's first aria in the first act. a part of the aria is missing, in a way that makes you think there is a piece of film missing there too.

All in all there is a good balance between respect for the basic material and adapting it to an animation idiom.

Rimsky Korsakov's The Snow Maiden is seldom performed, but listening to the lovely music(the most well known part is Dance of the Tumblers) and the more familiar you get with the story you wonder why. True, it's not the Golden Cockerel or Sadko, but it's still very worthwhile. This animated version, based on The Snow Maiden, is abridged and may not be the most ideal of all versions, but it is a good introduction to the opera and also the story if you're not familiar with it already. The animation has a simple beauty and old-fashioned charm to it, atmospherically coloured(not exactly bright but never drab) and well drawn. It is also very 50s Russian animation and is really lovely to look at. The music is just as lovely and beautifully performed by the orchestra and the singers, though a recording is more ideal if you want the whole thing and there are a couple of parts I agree where things were edited out but give the impression that they should have been there. That's not so much a problem though because what we have is still more than satisfying. The story is deliberately paced with a elegantly simple fairy/folk tale feel to it, like the original story and that of the opera itself. It is beautifully told and often very moving, I myself found it very difficult not to tear up at the end. The titular character is every bit as poignant. In conclusion, a beautiful animated if abridged version of the story and Rimsky-Korsakov's opera. If you want another good version of the story of the Snow Maiden, the 1969 film directed by Pavel Kadochnikov is a good one to check out too. 9.5/10 Bethany Cox

This cartoon is based on the eponymous opera by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, abridged somewhat for the film. Music from the opera is used through the film and some arias are sung by well-known voices of the time; many of the dialogues in the film, however, are not sung but are spoken in plain voice.

Stylized traditional Russian folk costumes and "terem" style wooden architecture are shown in the scenes of the town.

If you like the opera, it is perhaps worth seeing this film. Otherwise, listening to a recording of the opera (there is, for example, a full recording made at about the same time as the film), or actually going to it, would be a better introduction.