大象传媒

Prologue

After quotation by the orchestra of the most important leitmotifs, a mysterious Astrologer comes before the curtain and announces to the audience that, although they are going to see and hear a fictional tale from long ago, his story will have a valid and true moral.

听

Act 1

The bumbling Tsar Dodon talks himself into believing that his country is in danger from a neighbouring state, Shemakha, ruled by a beautiful tsaritsa. He seeks the advice of the Astrologer, who supplies a magic Golden Cockerel to safeguard the tsar's interests. When the little cockerel confirms that the Tsaritsa of Shemakha does harbour territorial ambitions, Dodon decides to pre-emptively strike Shemakha, sending his army to battle under the command of his two sons.

听

Act 2

Dodon鈥檚 sons are both so inept that they manage to kill each other on the battlefield so Tsar Dodon decides to lead the army himself. Further bloodshed is averted, however, as the old tsar becomes besotted when he actually sees the beautiful Tsaritsa. The Tsaritsa encourages Dodon by performing a seductive dance, which tempts the Tsar to try and partner her but he is clumsy and makes a complete mess of it. The Tsaritsa realises that she can take over Dodon鈥檚 country without further fighting, engineering a marriage proposal from Dodon, which she coyly accepts.

听

Act 3

The final scene starts with the wedding procession in all its splendour. Following the procession, the Astrologer appears to remind Dodon of his promise to provide anything he asked for if there could be a happy resolution to the Tsar鈥檚 troubles. The Tsar acknowledges the deal and the astrologer demands as payment the Tsaritsa of Shemakha. The Tsar flares up in fury, striking down the Astrologer with a blow from his mace. The Golden Cockerel, loyal to his Astrologer master, then swoops across and pecks through the Tsar鈥檚 jugular. The sky darkens. When light returns, tsaritsa and little cockerel are gone.

听

Epilogue

The Astrologer comes again before the curtain and announces the end of his story, reminding the public that what they just saw was 鈥渕erely illusion,鈥� that only he and the tsaritsa were mortals and real.