Moscow Cheryomushki: Excerpts

Libretto by Vladimir Mass. Günther Schwenn (G)

Dmitri Shostakovich chose a contemporary political theme for his operetta-like revue ‘Moscow Cheryomushki’, premiered in 1958, which he realised in a fast-paced and humorous way. It is about the construction of a Soviet-style residential paradise, Cheryomushki, on the outskirts of Moscow, and the hopes of Muscovites associated with it.
At the centre of the plot is the tourist guide Bubenzov, who is married to the young Masha. Although the couple have been in a relationship for several months, they are unable to live together due to the general housing shortage. Bubenzow and his Mascha are therefore forced to meet in a museum or a department store. Of course, the operetta with its snappy, highly virtuosic musical titles also features human conflicts of a completely different kind. For example, Bubenzov's sudden passion for the seductive tour guide Lidochka, for whom he leaves Masha. However, this does not solve the problem of the housing shortage. At last, the desperate house-hunters, including Lidochka and her father, can find hope in the newly built flats of Cheryomushki. But when a conflict arises with the harassing property manager Barabashkin, Bubentsov decides to use a crane to reach the balconies of the flats ... (Helmut Peters)