Choose a song to listen to the music that influenced Bulgakov when creating his masterpiece. Scroll below the playlist to find information about the composition and its presence in the novel in addition to linked resources.
Playlist Details
1. Giuseppe Verdi, Aida
This operatic composition features the refrain "Oh gods, have pity on my suffering!" Bulgakov alters the refrain to create a common theme throughout the novel. "Oh gods, gods, why do you punish me?" is the first sentence Pontius Pilate utters in the book. Variations on the statement appear throughout the novel and are spoken by numerous characters including the narrator.
Catalog entry for Verdi's Aida
Guide with synopsis and music of Aida
Variations of musical scores of Aida for many instruments (University of Indiana)
Biography, discography, and music samples for Verdi
2. Charles Gounod, Faust
In chapter seven, Woland startles Styopa and proclaims "Here I am!" It is no coincidence that this is what the devil in Gounod's opera, Faust proclaims when he appears before Faust. Bulgakov was a known fan of the opera. Faust is often considered the key musical and literary inspiration for The Master and Margarita.
This upbeat composition appears multiple times in the novel, including at Satan's Ball. Appropriately, the lyrics include the line "Satan lies a waitin' and creatin' skies of grey, but hallelujah, hallelujah helps to shoo the clouds away!"
Hallelujah and other Youmans music (audio)
Catalog entry for piano and vocal score
4. Tchaikovsky, The Queen of Spades
This composition reflects the state of Nikanor Ivanovich as he lies in a mental hospital. The opera includes a character plagued by mental illness and confined to a hospital. This music appears in The Master and Margarita as the narrator recounts Ivanovich's dream in chapter 15.
This jovial composition represents a traditional Russian folk song. It has been performed by countless musicians including Tchaikovsky. The associated dance appears unique in that it allows for exaggerated and seemingly uncontrolled body movement. The music appears during Satan's Ball and could reflect the optimism and impending liberation of Margarita amid absurdity.
Wikipedia-Kamarinskaya full audio
Kamarinskaya Dance
