Vladimir Ivanovich Belsky (1866–1946) was a Russian poet and opera librettist, best known for his collaborations with composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. Belsky wrote the libretti for several of Rimsky-Korsakov's most famous fantastical and fairytale operas.
Early life and education
Born: Belsky was born in Trakai, in the Russian Empire (modern-day Lithuania), on April 14, 1866.
Education: He was a highly educated and multi-talented individual, graduating first from the Faculty of Law in 1889 and then from the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics at Saint Petersburg Imperial University in 1893. He also later earned a master's degree in political economics and statistics.
Background: In addition to his creative work, Belsky worked professionally as an insurance specialist.
Collaboration with Rimsky-Korsakov
Belsky's most notable work began after he met Rimsky-Korsakov in 1894. The two became close friends and collaborated on four of the composer's operas. Rimsky-Korsakov praised Belsky as being intelligent, educated, and a great expert on ancient Russian literature and folklore.
Their collaborations included:
Sadko (1898): Belsky contributed to the libretto for this mythological opera.
The Tale of Tsar Saltan (1900): He wrote the full libretto for this work, based on the fairy tale by Alexander Pushkin.
The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya (1907): A major mystical work with a libretto by Belsky, drawn from Russian folklore.
The Golden Cockerel (1909): Their final collaboration, also based on a Pushkin fairy tale.
Emigration and later life
Following the Russian Revolution, Belsky emigrated in the 1920s.
There are conflicting accounts regarding his whereabouts during this time. Some sources claim he lived in Germany, while others state he moved to Belgrade (then in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) in 1921. While in Belgrade, he reportedly wrote articles and memoirs about Rimsky-Korsakov.
His papers and writings from this period were tragically lost during the bombing of Belgrade in World War II.
Died: He died in Heidelberg, Germany, on February 28, 1946.