Act 1
The tsar’s oprichnik Grigory Gryaznoy is in love with Marfa,
daughter of the merchant Sobakin. He can’t solve the problem using
violence as he used to (kidnapping the girl, making her his
lover), however, he can’t work it out peacefully — Gryaznoy tried
to propose to her, but he was rejected. Marfa is already
betrothed to the young boyar, Ivan Lykov, whom she is in love
with. Gryaznoy doesn’t want this wedding to happen. He invites guests
to his place to feast. The guests include the head of the
oprichniks Malyuta Skuratov, Ivan Lykov, who has just returned from abroad, and
the tsar’s physi¬cian Yelisey Bomelius.
Guests start arriving. Lykov tells of the life abroad: there
is work and order, women are not kept locked at home, arts and
sciences flourish. The guests drink the health of the tsar, singers sing
Magnificat to the orthodox tsar. Lykov adds that abroad the Russian tsar
is rumored to be terrible. Skuratov reproaches Lykov, praises the
tsar and sings „goy-da!“ together with the oprichniks. Skuratov asks Gryaznoy,
where Lyubasha, Gryaznoy’s lover, is. The sleepy and sad Lyubasha arrives.
On Skuratov’s request Lyubasha sings a song about a girl who
is forced to give up her loved one and marry an old man.
The guests thank Gryaznoy for the feast and leave for the morning prayer.
Gryaznoy asks Bomelius to stay — he needs a love potion.
Bomelius promises to make one. Lyubasha listens to their conversation.
She wants Gryaznoy’s love back.
Marfa awaits her fiancй, Ivan Lykov. She tells her friend, Dunyasha,
of her love to Vanya, with who she’s been in love since
childhood. They grew up together in Novgorod and have always been
inseparable. Suddenly Ivan the Terrible arrives. Disguised
as a commoner, he makes his round. Ivan the Terrible notices
Marfa, who doesn’t recognize the tsar — she has a presentiment
of disaster. The tsar disappears. Sobakin and Lykov arrive — the
Sobakins throw a feast. Lyubasha comes to have a look at her
rival. Dunyasha is struck by Marfa’s beau¬ty and decides to ruin
her. She asks Bomelius for a potion that will ruin Marfa’s beauty. Bomelius
gives Lyubasha the poison but asks for Lyubasha’s love. She agrees.
Act 2
Ivan Lykov hurries Sobakin with the wedding — but they have
to wait: the tsar has announced the bride-show. Of all the two
thousand of the girls, collected from all over Russia, only twelve are
presented to Ivan the Terrible, Dunyasha and Marfa are among them.
Lykov is worried, he says that he loves Marfa more than life
and asks for advice. Gryaznoy answers that everything is God’s will:
he was also in love with Marfa, but if he’s rejected —
there’s nothing left to do, he’ll become a druzhka (the best man)
at Lykov’s wedding and will wish them all the luck. The girls return from
the bride-show. Domna Saburova, Dunyasha’s mother, tells how it all went:
the tsar kindly spoke with Dunyasha and only cast a glance towards Marfa.
Sobakin decides to celebrate Marfa’s betrothal with Lykov. Gryaznoy doesn’t
know that Lyubasha has already substituted poison for the love potion and
he pours it to Marfa’s goblet. Marfa drinks the poison. The
guests praise the young couple. Suddenly the boyars led by Malyuta Skuratov
arrive to announce the tsar’s will: Marfa was chosen to be the
tsar’s bride.
Act 3
Vasily Sobakin grieves over Marfa’s sudden illness that can’t be cured.
Gryaznoy thinks that her illness has something to do with the love
potion and wants to have a look at the girl. The oprichnik
arrives to bring greetings from the tsar and asks Marfa about her health.
She says she is well. Gryaznoy announces that Marfa’s poisoner has been
detected: it’s Ivan Lykov. And on tsar’s request Grayznoy has killed
Lykov — stabbed a knife into his heart. Sobakin can’t believe that
Lykov could have hurt Marfa. Marfa has a seizure, in her delirium she
takes Gryaznoy for Lykov. Shaken by Marfa’s words, Gryaznoy admits that
he had slandered Lykov and that he, him¬self, had given Marfa the love
potion. He wants to revenge Bomelius. Lyubasha tells that she has
substituted poison for the love potion. Gryaznoy kills Lyubasha. Then Gryaznoy
bids farewell to Marfa, asks for her forgiveness and promises to ask
for the tortures for himself. Marfa says goodbye to Gryaznoy but asks him
to come back in the morning — she still thinks that Gyaznoy
is her beloved Ivan Lykov.