The Golden Cockerel

work by Rimsky-Korsakov

Also known as: “Le Coq d’or”, “Zolotoy petushok”

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June 29, 2026

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Le Coq d'or, or The Golden Cockerel, is a fantastic opera buffa by Russian composer Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov. It premiered in Moscow in 1909, with a libretto by Vladimir Bel'sky, based on a tale by Aleksandr Sergeyevich Pushkin. Rimsky-Korsakov's operas often drew inspiration from Russian fairy tales, literature, and history, and The Golden Cockerel is no exception. While many of his operas are popular in Russia, Le Coq d'or is one of the few that occasionally sees productions in Western Europe and the United States.12

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stagecraft
Costume of the 20th century and beyond
Natalya Goncharova’s design for Le Coq d’or in 1914 was unprecedented in its use of vivid colours, chiefly shades of red, yellow, and orange, with other colours for discordant emphasis. The forms of the costumes and their decorations were based on traditional Russian folk dress, though that dress was…
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Natalya Goncharova’s design for Le Coq d’or in 1914 was unprecedented in its use of vivid colours, chiefly shades of red, yellow, and orange, with other colours for discordant emphasis. The forms of the costumes and their decorations were based on traditional Russian folk dress, though that dress was…
Read More

Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov
Legacy
…and the Maiden Fevronia, and Le Coq d’or (1909). Although these operas are part of the regular repertory in Russian opera houses, they are rarely heard abroad; only Le Coq d’or enjoys occasional production in western Europe and the United States.
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…and the Maiden Fevronia, and Le Coq d’or (1909). Although these operas are part of the regular repertory in Russian opera houses, they are rarely heard abroad; only Le Coq d’or enjoys occasional production in western Europe and the United States.
Read More