“the text might have been the work of a schoolboy, the music is equally immature and undeveloped. Poor in conception, and feeble throughout, it is such as might have been expected from a beginner, but not from a composer who has already covered so many sheets of paper. Tchaikovsky’s creative talents, which are occasionally apparent in his symphonic works, are completely lacking in _The Oprichnik_. The choruses are rather better than the rest, but this is only because of the folksong element which forms their thematic material.... Not only will _The Oprichnik_ not bear comparison with other operas of the Russian school, such as _Boris Godounov_,[35] for instance, but it is even inferior to examples of Italian opera.” In these words Cui apparently believed he had given the death-blow to the composer of _The Oprichnik_. Laroche’s view (in _The Musical Leaflet_) is quite opposed to that of Cæsar Cui. He says:-- “While our modern composers of opera contend with each other in their negation of music, Tchaikovsky’s opera does not bear the stamp of this doubtful progress, but shows the work of a gifted temperament. The wealth of musical beauties in _The Oprichnik_ is so great that this opera takes a significant place not only among Tchaikovsky’s own works, but among all the examples of Russian dramatic music. When to this rare melodic gift we add a fine harmonic style, the wonderful, free, and often daring progression of the parts, the genuinely Russian art of inventing chromatic harmonies for diatonic melodies, the frequent employment of pedal-points (which the composer uses almost too freely), the skilful manner in which he unites the various scenes into an organic whole, and finally the sonorous and brilliant orchestration, we have a score which displays many of the best features of modern operatic music, while at the same time it is free from most of the worst faults of contemporary composition.” The most harsh and pitiless of critics, however, was the composer himself, who wrote a fortnight after the first performance as follows:-- “_The Oprichnik_ torments me. This opera is so bad that I always ran away from the rehearsals (especially of Acts iii. and iv.) to avoid hearing another note.... It has neither action, style, nor inspiration. I am sure it will not survive half a dozen performances, which is mortally vexatious.” This prediction was not fulfilled, for by March 1st (13th), 1881, _The Oprichnik_ was given fourteen times. This does not amount to a great deal; but when we remember that not a single new opera of the Russian school--_Boris Godounov_,[36] _The Stone Guest_, _William Ratcliff_, _Angelo_--had exceeded sixteen performances, and many had only reached eight, we must admit that _The Oprichnik_ had more than the average success.