To the List,
When Professor Taruskin learned that I was pursuing Sirin, the Russian folkloric bird and early nom de plumage of our own V Cantaboff (interesting initials, btw), he pointed me in the direction of Kitezh (as in the legend of the invisible city of).* I have begun listening to a recording of the Rimsky-Korsakov opera (Sirin should turn up in the fourth act, I believe) but have been unsuccessful in finding a reference to a written version of the story. Can anyone help? Is there a literary version? The name of Rimsky's librettist was Vladimir Ivanovich Bielsky** if this is should happen to ring any bells?
with many thanks from
unSeen Kunin
*Skazanie o nevidemmom g'rade Kitezhe