On April 5, 6 (at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.) and April 19, 2024, the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will host the premiere of a new production of the opera Iolanta by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, directed by Anna Shishkina, with set and costume design by Pyotr Okunev.
“Iolanta is one of the top ten globally famous Russian operas, an absolutely amazing work! The pinnacle of the composer’s skill, this opera was written by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky a year before his death and became the brilliant result of all his operatic creativity. An interesting (and perhaps not generally known) fact is that the composer started writing Iolanta from the end, that is, from the last scene, the one that is the brightest and the most solemn, the one praising light, wisdom, love, faith and devotion. Tchaikovsky composed it under a strong impression of the play Kong Renés Datter (King René’s Daughter) by the Danish poet Henrik Hertz, which he had seen at the Moscow Maly Theatre. Indeed, until the moment when Pyotr Ilyich saw the play, the composer’s operas had been mainly dramatic in their content, without a breakthrough to the light in the final chords. Iolanta is quite different. It is permeated with joy and hope, and that’s why this music is so graceful, such a great pleasure to listen to. And, unfortunately for us, but perhaps fortunately for some restless listeners, the opera is also one of the most “compact” (if such a word is applicable to opera) in the composer’s heritage”, comments Irina Soboleva, Artistic Director of the Opera Company of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre.
The Stage Director of the Mariinsky Theatre Anna Shishkina and the Chief Designer of the Primorsky Stage Pyotr Okunev based on the original concept of Henrik Hertz when they started working on the performance. The action is based on a poetic story about the blind princess who is healed by true love and receives her sight. However, the plot is centered not only on Iolanta, but also on her loving father.
“I have always felt that blindness is not her problem, but rather her father’s tragedy. After taking a closer look at the Hertz’s drama, I realized that it was important to bring King René’s pain to the fore. This is his tragedy, his blindness, his distrust of life. He wants to hide life itself in the dark world. I want the soloists who perform the part of King René not to hide behind his position, but to create a tragic image”, Anna Shishkina said about the concept of the performance.
The parts for the premiere performances are being rehearsed by: Anna Barkhatova, Alena Diyanova, Liliya Kadnikova, Alina Mikhailik as Iolanta; Alexei Kostyuk, Roman Krukovich, Mingiyan Odzhaev, Alexei Smirnov as Vaudémont; César Méndez, Dmitry Migulyov, Alexei Repin as Robert; Sergei Pleshivtsev, Yevgeny Plekhanov as King René; Sergey Krylov, Marat Mukhametzyanov, Dmitry Nelasov, Nikita Odalin as Ibn-Hakia. The Principal Conductor of the Primorsky Stage of the Mariinsky Theatre, Pavel Smelkov, will take the baton of the Orchestra on the premiere days.
