In the mid-1880s, Tchaikovsky’s attention was drawn to The Daughter of King René, one-act drama by Danish writer Heinrich Hertz, whose plot inspired by a medieval knight legend. The tale of a blind girl Iolanthe who regained sight under the influence of love, fascinated the composer with its originality and the power of lyrical utterance. Later, instructing his brother Modest to write a libretto based on Hertz’s drama, the composer wrote: “More than ever I’ve been in love with the plot of Iolanta ... I’ll write such an opera that it’ll make everyone cry”.
Tchaikovsky was completely captured by the main idea of the future work where love and light, the sources of life and happiness, overcome tragedy. Having begun work on the opera on July 10, 1891, Tchaikovsky finished it in early September. The instrumentation of Iolanta required more time; now it is rightly considered a model not only of the vocal, but also of the symphonic skill of the composer. Having paid special attention to the search for expressive means, Tchaikovsky embodied the movement “from darkness to light” at the level of orchestral timbres as well.
In spite of the fact that Iolanta was Tchaikovsky’s last opera, it turned out to be one of his most joyful and life-asserting works. This chamber-size but deep music piece carries a message for audiences of all ages. Initially, it was planned to combine its performance with The Nutcracker ballet. A beautiful fairy tale for children, a romantic story with a happy ending for adults, Iolanta also shows the signs of a philosophical parable. The motifs of knightly medievalism, Rosicrucianism and Russian Orthodox mysticism, expressed in a dialogue about the “external” and the “inner” vision, are intertwined into a fancy pattern.
The world premiere of the opera took place on December 6, 1892 at the Mariinsky Theatre with the participation of the renowned creative tandem Medea and Nikolai Figner, one of Tchaikovsky’s favorite artists. In the 21st century, the Mariinsky Theater troupe continues to play a landmark role in the international destiny of Iolanta. Initiated in 2009 by Valery Gergiev and Anna Netrebko, the opera has travelled over the leading musical scenes of the planet. Concert performances of Iolanta with the participation of leading soloists of the Mariinsky Opera are regularly held in various cities of Russia and abroad.
Nadezhda Koulygina
