"Iolanta" in Dmitry Bertman's production in Children's Musical Theatre named after Natalia Sats

21.09.2012

"Iolanta" in Children Musical Theatre named after Natalia Sats

On the 28th of September the premiere of "Iolanta" by P. I. Tchaikovsky will be held in Moscow State Academic Children Musical Theatre named after Natalia Sats. The authors of the performance are the People’s Artist of Russia Dmitry Bertman, Musical Director and Conductor the People’s Artist of Russia Eugene Brazhnik, Set and Costume Designer Hartmuth Schoerghoffer (Austria), Choreographer Edwald Smirnov.

The plot for the last Tchaikovsky’s opera was Henrik Hertz’s drama “King René's Daughter”, which was similar to H. C. Andersen’s tales. In Russia the play was performed in Vladimir Zotov’s translation. Modest Tchaikovsky, composer’s brother, took it as a basis for the libretto for the opera, making it a tale from the Middle age, as it had been seen by the pre-Raphaelites.

Princess Iolanta is blind since birth, but the disease is hidden from her, as it was decided by her father. Iolanta lives in the world of illusions, every year she plays the role prepared for her. Two friends, Robert and Vodemon, are entering this world and broke the ban. Iolanta gets to know she is blind and decides to recover her sight…

During its premiere in 1892 “Iolanta” was performed together with “The Nut Cracker”, which has also been included into repertoire of Children Musical Theatre recently, it had an unconditional success in XIXth century. One of the first people who appreciated “Iolanta” was Gustav Mahler. He staged it in Hamburg and was inspired by its music, working on his Second symphony (“Ressurection”). Nowadays “Iolanta” is one of the most popular Tchaikovsky’s operas. The production is for families with children from 12.