PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY
IOLANTA
CONTENTS
P.
4
SYNOPSIS P.
8
THE ETHICS OF SPINOZA AND THE MUSIC OF TCHAIKOVSKY TUGAN SOKHIEV P.
14
“WHAT DOES THAT REALLY MEAN?” EVGENY TITOV IN AN INTERVIEW
P.
22
“I FEEL I CAN MAKE A MASTERPIECE OUT OF KING RENÉ’S DAUGHTER” KADJA GRÖNKE P.
36
IMPRINT
PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY
IOLANTA LYRIC OPERA in one act Text by MODEST TCHAIKOVSKY based on KING RENÉ’S DAUGHTER Play by HENRIK HERTZ
ORCHESTRA
3 flutes (3 doubling piccolo), 2 oboes / cor anglais 2 clarinets / 2 bassoons 4 horns / 2 trumpets 3 trombones / tuba 2 harps / timpani strings
AUTOGRAPH
RUSSIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM FOR MUSIC, MOSCOW (except Vaudémont’s Romance, No. 6a) CENTRAL MUSIC BIBLIOTHEQUE OF THE MARIINSKI-THEATRE, ST PETERSBURG (Vaudémont’s Romance, No. 6a) WORLD PREMIÈRE 6 DEC 1892 Mariinski-Theatre, St Petersburg AUSTRIAN PREMIÈRE 22 MARCH 1900 K. u. K. Hofoperntheater DURATION
1 H 30 MIN
NO INTERMISSION
IOLANTA
SYNOPSIS Iolanta lives hidden from the world in an enchanted rose garden, protected and cared for by her nurse, Marta and Marta’s husband, Bertrand. She is kept entertained by Brigitta, Laura, and other friends. Yet, she senses something is not quite right and accuses her friends of hiding something from her. Bertrand and Marta explain Iolanta’s situation to Almerik, the royal arms-bearer—she has been blind since birth. Her father, King René, keeps her hidden from the world. Duke Robert of Burgundy, her childhood betrothed, is not to learn of her blindness. Even she herself is kept unaware of her condition. No one may speak of sight or light in her presence. Almerik announces the imminent arrival of the King, accompanied by the doctor Ibn-Hakia, who is said to have the ability to cure Iolanta’s blindness. The King arrives with Ibn-Hakia, the doctor, who examines the sleeping Iolanta and states that the princess needs to be told about her condition. The desire to see is a prerequisite for the cure. The soul and the body must be in harmony. Ibn-Hakia intends to wait at the castle until the evening for the King’s decision. The King cannot imagine revealing the truth of her condition to Iolanta. Duke Robert and his companion and friend Count Vaudémont struggle through the thickets surrounding Iolanta’s garden. Robert has fallen in love with another woman and seeks to ask King René to dissolve his engagement with Iolanta. Despite a warning sign threatening death to any trespasser in the garden, the two friends continue on and find Iolanta sleeping in the garden. Vaudémont is spellbound by the sight of her. Robert warns him, suspecting a spell behind the beauty’s sleep.
Previous pages: SONYA YONCHEVA as IOLANTA DARIA SUSHKOVA as LAURA MARIA NAZAROVA as BRIGITTA CHOIR & SUPERNUMERARY of the WIENER STAATSOPER
4
SYNOPSIS
Iolanta awakens and is delighted by the strangers’ visit. While she fetches wine for them, the suspicious Robert slips away to call for reinforcements. Vaudémont unsettles Iolanta with his compliments – after all, he doesn’t even know her yet. The knight does not wish to pressure her further and asks her to pluck a rose for him as a farewell and keepsake. Despite repeated requests for a red rose, she continues to offer him a white one, and Vaudémont comes to realise her condition. He informs her about her blindness. He explains that one cannot fully appreciate the blessings of creation without seeing the light – “God’s first act of creation. Iolanta disagrees and points out her own rich sensory impressions. Yet, he has awakened feelings in her, and she desires to see what he sees. The royal court, the King, and the doctor call out in search of Iolanta. The King is beside himself to find the strange knight with her. When questioned, Iolanta reveals that she now knows about the miracle of sight. The King informs Iolanta about the doctor and the plan for her treatment. But when she admits she cannot desire something she does not know, Ibn-Hakia expresses doubt to the King about the possibility that she may be cured. The King resorts to a ruse: if the treatment does not work, Vaudémont will be executed for entering the garden against orders. After all, he trespassed into the garden despite the ban. Iolanta, determined to prevent this, agrees to Ibn-Hakia’s treatment. The King apologises to Vaudémont for his earlier outburst and for condemning him to death, acknowledging it was right to inform Iolanta about blindness and sight. Vaudémont requests Iolanta’s hand, but the King refuses, citing her engagement to Robert. Robert has returned and appeals to the King to free him for Mathilde. The King agrees and promises Vaudémont Iolanta’s hand, provided she is cured. Vaudémont wishes to marry the princess at any cost, even if she remains blind. Bertrand declares the cure successful. Ibn-Hakia escorts Iolanta inside. She can see. All give praise to God and the miracle of healing.
Next page: SONYA YONCHEVA as IOLANTA DARIA SUSHKOVA as LAURA MARIA NAZAROVA as BRIGITTA CHOIR & SUPERNUMERARY OF THE WIENER STAATSOPER
5
LETTER
PYOTR I. TCHAIKOVSKY TO MIKHAIL IPPOLITOV-IVANOV* 24 Dec 1890 ... I have also received orders for a one-act opera and a two-act ballet. Vsevolozhsky is very fond of me and won't even entertain the idea of a season without a novelty from me. In this way I have unwillingly become an obstacle for the younger composers who would like to see their works performed on the Imperial stage. This torments and worries me, but the temptation is far too great, and I am by no means convinced that it is time for me to stop and make way for the younger generation. [...] No one knows better than I how important it is for a young composer to have his operas performed on major stages, so I would happily be prepared to make sacrifices if I had the firm conviction that a sacrifice could be beneficial. Suppose I were to turn down the commission for the opera and ballet. What would be the consequence? Three foreign operas would be performed rather than a new Russian opera by a young author. * Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov (1859-1935), Russian composer, conductor and pedagogue.
SONYA YONCHEVA as IOLANTA, DARIA SUSHKOVA as LAURA MARIA NAZAROVA as BRIGITTA, CHOIR & SUPERNUMERARIES of the WIENER STAATSOPER