Start of rehearsals for Tchaikovsky's »Iolanta«

This one-act opera, which was to be his last, was particularly close to Piotr Tchaikovsky's heart. He had suggested the subject himself, based on the drama King René's Daughter by the Danish poet Henrik Hertz, and the composition occupied (and tormented) him far more than the Nutcracker, which was written at the same time. The wonderful melodies he managed to create for the fairytale-like material were to make the effort worthwhile.

At the start of rehearsals, Evgeny Titov was fascinated by the parable-like content of the story about the blind princess who has to learn to see. Together with conductor Tugan Sokhiev, the director has not only a stimulating but also an honorable task: Iolanta has only been performed once before at the Vienna State Opera, starting with a premiere on 22 March 1900, in a German version conducted by Gustav Mahler.

The premiere of the new production on March 24, 2025 therefore marks the return of this wonderful work to the Vienna State Opera after almost 125 years to the day!

The cast is appropriate for the event: Sonya Yoncheva, who has already wowed audiences in New York and Paris in this role, plays Iolanta, Dmytro Popov can be heard as Count Vaudémont, Boris Pinkhasovich as Robert and Ivo Stanchev as King René.

Dates:
24. / March 27 / 31
4. / April 6

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