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Overview
Synopsis
King René’s daughter, Iolanta, has been blind since birth. Wanting to protect her, the King charges all his servants with keeping her blindness a secret while he tries to find a cure. They cannot talk about light, color, visions, or beauty in her presence or they will be sentenced to death. He engages the help of Ibn-Hakia, a moorish doctor, who promises to cure Iolanta’s blindness, but the remedy will only work if she wants to see. Not knowing what it is to see, Iolanta cannot desire it. A chance encounter with her betrothed, Robert and the young Count Vaudemont leads Iolanta to learn of her blindness. Vaudemont is completely in love with the young Princess, and quickly realizes she is blind when, twice, she passes him a white rose instead of the red one he asked for. He explains to her what it means to be able to see, and Iolanta returns to her father to ask for the cure, so that she might see Vaudemont and understand.
Tchaikovsky’s beautiful opera of love and enlightenment, set in this fairy-tale world of castles and princesses, is definitely one to bring a tear to the eye as faith and love triumph, and help Iolanta to realise her limitations and overcome the unknown.
Show Information
- Music
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Libretto
- Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 2
- First Produced
- 1892
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Settings
- Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Fairy tale, France, Provence, Medieval
- Cast Size
- medium
- Orchestra Size
- Large
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- None/royalty-free
- Ideal For
- Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Elderly, Adult Characters, Medium Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Contralto |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto |
|
|
Ensemble |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone, Bass |
Songs
Introduction
**No. 1 **
Scene ‘Мой птенчик, Иоланта, ты устала? / Moy ptenchik, Iolanta, ty ustala? / My nestling Iolanta, are you tired?’ - Marta, Iolanta, Brigitta, Laura
**No. 2 **
Scene ‘Полно, не надо, родная, попусту душу томить! / Polno, ne nado, rodnaya, popustu dushu tomit'! / Enough, no need, my dear, to waste my soul!’ - Marta, Birgitta, Laura
Chorus ‘Вот тебе лютики, вот васильки / Vot tebe lyutiki, vot vasil'ki / Here are the buttercups, hear are the cornflowers’ - Brigitta, Laura, Marta, Maidservants
No. 3
Scene ‘Бригитта, это ты? / Brigitta, eto ty? / Brigitta, is that you?’ - Iolanta, Birgitta, Laura, Marta
Chorus ‘Спи, пусть ангелы крылами навевают сны / Spi, pust' angely krylami navevayut sny / Sleep, let the angels cast their dreams’ - Brigitta, Laura, Marta, Maidservants
No. 4
Scene ‘Призывный рог! / Prizyvnyy rog! / The call of the horn!’ - Bertrand, Marta, Almeric, Ibn-Hakia, Bertrand, King René
King René's Aria ‘Господь мой, если грешен я / Gospod' moy, yesli greshen ya / My Lord, if I am a sinner’ - King René
No. 5
Scene ‘Твое лицо бесстрастно / Tvoye litso besstrastno / Your face is impassive’ - King René, Ibn-Hakia
Ibn-Hakia's Monologue ‘Два мира: плотский и духовный / Dva mira: plotskiy i dukhovnyy / Two worlds: carnal and spiritual’ -King René, Ibn-Hakia
No. 6
Scene ‘Не торопись / Ne toropis / Do not rush’- Robert, Vaudemont
No. 6a
Vaudemont's Romance ‘Нет! Чары ласк красы мятежной / Net! Chary lask krasy myatezhnoy / No! Enchantment caresses beauty rebellious’ - Vaudemont
No. 7
Scene ‘Однако где же мы? / Odnako gde zhe my? / But where are we?’ - Vaudemont, Iolanta, Robert
Duet ‘Вы мне предстали как виденье / Vy mne predstali kak viden'ye / You appeared to me as a vision’ - Vaudemont, Iolanta
No. 8
Scene ‘Иоланта! / Iolanta!’ - Iolanta, Marta, Laura, Brigitta, Vaudemont, Almeric, Robert, Ibh-Hakia, Bertrand, King René, Maidservants
No. 9
Finale ‘Прости меня, я обманул тебя / Prosti menya, ya obmanul tebya / I’m sorry I lied to you’ - Iolanta, Marta, Laura, Brigitta, Vaudemont, Almeric, Robert, Ibh-Hakia, Bertrand, King René, Maidservants, Robert’s men
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
Monologues
Scenes
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Videos
Quizzes
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.