Superstar soprano Anna Netrebko will make her much anticipated return to the Royal Albert Hall to sing the title role of one of Tchaikovsky's lesser known operas.
World-renowned soprano Anna Netrebko is ‘a singer who simply has it all: a voice of astounding purity, precision, and scope… combined with a dazzling charisma’ (San Francisco Chronicle). Her much anticipated return to the Royal Albert Hall sees her singing the title role of Tchaikovsky's Iolanta.
After the sold-out success of Anna Netrebko’s European tour, Tchaikovsky’s glorious one-act opera, full of irresistibly enchanting melodies, comes to the Royal Albert Hall for one performance only.
In the mountains of Southern France in the 15th century, a blind princess has her sight restored by a mysterious doctor through the power of virginal love.
"What I love most about Iolanta is Tchaikovsky’s deep, inspiring music. Together with the beautiful story of the blind princess who falls in love, it brings tears to my eyes. It’s also nice that there’s a happy ending, which almost never happens in opera.” Anna Netrebko
‘Anna Netrebko sounded gloriously comfortable in her native language and pouring out a stream of gold-shot-with-silver sound even throughout the range. I doubt if the role has been sung better in living memory…’ Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine
‘…the role proved to be a near perfect match for her lustrous, resonant soprano’. New York Times.
Iolanta – Opera in one act, op. 69, sung in Russian
Brighton Festival Chorus
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
Emmanuel Villaume conductor
Cast:
Anna Netrebko Iolanta, blind daughter of King René
Sergey Skorokhodov Count Vaudémont, a Burgundian knight
Lucas Meachem Robert, Duke of Burgundy
Vitalij Kowaljow René, King of Provence
Luka Debevec Mayer Bertrand, doorkeeper of the castle
Vladislav Sulimsky Ibn-Hakia, a Moorish physician
JunHo You Alméric, armor-bearer to King René
Monika Bohinec Marta, Bertrand’s wife, Iolanta’s nursemaid
Nuska Rojko Laura, Iolanta’s friend
Theresa Plut Brigitta, Iolanta’s friend