Tchaikovsky's final opera was the one-act lyric drama Iolanta, which was planned as a companion piece to the Nutcracker. However, the immensely popular ballet eclipsed it, and today the opera is rarely performed or recorded outside Russia. Yet this live concert performance on Deutsche Grammophon will certainly bring the work greater attention worldwide, thanks to the star power of Anna Netrebko, who has performed the role of the blind princess in Salzburg and Baden-Baden, making it a vehicle for her unique talents. She is ...
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Tchaikovsky's final opera was the one-act lyric drama Iolanta, which was planned as a companion piece to the Nutcracker. However, the immensely popular ballet eclipsed it, and today the opera is rarely performed or recorded outside Russia. Yet this live concert performance on Deutsche Grammophon will certainly bring the work greater attention worldwide, thanks to the star power of Anna Netrebko, who has performed the role of the blind princess in Salzburg and Baden-Baden, making it a vehicle for her unique talents. She is joined by a strong Russian cast, which includes Sergei Skorokhodov as Count Vaudémont, Alexey Markov as Robert, and Vitalij Kowaljow as King René, and the orchestral support of Emmanuel Villaume and the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra lends the performance rich tone colors and fine details. While Netrebko's name recognition is the chief reason most western listeners will notice this recording, her singing provides the best reason to hear it. Netrebko's commitment to making this opera...
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