On the surface, this 2012 Madrid double-bill of a one-act fairy-tale opera by Tchaikovsky and a three-act melodrama by Stravinsky based on an ancient Greek fertility myth seems a curious coupling. But both are relatively neglected works by important Russian composers, and both are pieces with spiritual overtones about princesses who suffer for a higher end. In Tchaikovsky's 1892 final opera Iolanta, the fact that Iolanta (Ekaterina Scherbachenko) is blind has been kept from her by her royal father, but she's miraculously cured after he threatens her lover with execution. The music is uncharacteristically lyrical and serene, ending with a long hymn of praise to God for restoring her sight. In Stravinsky's 1934 Perséphone, the titular Greek goddess (Sam Sathya) spends fall and winter in Hades' underworld before celebrating the annual rebirth that comes with spring. Although thematically related to the composer's Le Sacre du Printemps, this piece is musically the famed ballet's polar opposite, written in a neoclassical style devoid of percussive bombast, and concluding with a choral hymn to nature's bounty. Peter Sellars is usually the most flamboyant of directors, but his staging for both works is positively chaste; the major departure of note being his employment of four traditional Cambodian dancers to represent the major figures in Perséphone. Excellent solo and choral work, sensitive conducting by Teodor Currentzis, and lush visuals add to the appeal. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and stereo on DVD, and DTS-HD 5.1 and LPCM stereo on Blu-ray, extras include a “making-of” featurette. Recommended. (F. Swietek)
Iolanta/Perséphone
(2012) 187 min. In Russian & French w/English subtitles. DVD: $29.99, Blu-ray: $39.99. Teatro Real (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 28, Issue 1
Iolanta/Perséphone
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