La figlia del re di Napoli

Speranza

«Iolanta» is the last opera by Tchaikovsky.

In 1884 composer read the translation one-act drama in the verses by Heinrich Hertz (1798-1870) «King Renato’s Daughter» (1845) and was impressed by the originality, poetry scene.

Attention of the composer distracted by work on the other works, and only in 1891, he began to compose «Iolanta».

Modesto Tchaikovsky, brother of the composer (1850-1916) was commissioned by a libretto by the drama of Hertz in an alteration V. Zotov.

The first performance of the opera (together with the ballet «The Nutcracker», tratto da Hoffmann) took place on December 6 (18), 1892 in the St. Petersburg Mariinsky theater.

The moving story of the blind Iolanta, recoved through love, contains a more humanistic idea.

Eternal darkness, in which a serene and quiet lives not suspect about his misfortune daughter of king Renato, becomes a symbol of spiritual blindness, which is to close her people a source of deep grief.

Only the love and compassion of light in the heart’s desire to see the world, give rise to a willingness to sacrifice and courage to endure the flour, the price of which it will be able to see the light.