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SEEN
AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL OPERA REVIEW
Tchaikovsky,
Iolanta:
(Concert
Version)
Soloists.
Orchestra Capitole de Toulouse, Coro Easo,
Conductor: Tugan Sokhiev,
Auditorio
Kursaal de San Sebastián 2. 9.2008 (JMI)
Cast:
Iolanta: Liudmila Dudinova, soprano
Vaudémont: Akhmed Agadi, tenor
King René: Mikhail Kolelishvili, bass
Robert: Garry Magee, baritone
Ebn-Hakia: Edem Umerov, baritone
Martha: Anna Markarova, mezzo
Bertrand: Eduard Tsanga, bass
Almerich: Sergei Semishkur, tenor
The San Sebastian Quincena Musical ended
its opera offerings this year with a concert version of
Tchaikowsky’s Iolanta, which gave the public an opportunity
to get to know this masterpiece and truly enjoy it. It is a real
pity that it was not fully staged, but I do not believe that there
have been full productions of this opera outside of Russia.
The first time that I saw the opera, I was tempted to change its
title to Iolande or Iolanda, as whenever the name of
the protagonist is pronounced, it does not sound like ‘Iolanta’. In
the program of Théâtre du Chatelet, where it was performed in March
2003, there were some comments on the subject,
since even the composer had defended
the name of Iolanda and not Iolanta apparently.
However, the truth is that whether with a “D” or a “T”, this is a
beautiful opera, worthy of sharing the popularity of Eugene
Onegin and The Queen of Spades.
The great star of the evening was Tugan
Sokhiev, who at just 31 showed once again that he is one of today’s
greatest assets to musical direction. Whenever I see him conducting,
I am impressed by his energy, control and inspiration. Russia has
produced some great conductors in modern times, and to the
internationally acclaimed Gergiev and Temirkanov, we can add two
exceptional young artists in Vladimir Jurowsky and Tugan Sokhiev. He
had the full co-operation of his Orchestra du Capitole de Toulouse,
which was, in his hands, a very flexible and disciplined instrument
(he does not use a baton).
The voices came from the Mariinsky Theater. It was a well balanced
cast, all the singers being completely familiar with their parts, so
that in fact it was more a semi-staged version than a pure concert.
The protagonist - the blind princess whose father
shields her from realising her disability by demanding that no-one
at court should ever mention it - was Liudmila Dudinova, one
of the leading sopranos of the Mariinsky. She was a convincing
Iolanta, with a warm voice which lacked the brightness of
some Latin voices. She tends to
produce open sounds in the
higher range.
Count Vaudémont -
was the tenor Akhmed Agadi. He is a lyric tenor, well suited
to the demands of the character but his
timbre however, is not particularly
attractive to my ear with too much open
sound. Moscow bass Mikhail Kolelishvili
made a good impression as King René. He has an attractive voice in
the middle range, is
extremely sonorous down below, but makes
a rather light sound at
the top of the voice.
British baritone Garry Magee was a good Robert of Burgundy, but he
had to fight with my memories of Hvorostovsky
in Paris in the same role. The difference was
noticeable, of course.
The Uzbeki
bass-baritone Edem Umerov gave some life
to the Arab doctor Ebn-Hakia - who eventually
cures Iolanta, though only after insisting that she will need to be
helped to wish to see. His
beautiful arioso in the first act
was not particularly special however and
overall his voice is
not one of great quality.
In the
secondary roles, I must mention the young bass Eduard Tsanga as
Bertrand. His was the best voice of the evening and judging by this
performance he must have a great future ahead. Sergei Semishkur
also showed a beautiful timbre as Almerich
and in vocal terms - though not quite as good in
terms of characterisation, the mezzo Ana Markarova was an
outstanding Martha.
The audience was very warm towards all
of the
artists, cheering Maestro Sokhiev at the end.
José M. Irurzun