Iolanthe
Opera
Opera
"Iolanta" and "The Nutcracker" were commissioned to Tchaikovsky by the Mariinsky Theater directorate. It is believed that the idea to combine a one-act opera and a two-act ballet in one evening belongs to the director of the Imperial Theaters Ivan Vsevolozhsky. In July 1891, the composer began work on the opera, in September the clavier was ready, and in December the orchestration was completed.
ABOUT THE EVENT
In the autumn of 1892, rehearsals began at the Mariinsky Theatre. The opera was conducted by Eduard Napravnik, the ballet by Riccardo Drigo. On December 5, 1892, a dress rehearsal took place in the presence of Alexander III. "The sovereign was delighted, called to the box and said a lot of sympathetic words. The staging of both is magnificent, and in ballet it is even too magnificent — the eyes get tired of this luxury," the composer wrote. On December 6, 1892, the premiere was held with great success. Despite the enthusiastic reception of the public, critics reacted coolly to the new compositions.