Ballet genre: lyrical drama.
The ultimate goal: love works wonders.
To help students studying for the specialty “choreographer-teacher”
This development is intended to assist students of higher and secondary educational institutions studying in the specialty “choreographer-teacher” in writing coursework and dissertations, as well as methodological developments.
Characters:
1. Iolanta is a young, beautiful girl. She is constantly surrounded by the attention and care of her mother and servants. She spent her whole life surrounded by these people, without even leaving her native estate, since she is blind.
2. Iolanta’s mother - the mother’s love and care persistently protect Iolanta from her awareness of her terrible illness.
3. Voldemon is a young man, a romantic, devoted to his feelings.
4. Corps de ballet I - servants in Iolanta’s house, echoing their mother.
5. Corps de ballet II - the gray mass of the city, people hurrying about their business.
Iolanta is a young, beautiful girl. She is constantly surrounded by the attention and care of her mother and servants. She spent her whole life surrounded by these people, without even leaving her native estate.
The mother's love and care persistently protect Iolanta from realizing her terrible illness - Iolanta has been blind since birth.
But one fine moment, the peace of Iolanta’s carefree existence is disrupted by the appearance of Voldemon. A young man, getting lost, accidentally finds himself witnessing the irresistible beauty of Iolanta.
He does not immediately understand some of the strangeness of the girl’s behavior. Iolanta’s consciousness is engulfed in a real storm of emotions: for the first time in her life she feels the presence of a stranger; Fear and mistrust develop into interest.
The illusion of the well-being and routine of Iolanta’s life collapses in her unseeing eyes, giving way at the same time to new unknown feelings. The stranger appears to her as handsome and desirable.
Voldemon falls in love with a beautiful girl. Having finally realized the bitterness of Iolanta’s illness, Voldemon decides to help his beloved at all costs. The tears of Iolanta, who learned the truth, are replaced by a grateful smile.
Their shared joy is interrupted by the appearance of servants led by their mother. Confusion and horror give way to anger directed at the young “violator of the daughter’s well-being.” Indignant, the mother orders the servants to drive away the impudent stranger.
The lovers try to resist, but their embrace is broken and Voldemon is driven out. The mother tries to calm her daughter down, but Iolanta’s attention is focused on Voldemon. Without reacting to the persuasion, Iolanta breaks out almost in hysterics, running to the side and turning away in exhaustion, dropping to her knees, covering her face with her hands. And only a silent sob shakes her. Iolanta begs to be left alone.
Emotions overwhelm Iolanta, love and despair lead her on the trail of the disappeared Voldemon.
People hurrying about their business, at first, do not pay attention to the lonely girl wandering in the stream of people. Passers-by avoid the unfortunate Iolanta; they do not understand the girl’s strange behavior at all. Iolanta experiences a severe shock: She doesn’t understand at all where she is, doesn’t recognize anyone around her. But love does not allow despair to take over Iolanta, and she continues to search for her lover. At this moment, Voldemon, who has lost hope of returning to his beloved, notices Iolanthe. She, already ready to give up further attempts, suddenly feels a familiar touch. Her lover finally found her himself. And their happiness and joy know no bounds.
Voldemon tenderly kisses Iolanta. And as if an evil spell falls from the unfortunate girl. Love works wonders; Iolanta, with wide eyes, examines the world around her. Iolanta's mother and her servants, who have just tried to return their daughter, see a magical change and are no longer able, and indeed do not want, to hinder the power of love.
Assignment to the choreographer
Iolanta, mother and corps de ballet-1 - free movement with elements of classical choreography.
Voldemon and corps de ballet-P - free movement in the context of modern forms of choreography.
The ballet takes place in 18th century France.
The action takes place in the house. Early morning.
Solo "Awakening of Iolanta"
A young girl wakes up, stretches, and jumps out of bed. Her movements are confident and clear; But periodically, her hands seem to feel the objects around her, as if she wants to make sure that they are nearby. She moves easily and smoothly within her room. Soon the mother appears, accompanied by servants. The dance of “attention and care” begins.
The nature of the movements is confident and clear, but at the same time, gestures are preserved in the plastic - touches, with the help of which Iolanta recognizes and communicates with others. Every gesture and movement of Mother Iolanta is filled with care and attention. In general, the picture represents an everyday scene “Iolanta surrounded by servants and mother”, after which she is left alone. Solo "Sadness of Loneliness". Iolanta is sad and bored.
The action takes place in the garden.
Iolanta sits motionless. Voldemon appears on the scene. He, fascinated by her beauty, begins to move around her. Iolanta, sensing the presence of a stranger, tries to make contact with him. Sadness and loneliness are interrupted. She is confused, her movements are chaotic. Voldemon is scared, but realizing the bitterness of Iolanta’s illness, he decides to help her at all costs. Voldemon falls in love with a beautiful girl. The duet develops according to the dialogue-polyphony-unison scheme. The introduction dance is playful but timid.
The action takes place in the garden.
The shared joy of Iolanta and Voldemon is interrupted by the appearance of servants led by their mother. Confusion and horror in the mother's eyes are replaced by anger directed at the young "Violator of her daughter's well-being." The dance of the mother and corps de ballet-1 begins. They are trying to destroy the idyll and happiness of Voldemon and Iolanta. The mother's movements are sharp and authoritative. Corps de ballet-I is in the wings, echoing the mother’s plasticity. (Dynamic Climax) Voldemon tries to stay close to his lover, but their embrace is broken and Voldemon is sent away.
The mother tries to calm her daughter down, but all of Iolanta’s attention is directed after Voldemon. Without reacting to the persuasion, Iolanta breaks out almost in hysterics, running away to the side and, exhausted, turning away, falls to her knees, covering her face with her hands. And only a silent sob shakes her. Iolanta begs to be left alone. Everyone leaves. Emotions overwhelm Iolanta, love and despair lead her after Voldemon.
The action takes place in the city.
Iolanta runs away from home and finds herself on a street unfamiliar to her. Her hands unsuccessfully try to recognize anyone around her, but her desire does not find understanding among those around her. People diligently avoid any contact with a strange girl, rushing about their business. Everyone is moving in their own direction. Some quickly, some quite slowly. There is no specific pattern in the construction. The stronger and more rapid the girl’s impulses become, the greater her despair. She is in a panic, her movements are broken, torn.
At this moment, among the crowd, having lost hope of returning to his beloved, Voldemon notices Iolanthe. She is already ready to give up further attempts, and suddenly feels a familiar touch. Their happiness and joy know no bounds. A duet of love and endless happiness begins. The movements are gentle, smooth, alternating with dynamic bursts. The basis of the duet is support, ground, a lot of rotations in pairs. (Lyrical climax). At this time the entire crowd freezes. Voldemon kisses Iolanta and, as if an evil spell falls from the unfortunate girl. Love works wonders; Iolanta looks around at the world around her with wide eyes.
Plot: in Provence, in the mountains of Southern France, there is an ancient castle of King Rene. The king's daughter, the beautiful Iolanta, lives there. A great misfortune befell her in childhood: she became blind. The girl is unaware of her blindness: by order of Rene, it is forbidden to mention sight and light in front of her. The father, girlfriends, old nurse - everyone is friendly, affectionate with Iolanta, and her life is joyful and calm. But Rene does not give up the thought of healing her daughter. At his request, the famous Moorish doctor Ebn-Hakia comes to the castle, who, having examined Iolanta during her sleep, informs the king of his conclusions: a successful outcome of the operation is possible, but only if the patient learns about her misfortune and passionately wants to see. Rene is confused. He understands that without this condition the doctor will not agree to the operation, but, knowing what a painful blow the news of her blindness will be for his daughter, he does not dare to tell her the secret.
Meanwhile, Iolanta, sleeping alone on the terrace, is seen by Godfrey Vaudemont, a young Burgundian knight. Having gotten lost while hunting, he and his friend, Duke Robert, accidentally ended up in the royal garden, without even expecting it. Vaudemont is fascinated by the sight of a sleeping girl he does not know. But Robert is not touched by Iolanta’s beauty - he is passionately in love with the Countess of Lorraine Matilda. Only one circumstance darkens his feelings for her: even as a child, Robert was engaged to the daughter of King Rene, Iolanta. He had never seen her, and now, many years later, the time had come to conclude an alliance long ago predetermined by his parents. Robert is in despair, unable to imagine being separated from Matilda. Vaudemont consoles him.
Waking up, Iolanta hears voices unfamiliar to her and hastily rushes into the garden. She asks the strangers who they are and where they are from, but Vaudemont, held by Robert, does not answer quite clearly. The girl offers the knights wine, but Robert, suspecting a trap, refuses and goes into the forest to search for those close to him.
Vaudémont remains alone with Iolanta and, becoming more and more enchanted by her gentle appearance, tells the girl about his admiration and his love. In confusion, plucking roses from the bush, she listens to the knight Iolanthe, and he, becoming more and more inspired, asks to pick a rose as a souvenir. The girl picks the white one, while the knight asked for the red one. Thus it turns out that she is blind. He selflessly tells Iolanta about the endless beauty of nature, about light - the source of knowledge. However, this does not awaken in her the desire to see.
In desperation, the king threatens Vaudemont with the death penalty if the operation goes unfavorably. Fear for the life of the person who has become close to her evokes in Iolanta a passionate desire for a successful outcome of the operation. Meanwhile, Robert and his entourage return to help out their friend. Struck by an unexpected meeting with King Rene, he is embarrassed and excited, and Vaudemont begs his friend to publicly tell about his love for Matilda. The king, touched by his straightforwardness, returns the knight's word.
Bertrand enters and reports about the miracle that has happened - Iolanta sees! The tense anticipation of those present gives way to wild joy. Happy Rene blesses his daughter’s marriage to Vaudemont and together with everyone praises the sun and light.
The one-act opera Iolanta was commissioned from Tchaikovsky in 1891. It was intended to be staged on the same evening as the ballet “The Nutcracker,” commissioned at the same time by I.A. Vsevolozhsky, director of the Imperial Theaters. The plot was developed on the Russian stage even before Tchaikovsky, based on the drama of the Danish playwright H. Hertz. Moreover, Hertz’s drama was based on genuine historical facts. Tchaikovsky was familiar with both Herz's drama and its Russian translations. His library preserves an edition of the drama in German, made in Berlin in 1876, but exactly when Tchaikovsky became acquainted with this plot is unknown. Although the first thoughts about an opera based on this plot appeared several years before the start of work on Iolanta. Perhaps, when ordering this opera, Tchaikovsky’s opinion regarding this plot was taken into account.
It is curious that it was during these same years that V. G. Korolenko’s story “The Blind Musician” was published in Russian magazines, in which an almost similar plot was also developed, although in a completely different historical context. But both Tchaikovsky and Korolenko present a contrast between the value of the world of spiritual beauty and the real beauty of existence. There are even similarities in the scenes with the choice of a flower by a blind young man (Korolenko) and a blind girl (Tchaikovsky). There is no direct influence of one work on the other, but the coincidence is symptomatic.
In Tchaikovsky's opera, many researchers find echoes of the composer's passion for Spinoza's philosophy during this period, reading his works, and correspondence. These books have been preserved in Tchaikovsky’s library, and you can see numerous notes from the composer in them.
The plot in the libretto was developed and revised by M.I. Tchaikovsky, who, after the success of The Queen of Spades, became a recognized librettist. True, most likely, the concept of “Iolanta” is primarily an expression of the moral and philosophical aspirations of the composer himself. The librettist only embodied Tchaikovsky's intentions. The final chorus, glorifying the universe, the light of reason, morality and purity, became a true expression of the idea of the opera.
In February 1883, the drama of the Danish writer G. Hertz (1798-1870) “King Rene’s Daughter” was published in one of the issues of the magazine “Russian Messenger”. Tchaikovsky read it, was fascinated by its poetry and lyricism and decided to write an opera based on this plot. However, other plans delayed its implementation for a long time. Apparently, the final decision to compose an opera based on Hertz’s drama came in 1888, when “King Rene’s Daughter” (translated by Vl. Zotov) was staged at the Maly Theater in Moscow. In 1890, the composer received an order from the directorate of the Imperial Theaters for a one-act ballet and opera to be staged on the same evening and proposed “King René’s Daughter.” The opera's libretto was written by the composer's brother M.I. Tchaikovsky (1850-1916), who completed the work by April 1891. The theater directorate expected to receive the opera and ballet scores by the fall in order to stage them next season, but at Tchaikovsky's request the performance date was postponed for a year. Nevertheless, the composer began writing “Iolanta,” as the opera began to be called, in the summer of 1891. Within two months, all the music was written, and by the end of the year the orchestration was completed.
Plot
In a flowering valley among the mountains of southern France stands the palace of the King of Naples and Count of Provence Rene. Here the king hides his daughter Iolanta, blind from birth. She is betrothed to the Duke of Burgundy Robert, and King René hopes to heal her by the time the Duke comes for the bride. In the meantime, it has been announced that Iolanta is being raised in Spain, in one of the monasteries. In concern for the peace of mind of his beloved daughter, the king forbade talking about light, colors, and vision in front of her: she should not guess about her misfortune. To better preserve the secret, there is no entry for outsiders into this secluded refuge; anyone who enters the garden surrounding the palace will die. For many years the king managed to preserve his daughter’s childish ignorance, but now that she has matured, she is tormented by vague suspicions. How does the nurse Martha know that Iolanta is crying? After all, she did not show her tears in any way: her voice did not tremble, Martha did not touch her eyes. The nurse and friends calm the girl down, she falls asleep, and the servants take her from the terrace to the room. King Rene brings the Moorish doctor Ebn-Hakia and tremblingly awaits his decision. The doctor announces that Iolanta must find out about her misfortune, otherwise no treatment will help. Rene hesitates: the doctor cannot guarantee that Iolanta will regain her sight! The garden is emptying. Two foreign knights appear in front of the entrance. These are the Duke of Burgundy and his friend Vaudemont, lost in the mountains. They read the inscription prohibiting entry, and Vaudemont convinces the Duke to leave, but he is too exhausted from his wanderings and is not afraid of threats. In addition, he is glad of any delay on the way: duty calls him to King Rene, to whose daughter he was engaged as a child, but his heart was given to Matilda of Lorraine. Vaudemont climbs the steps of the terrace and, looking out the window, sees Iolanta sleeping. Her beauty amazes the young man, but the Duke suspects magic spells in the beauty's unnatural daytime sleep. Iolanta, awakened by their voices, offers wine to strangers. The Duke warns Vaudémont and goes to hiccup his lagging squad. Vaudemont is full of admiration. Ardent confessions burst from his lips, but they are incomprehensible to Iolanta: after all, he is talking about the beauty that he sees. Suddenly the knight realizes that the girl who charmed him is blind. In a frantic impulse, he praises the best of God's gifts - light. The returning king and doctor realize that the secret, hidden for so long, has been revealed. The king is in despair, but Ebn-Hakia is sure that this is Iolanta’s salvation. However, Iolanta cannot desire what she has no idea about. This means that treatment will not help. And the king announces that the daring person who violates the ban will be executed. His salvation lies in the recovery of the royal daughter. Determined to save the young man whom she loved with all her soul, Iolanta leaves with the doctor. The king asks Vaudemont for forgiveness: the knight is free, Rene only wanted to make his daughter want to see the light. The knight asks for Iolanta's hand, but she is engaged. The Duke of Burgundy, who has returned with his retinue, kneels before the king, and Vaudemont learns that the stranger who has captivated him is the bride of his friend and master. He begs Robert to confess his heartfelt secret to the king. The king returns his word to the duke. Ebn-Hakia brings Iolanta with a blindfold. The bandage is removed, and an unfamiliar world opens up for the first time before the shocked girl. She's scared, she doesn't recognize anyone. The father affectionately calms Iolanta, offers her a protector - Vaudemont, who swears loyalty to Iolanta until the grave. Everyone kneels down and gratefully praises the Creator.
Music
Tchaikovsky's last opera is one of his brightest, life-affirming works. There is not a single negative character here; the opera is permeated by the idea of the all-conquering power of love. The lyrical element dominates in music. Each hero is characterized by an aria that vividly depicts his appearance. At the center of the work is Iolanta, who determines the development from darkness to light. Symphonic principles are combined with the relief of completed musical forms, the beauty of the orchestra's sound is combined with the expressiveness of melodic recitative and cantilena singing.
The introduction (orchestral introduction) is designed in gloomy colors. Creeping intonations and specific timbres of woodwind instruments paint the image of a girl who does not know the light, who finds herself under the power of darkness.
Iolanta’s arioso “Why I Didn’t Know This Before” is full of vague melancholy and unconscious aspirations. The terzetto is affectionate and simple-minded with the chorus “Here are lilies of the valley, roses, lilies, here are cornflowers.” The chorus, which begins as a terzetto for Brigitte, Laura and Martha (“Sleep, let the angels sing your dreams with their wings”), is maintained in the character of a calm lullaby. Deep mental anguish is heard in King René’s prayer “My Lord, if I am a sinner.” Robert's arioso “Who can compare with my Matilda” captivates with its temperament and power of passion. Vaudemont answers him with the soft lyrical romance “No, the charm of the caresses of rebellious beauty.” The big duet scene between Vaudemont and Iolanta “You appeared to me like a vision” is full of sincere excitement, tenderness, and emerging deep feeling. Iolanta’s solo “Your silence is incomprehensible” is filled with sadness and bitterness. Further development of the scene organically leads to the hymn episode “Wonderful Firstborn of Creation,” glorifying light, the Creator, and the universe. The octet with chorus “You are blinded by a false thought” conveys contradictory feelings - the doctor’s satisfaction, Iolanta’s preoccupation with thoughts of Vaudémont, the young man’s doubts, the indignation of the king’s associates. Iolanta's solo “No! Call it torment, suffering, pain” conquers with passionate impulse, dedication, and the power of love. It turns into a duet with Vaudemont, where the “Wonderful firstborn of creation, the first gift of the Creator to the world” is again glorified. Touching in its meek tenderness is Iolanta’s appeal “No, knight, no! Life is so beautiful." The opera concludes with Iolanta’s prayer, “Accept the praise of the humble servant,” to which all those present join in a sublime and reverent chorus.
- the last opera. In 1884, the composer read a translation of a one-act drama in verse by the Danish writer Henrik Hertz (1798-1870) “King René’s Daughter” (1845) and was captivated by the originality and poetry of the plot.
At that time, Pyotr Ilyich was working on other works, and only in 1891 did he begin composing "Iolanta". The opera premiered in 1892 at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater.
The touching story of a blind girl who regains her sight thanks to love has a deeper meaning. The eternal darkness in which the daughter of King Rene, unaware of her misfortune, lives serenely and calmly is a symbol of mental blindness. Only love ignites in Iolanta’s heart a passionate desire to see the world, gives rise to a readiness for self-sacrifice and the courage to endure torment, at the cost of which she can see the light.
The opera is perceived as an enthusiastic, bright hymn of love, revealing the best sides of the human soul, bringing with it the light of knowledge and the pleasure of beauty.
The plot of the opera "Iolanta"
Iolanta is the daughter of King René of Naples. A girl blind from birth is raised by her father in ignorance of her misfortune. Iolanta lives in her father's domain in the south of France, in a deserted mountainous area with her kind nurse Martha, her friends and servants. The palace is surrounded by luxurious gardens and... surrounded by a wall. The death penalty awaits anyone who willfully enters this corner hidden from the rest of the world. So Iolanta lives, surrounded by love and care, but does not suspect that she is the king’s daughter, and does not realize what the difference is between her and other people.
A carefree childhood flashed by. Iolanta has turned into an adult girl with a whole and pure soul, not clouded by the spectacle of grief and injustice. But something vague, some vague melancholy oppresses Iolanta.
Garden in front of the palace. Her friends brought Iolanta fragrant flowers to please her and dispel her melancholy. But they failed to cheer the girl up; she becomes even sadder. Tired, Iolanta falls asleep, and the servants carefully take her to the palace.
King René enters. With him is Ebn-Hakia, an Arab doctor. Ebn-Hakia can restore Iolanta's sight. But in order to achieve a result, it is necessary that the patient herself with all her might 
I wanted to see my soul. Iolanta must find out that she is blind. The father doesn't know how to tell his daughter about this. They leave, the king in deep thought, the doctor full of faith in the healing powers of human nature itself.
The Duke of Burgundy Robert and his friend, the knight Vaudemont, enter the deserted garden. Robert has been engaged in absentia to Iolanta since childhood. Not realizing that he is in front of Iolanta's palace, Robert complains to a friend about the obligation, which he is not happy about because of the lovely Matilda, who captivated him with her beauty. Vaudémont climbs the stairs to the palace. Through the open doors he sees Iolanta sleeping. Her gentle, touchingly immaculate appearance sinks deep into his heart. In vain, Robert calls his friend to leave the mysterious garden, at the entrance to which hangs an ominous inscription threatening the newcomer with death. Vaudemont doesn't want to leave until he finds out who this girl is. Robert leaves on his own, but promises to return with his warriors and help his friend out of trouble if necessary. Iolanta wakes up and goes into the garden, where she runs into Vaudemont, a conversation arises between them, and the knight realizes that the girl, as lovely as an angel, is blind and does not know about it. Shocked by the sympathy and love that instantly flared up in him, Vaudemont tells Iolanta about a beautiful and bright world, accessible only to the sighted. His words breathe great love and tenderness. And in the girl’s soul there arises not fear or despair, but a timid response feeling. She falls in love with Vaudemont.
Concerned, the nurse appears, servants come running, and the king and his retinue appear. Vaudémont boldly introduces himself. He does not hide the fact that he spoke with Iolanta, that he revealed a secret to her. Iolanta learns that Vaudemont will be executed; she is overcome by a passionate desire to be healed and thereby save the knight - after all, if she regains her sight, Vaudemont will be pardoned. Her half-childish love grows into a selfless, powerful feeling of love. The wise Ebn-Hakia now undertakes to cure her.
Ebn-Hakia's hope was justified. Iolanta, who has regained her sight, returns to the garden. For the first time she sees her father, nurse, favorite flowers and her knight. How beautiful, how joyful the world is for her! Robert returns with the soldiers. But Vaudemont no longer needs protection. The king frees Robert from his once-given word and gives his daughter’s hand to the one who returned her happiness and light - the noble Vaudémont.
Film-opera “Iolanta”
Opera “Iolanta”, P. I. Tchaikovsky updated: April 14, 2019 by: Elena
(PICTURE ONE - LITERARY)
No one compares to my Matilda!
(Robert’s aria from P.I. Tchaikovsky’s opera “Iolanta”, based on the drama “King René’s Daughter” by Henryk Hertz)
Taking in more air, I crossed the threshold of the kitchen and suddenly pulled out the beginning of this famous aria, after which, abruptly interrupting, I intriguingly stared at my better half, who at that moment was washing the dishes.
- What's wrong with you? - my wife raised her eyebrows, shuddering in fear at my strange trick.
- Can you tell me what opera this is from?! - in turn, I asked boastfully.
Having long since turned fifty, I only recently deigned to pay attention to the fact that in addition to vodka, women and books, it turns out that there is also... theater in the world. Of course, to a large extent, this realization was facilitated by the location of my next new job. And - nevertheless... Recently, I practically did not leave my closet, downloading from the Internet and studying everything related to ballet and opera. And now, I stared triumphantly at my wife, absolutely sure that she would quickly give in. However, I was wrong. Frozen with a soapy plate in her hands, Lena tensed, staring at the ceiling for a while, and then hesitantly gave out.
- In my opinion, from “Iolanta”... - and then, looking at me, with hope. - No?
Frankly, I was stunned. And it’s clear why: in our entire life together, we only visited the Philharmonic a few times, watched a dozen films together and visited the theaters of the northern capital a shameful number of times. Of course: in all this, it was entirely my fault - a homebody who cannot be torn off with a crowbar from his favorite chair and the monitor tied to it.
- How?! - I couldn’t resist. - After all, you and I haven’t spoiled ourselves so often with our visits to cultural institutions?!
To which the wife smiled condescendingly.
- My dear, this was before we met. - and then she reminded me. - You probably forgot what a countermark is?!
Well, of course: how could I forget about it?! Indeed, this is all thanks to our Soviet past, when the state was vitally interested in people expanding their horizons, becoming familiar with the classics and world cultural values. When it was customary not only at enterprises, but also in all educational institutions to distribute countermarks - a pass giving the right to free admission to a performance in a theater, circus, and so on...
“Thank God, I still managed to catch that time...”, as if reading my thoughts, my wife summed up.
And I involuntarily thought:
“I wonder: what percentage of today’s younger generation of students and schoolchildren has at least some of the above benefits?” About ordinary civil servants and ordinary workers of middle and lower management, it’s better to tactfully keep silent. I believe that the comparison, to put it mildly, is not entirely appropriate... at least not in favor of today's realities.
And here’s another thing that made me plunge into long-term thought again, looking back at the relatively recent past and involuntarily comparing the achievements of the Soviet era with the current state in the field of moral education and spiritual improvement of our society. And no matter how hard I tried, no matter what excuses I found, I was forced to admit that it was impossible to “pull things up.” We galloped very dashingly towards our future, losing along the way the lion’s share of our valuable gene pool, which, according to the residual principle, we inherited from the torn apart pre-revolutionary Russia.
But, we managed to straighten our shoulders wide, gained pumped up biceps, powerful fists and now, with these very fists and steel heads, we are able to break through any wall and grind into powder anyone who dares to stand in our way. So, keep all these learned books of yours with you, with their obscure and pretentious style, all sorts of “pas de deux” and “please be kind,” and keep your mouth shut. Your time, with high, pure, romantic and sublime ideals that no one needed, has irrevocably sunk into oblivion. Now, it’s our turn - brave, assertive, risky, pragmatic... devoid of unnecessary sentimentality and really feeling the solid ground under their feet. And now, before you even had time to blink an eye, almost all the key places in the hierarchical ladder of the semi-criminal state are occupied by yesterday’s informers, brothers and “authorities”, with their strict and rigorous motto known throughout the country, nicknamed popularly known as the “three O principle”: - “rollback”, “weaning” and “squeezing”. Therefore, one should not be surprised at the huge number of amateurs who have taken the wrong places, the ignorance and incompetence of individual leaders who, with the help of bribes and thanks to thriving corruption, successfully make a career for themselves, treating the future of their homeland with indifference and striking cynicism.
And I’m no longer particularly surprised by the story that a friend told me the other day, who at one time worked as a waiter in a very prestigious theater restaurant.
MURKU, COME ON!
Historians, guides and experts on the city claim that at various times the famous Russian ballerina Istomina A.I. (1799-1848), the poet and Decembrist Glinka F.N. (1786-1880), and even the famous Chaliapin himself lived in this house F.I. (1873-1938). Well, just think: bohemian...
Nowadays, there is also a bohemia of its own - the so-called “brothers”, who occasionally allow themselves to have fun “like a human being”. Why should they rent an entire restaurant? They pay real money! And not in some alley “raspberry tree”, but in the very center of the cultural capital - in the restaurant “Behind the Stage”, which serves not only the opera elite of the world-famous Mariinsky Theater troupe, but also aesthetic fans of Thalia, Melpomene and Terpsichore, and in addition, numerous guests and foreign tourists of “Northern Palmyra”. And therefore, you can allow yourself to party in a big way. After all, we live in a free Russia!
And so, in the midst of the event, one of the rowdy friends, barely able to stand on his feet, moved towards the pianist, who was strumming something very abstruse and not entirely understandable on the piano. Classics, in a word... Moving his legs with difficulty and throwing his heavy body from side to side, he finally reached the frail, bespectacled musician and, dropping his weighty “sledgehammer” on his shoulder, quite reasonably became indignant:
- Listen, why are you talking all kinds of bullshit to me here? Fight something real!
The St. Petersburg intellectual carefully adjusted his glasses on the bridge of his nose and politely inquired:
- For example? Maybe Tchaikovsky's "Seasons"? Or Prokofiev's "Summer Night" suite? Or...
- What the hell is “Seasons”, some kind of “Summer Night”?! - the bro almost sobered up and, leaning very close to the pianist, breathed in the fumes. - Do you know “Murka”? "Murku" come on!!
“It’s so good, on the one hand, that Fyodor Ivanovich is no longer alive...” - I thought after listening to this heartbreaking story from my work colleague, who - by the will of fate - once had the opportunity to serve these newly minted “nouveau riche” of modern Russia .
(SCENE TWO - THEATRICAL)
IOLANTA
Opera in one act
Music by Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky
based on the drama by Heinrich Hertz "King René's Daughter"
Co-production with Festspielhaus Baden Baden
World premiere: December 18, 1892, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg
Premiere of the production: April 17, 2009, Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg
Duration of the performance 1 hour 30 minutes
King Rene's daughter Iolanthe is blind. But the girl is unaware of her blindness: by order of Rene, it is forbidden to mention sight and light in front of her. The father, girlfriends, old nurse - everyone is friendly and affectionate with Iolanta. The king is haunted by the thought of healing his daughter, but he is embarrassed by the thought that this requires Iolanta to learn about her blindness and want to see.
Knights Gottfried Vaudemont and his friend Robert appear in the quiet shelter of Iolanta. Robert is indifferent to Iolanta, to whom he was engaged in childhood, while Vaudemont falls madly in love with the girl. Left alone with Iolanta, Vaudemont asks her for a red rose as a souvenir. The girl hands him a white one, and then Vaudemont, guessing about her blindness, tells her about what she is deprived of through ignorance, talks about the beauty of the world, about light. But Vaudemont’s words do not awaken in Iolanta the desire to see. In desperation, King René threatens Vaudemont with the death penalty if his daughter's treatment does not go well. Fear for the life of a person who has become close to her prompts Iolanta to agree to an operation that will restore her sight. Meanwhile, Robert confesses to the king that he loves someone else and therefore cannot marry his daughter.
Having learned that Iolanta has regained her sight, the king forgives Robert, frees him from the oath that burdened him and agrees to his daughter’s marriage to Vaudemont. At the wedding, everyone present sings a hymn of thanksgiving to the glory of God. Then the extravaganza goes out, and Iolanta is left alone.
The action takes place in the mountains of Southern France in the 15th century.
In the south of France, in the mountains, there is the castle of the King of Provence, René. The king's young daughter, Iolanta, lives here. She is blind from birth, but does not know it. At the request of the king, those around her carefully hide the secret from her; none of the outsiders, under pain of death, dares to enter the castle. Iolanta spends her days in blissful ignorance among her friends, but recently vague spiritual impulses and aspirations have been disturbing her peace.
Iolanta with Marta and friends in the garden. Iolanta is thoughtful, sad, she suspects that they are hiding something from her. Marta and her friends try to calm Iolanta. They ask the musicians to play something funny, but Iolanta stops them. She asks the girls to pick her flowers, the girls leave. Iolanta sings the arioso “Why I didn’t know this before.” The girls bring a basket of flowers. Their chorus sounds: “Here are your buttercups, here are your cornflowers.” Marta puts Iolanta to bed, the girls sing the lullaby “Sleep, let the sounds of the lullaby bring dreams,” Iolanta falls asleep.
The sound of a hunting horn and a knock on the gate are heard. Bertrand enters the garden and opens the gate. Almeric is in front of him, he reports that the king will soon arrive at the castle. When Bertrand asks why the king’s order is not conveyed by the old squire, Almeric replies that he has died, and he is the new squire. Bertrand explains to him that Iolanta, the blind daughter of the king, the bride of Robert, Duke of Burgundy, lives in the castle, and that the king wants to hide Iolanta's blindness from Robert until she is healed. Iolanta does not know about her blindness and that her father is a king.
The king arrives and with him Ebn-Hakia, a Moorish doctor. The doctor examines Iolanta while she sleeps, the king anxiously awaits the verdict: “Is a pure angel condemned by fate to suffer innocently?” Ebn-Hakia says that Iolanta's sight can return if she knows about her blindness and passionately desires healing. Ebn-Hakia's monologue “Two Worlds” is heard. The king does not want to reveal the secret and leaves angry.
Having lost their way, the knights Robert and Vaudemont end up in the garden. Robert is in love with the Countess of Lorraine Matilda, he goes to the king to ask to end his engagement to Iolanta. The knights see a sign prohibiting them from entering the garden, but they fearlessly go inside. They talk about Iolanta. Robert claims that she, like all nuns (Iolanta is believed to live in a monastery), is prim and proud, and sings the aria “Who can compare with my Matilda.” Vaudemont dreams of a bright angel in the arioso “The charms of the caresses of rebellious beauty tell me nothing.”
The knights walk through the garden and go up to the terrace. Vaudémont sees Iolanta sleeping and is delighted with her. Robert tries to take Vaudemont away by force, Iolanta wakes up. She greets the knights warmly and brings them wine. Robert suspects that this is a trap and goes after the squad. Vaudemont is left alone with Iolanta. He asks her to pick a red rose in memory of her hot blush, and when the girl picks a white one, and then cannot count the roses without touching them, he is convinced that Iolanta is blind. Overwhelmed by compassion, Vaudémont tells her how beautiful light is, an eternal source of joy and happiness (arioso “Wonderful firstborn of creation”).
The king, Ebn-Hakia, Bertrand and Almeric appear. It becomes clear that Iolanta knows about her blindness. The king is desperate, he invites his daughter to start treatment. She replies that she cannot ardently desire what she does not know about, but she will listen to her father. Ebn-Hakia quietly tells the king that then there is no hope of success. But he comes up with an idea of how to help Iolanta. He (fakely) threatens Vaudémont with the death penalty if the treatment does not help Iolanthe. Iolanta is ready to endure torment to save Vaudemont, but the doctor says that she should only ardently desire to see the light. Iolanta hotly and passionately sings her aria “No, name the torment, suffering, pain: oh, in order to save him, I can bear everything without complaint.” Vaudemont falls to his knees in front of her: “Bright angel! darling, I bow to you!” Iolanta, accompanied by the doctor, leaves. The king admits to Vaudémont that he made false threats. Vaudemont reveals that he is Godfrey Vaudemont, Count of Issudune, Champagne, Clairvaux and Montargis, and asks for Iolanta's hand. The king replies that his daughter is engaged to someone else. At this time, Robert returns with the soldiers. Seeing King René, he kneels before him, then Vaudemont realizes that he was talking to the king. Robert admits that he loves Matilda, the king returns his word. Now the king can give his daughter to Vaudemont. Bertrand enters with the news that Iolanta sees. Stars appear in the sky, Iolanta sees people, her father, Vaudemont and sings “Accept the praise of the humble servant.” Everyone praises the light, the beautiful creation of God, the source of life.
A short remark.
Lyrical opera in one act (Currently, the opera is performed in two acts.) In the vast majority of theatrical productions, it just so happens that the duration of one act takes approximately no more than 40 minutes (the time required to maintain the listener’s concentrated attention).
As for the comic opera, it was born from the ancient opera buffa, which was given during the intermissions of a three-act opera seria and, therefore, had - according to the law of the genre - two acts; such is, for example, “The Barber of Seville,” a two-act opera (essentially a grand opera buffa) by Rossini; and if this opera is now staged in three acts, then know that this is being done in the interests of the theater buffet; modern productions of Don Giovanni in three and even four acts, strictly speaking, contradict Mozart’s original intention to present a “comic opera”.
"Iolanta" is Tchaikovsky's last opera. In 1884, the composer read a translation of a one-act drama in verse by the Danish writer Henrik Hertz (1798-1870) “King René’s Daughter” (1845) and was captivated by the originality and poetry of the plot. The composer's attention was diverted by work on other works, and only in 1891 did he begin composing Iolanta. The composer's brother M. I. Tchaikovsky (1850-1916) was commissioned to create a libretto based on Hertz's drama, adapted by V. Zotov (in this adaptation, the said drama was staged in 1888 on the stage of the Moscow Maly Theater). Work began on July 10, by September 4 all the music was written, and the orchestration was completed in December. The first performance of the opera (together with the ballet “The Nutcracker”) took place on December 6 (18), 1892 at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater.
The touching story of blind Iolanta, who was healed thanks to love, contains a great humanistic idea. The eternal darkness in which the daughter of King Rene, unaware of her misfortune, lives serenely and calmly, becomes a symbol of spiritual blindness, which is a source of deep grief for those close to her. Only love and compassion ignite in Iolanta’s heart a passionate desire to see the world, give rise to a readiness for self-sacrifice and the courage to endure torment, at the cost of which she can see the light.
The opera is perceived as an enthusiastic, radiant hymn of love, revealing the best sides of the human soul, bringing with it the light of knowledge, the enjoyment of beauty and happiness.
(Source - http://www.belcanto.ru/iolanta.html)
(THIRD PICTURE - CULINARY)
MUKSUN (with spinach and apples of paradise, on a bed of celery and apples)
The recipe offered to your attention - like the opera "Iolanta" - is an exclusively native, domestic phenomenon and for this reason alone deserves to be included in the list of culinary dishes offered to the Russian theatrical aesthete, as a light dinner, after watching the same opera of the same name . But first, a little information.
Muksun (lat. Coregonus muksun) is a freshwater fish from the whitefish genus of the salmon family. It reaches a length of 0.75 m, weighing up to 8 kg. It is found in the rivers of Siberia, desalinated bays of the Arctic Ocean, and in lakes on the Taimyr Peninsula. It is most numerous in the Ob-Irtysh basin, where the catch exceeded 1.5 thousand tons.
Muksun is considered a valuable commercial fish and a delicacy.
The number of muksun has been sharply declining in recent years due to massive poaching, especially in the Gulf of Ob and during the spawning migration period.
By the way, in the restaurant where I happened to work, one of the poachers delivered muksun to us. Well, now, on this optimistic note, we can end and proceed directly to the recipe itself.
Muksun fillet 140 g
Premium flour 20 g
Salt 5 g
Vegetable oil 25 ml
Spinach 35 g
Canned paradise apples 2 pcs
Basil dressing 30 ml
Garnish:
Celery (stems) 50 g
Apple "Grammy Smith" 60 g
Curry 1 g
White table wine 50 ml
Lemon juice 50 ml
Cream 11% 100 ml
To begin with, the finished fillet (on the skin!) of muksun should be removed from the freezer and defrosted. You can forget about fresh steamed fish for a while: the specifics of the vast majority of Russian restaurants do not at all claim Michelin stars, and therefore, in almost all such establishments, ready-made pieces (meat, poultry, fish), gutted and cut up, rest in special freezer trays ( in advance) carcasses, which - however - is quite understandable. At the same time, I want to reassure the refined soul of a theatrical esthete that this circumstance, one might say, has almost no effect on the final result: much depends on the skill and level of professionalism of the cook.
After the semi-finished product has thawed naturally, it is necessary to make a couple of small cuts on the skin (so that, during frying, the piece does not shrink or bend), salt with white mix, bread in flour and fry (initially, skin side down) on a well-heated frying pan for 1 minute.
Remove three “balls” of leafy (not chopped or pressed!) spinach from the bag, add salt, add basil dressing, stir and place on the fish. Place two apples of paradise on the side (sold in almost any supermarket, in the form of canned jars) and place in the oven for 3-5 minutes (200 degrees Celsius).
For garnish: fry finely chopped celery stalks and a Grammy Smith apple, chopped into thin strips, in vegetable oil. Salt, add a little granulated sugar, gentle curry, one or two tablespoons of white wine. Then, squeeze out a little lemon juice and, at the end, top the whole thing with cream.
When serving the dish, first lay out the side dish, place the fish on it, garnish with lemon and a sprig of dill. In conclusion, pour the artistically carelessly formed delicate salad sauce, give the dish to the waiter and wait with excitement and fear for the irritated indignation of a sophisticated and pampered client to be heard from the hall: “Who cooked this abomination? Waiter, invite a cook here urgently! No, it’s better - director!!"
