"Aleko" and "Iolanta", Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden 21. July 2009

After the outstanding premiere of Rachmaninov's first opera "Aleko", with John Relyea in the title role, and Tchaikovsky's last opera "Iolanta", with Anna Netrebko making her role-debut in the title role and Piotr Beczala as Graf Vaudemont, which opened the Baden-Badener Sommerfestspiele 2009 at the Fespspielhaus Baden-Baden on Saturday 18. July 2009, the second performance, out of a series of four, took place yesterday, on Tuesday 21. July 2009. Valery Gergiev conducted the Chorus and Orchestra of the Mariinsky Orchestra of St. Petersburg in a co-production with the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg, directed by Mariusz Treliński. Two more performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" are scheduled on 24. and 27. July 2009.

The cast for this second performance was the same one than for the premiere and not the alternated one initially announced in the programme.

Aleko
one act opera
Music by Sergei Rakhmaninov
Libretto by Vladimir Nemirovich-Danchenkoafter the poem by Alexander Pushkin

Cast
Aleko: John Relyea
Young Gypsy: Sergei Skorokhodov
Zemfira: Veronika Dzhioeva
Old Gypsy: Sergei Aleksashkin
Old Gypsy Woman: Elena Vitman

Iolanta
one act opera
Music by Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Libretto by Modest Tchaikovsky after the play "Kong Renés Datter" by Henrik Hertz

Cast
Iolanta: Anna Netrebko
Graf Tristan Vaudémont: Piotr Beczala
René, König der Provence: Sergei Aleksashkin
Robert: Alexei Markov
Ebn-Hakia: Edem Umerov
Alméric: Andrei Zorin
Bertrand: Fyodor Kuznetsov
Martha: Natalia Evstafieva
Brigitte: Eleonora Vindau
Laura: Ekaterina Sergeeva

Production
Musical Director: Valery Gergiev
Stage Director: Mariusz Trelinski
Set Designer: Boris Kudlička
Costume Designer: Magdalena Musial
Lighting Designer: Marc Heinz
Cinematographer: Wojciech Puś
Choreographer: Tomasz Wygoda
Animators: Michał Jankowski and Tomasz Popakul
Literary Consultant: Piotr Gruszczynski
Musical Preparation: Marina Mishuk
Principal Chorus Master: Andrei Petrenko
Co-production of the Mariinsky Theater of St. Petersburg

Musical Director: Valery Gergiev
Orchestra and Chorus of the Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg

Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden
Tuesday 21. July 2009

About the Operas
Synopsis
Premiere of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" at the Mariinsky Theater, St. Petersburg 17. Apr 2009
Variations in "Iolanta" Libretto
Iolanta
Iolanta's Russian/Spanish Libretto
Iolanta's English Libretto

On-line Press Reviews
BADEN-BADEN: „ALEKO“, „JOLANTHE“, 21. 7. 2009, Das neue Traumpaar der Oper - by Ludwig Steinbach, Der Neue Merker, 22. July 2009 [German]
Russischer Opernabend mit Starbesetzung in Baden-Baden - by Udo Pacolt, Der Neue Merker, 22. July 2009 [German]

Radio Broadcasts
One of the last two performances of "Aleko" and "Iolanta" will be broadcast on SWR2 Kultur, on Sunday 7. February 2010 at 20:03

Related posts
Anna Netrebko at the Baden-Baden Festspielhaus 2008-2009 Season
Planned DVDs releases with Anna Netrebko
Breaking News - Piotr Beczala replaces Rolando Villazón in Iolanta, Baden-Baden
Press Conference of Anna Netrebko in Baden-Baden
"Aleko" and "Iolanta", Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Baden-Baden 18. July 2009