{"product_id":"810116910199","title":"Omer Meir Wellber - Tchaikovsky: Iolanta; The Nutcracker - Import DVD","description":"\u003cp\u003eCredits:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eOmer Meir Wellber\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eDescription:\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBased on two of Tchaikovsky’s masterpieces,\nthis video captures the Vienna Volksoper’s\n2022 production—a thought-provoking and innovative staging!\n\nIn 1891, toward the very end of his life, Tchaikovsky composed both the opera *Iolanta* and the ballet *The Nutcracker* simultaneously, instructing that they be performed as a double bill in a single evening. However, due to their excessive length and financial considerations, it is now customary to stage them separately. Dutch director Lotte de Beer and Israeli conductor Omer Meir Wellber have created a new production that breaks with this tradition. What’s remarkable is how they’ve fused the two works—not as separate pieces, but as a single work where they “mesh like two gears.”\n\nWhile Tchaikovsky had originally intended the opera to depict real people and the ballet to portray a fantasy world, this production interweaves the two on a scene-by-scene basis, creating a fantastical atmosphere. Beginning with the “Nutcracker” overture, the encounter between Iolanta and the Nutcracker is depicted, and from the second half onward, it overlaps with the “Iolanta” prelude, which sounds like contemporary music. Soprano Golovneva showcases her singing and acting as the blind princess Iolanta, while during the “Nutcracker” numbers, Mira Schmidt—wearing the same costume and bearing a striking resemblance—performs razor-sharp dance moves. The production feels refreshing, blending traditional ballet with elements of modern dance.\n\nAlthough the original *Iolanta* is set in 15th-century Provence, here King René wears a suit, and the two young men involved with Iolanta wear blazers and sweaters, creating a contemporary drama. *The Nutcracker* features costumes centered around animal and doll masks. The cast joyfully performs the “Waltz of the Flowers,” “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies,” and “Arabian Dance,” building to a fantastical climax in the “Grand Adagio.”\n\nAlthough this is not the complete version of *Iolanta*, the performances by soprano Golovnyova (born in 1980), bass Stefan Czerny (King René)—who is strongly associated with German opera— and tenore Georgy Vasiliev (Vodemon), a star of the Moscow Novaya Opera—all delivered fine performances.\n\nRecorded live at the Vienna Volksoper in 2022. The foolish battle between the mice and the dolls, and the grand finale in which Iolanta—who lives in darkness—finds light through her own strength, convey a message imbued with hope for the current global situation.\nKing International\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"C Major","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":53374642028833,"sku":"810116910199","price":6111.0,"currency_code":"JPY","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0568\/8482\/2076\/files\/810116910199.jpg?v=1787632155","url":"https:\/\/cdsvinyljapan.com\/products\/810116910199","provider":"CDs Vinyl Japan Store","version":"1.0","type":"link"}