FROM AROUND THE WORLD: MONTE CARLO.(Review)

One hardly associates Tchaikovsky with happy endings, but his last opera -- the fairy-tale-like Iolanta -- has one: the blind princess of the title regains her sight after discovering love. The hymn of praise that closes the work is not exactly the composer's finest ensemble, but much of the music is typically eloquent in its alternation of heartbreak and rapture. Both the vulnerable Iolanta and her sternly over-protective father are well-drawn, and the man who transforms her life (Vaudremont) is convincing enough in the manner of leading tenors. (The part was written for Nicolai Figner, who created the role of Gherman in Queen of Spades.)

In the recent production at the delightfully intimate Monte-Carlo Opera (seen April 8), the largely Russian-speaking cast was simply magnificent. Young soprano Katya Trebeleva touchingly projected the fragile stillness of the heroine, her voice vibrant yet pure, even when dominating the orchestra at climaxes. Still more overwhelming was bass Vladimir Vaneev as her father, King Rene. In his aria -- the finest in the opera -- he gave a moving demonstration of how superb technique can serve expression: the perfectly poised voice proved richly resonant at all dynamic levels across a wide range. As the psychologically acute magician, Ibn-Hakia, who helps restore Iolanta's sight, baritone Nikolai Putilin revealed an equally impressive instrument, produced in more blustery fashion, but full of character and point. Valery Popov was hardly aristocratic as Vaudremont, but his ringing tenor was a joy to hear, his phrasing undeniably sincere. The ...