TCHAIKOVSKY: “IOLANTA.” Galina Vishnevskaya, Nicolai Gedda, Dimiter...

TCHAIKOVSKY: “IOLANTA.” Galina Vishnevskaya, Nicolai Gedda, Dimiter Petkov, singers; Groupe Vocale de France; Orchestre de Paris conducted by Mstislav Rostropovich. Erato NUM 75207 (two records) (digital). Tchaikovsky’s one-act operatic allegory about real and metaphorical blindness has received pitifully little attention in the West since its premiere in 1892, on the same program as “Nutcracker,” his last works for the stage. Brother Modest’s libretto, based on a French play, is turgid, but the mixture of arioso and aria often attains genuine distinction, with Tchaikovsky’s adroitness in building ensemble passages of remarkable beauty demonstrating more individuality than his talent for characterization. Neither Vishnevskaya as the sightless princess nor Gedda as the knight come to release her from darkness exhibits pristine resources, but their artistry consistently shines through. The recording, taped at a 1984 Paris concert performance features languid conducting from Rostropovich and rather muddy sound.