Dramatically tense double bill pairs Iolanta with Luonnotar at Finnish National Opera

In Helsinki, Antony McDonald pairs Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with a staged version of Sibelius’ tone poem Luonnotar, brilliantly voiced by soprano Silja Aalto.

Because my review of Iolanta and Luonnotar at the Finnish National Opera is published in Bachtrack, I will not be publishing my show notes, here, and instead direct you to read more off-site. This was a truly rare bit of joy on the opera stage, both in terms of hearing a chillingly singular voice and experiencing an uncommonly performed work that leaves one in good spirits without skimping on the emotional intensity.

Performance Date: 15 May 2026

For the first hundred years of its existence, Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta has had a sparse performance record outside Russia, only gaining popularity in the West over the past few decades. Part of its challenge is its brevity. For the first Iolanta staged in Helsinki in over a century, Finnish National Opera made the intriguing choice of adding only a short work, staging Sibelius’ tone poem Luonnotar as an introduction; a short, sweet and purposeful pairing that delivers all of the musical excellence and dramatic tension of a grand opera with no need for intermission…