Following Anna Netrebko"s astounding success in Salzburg"s Il Trovatore production we are pleased to announce a very exciting opera release for the start of 2015, recorded during her U-Live tour in 2012 Anna Netrebko performs Iolanta, title role of one of Tchaikovsky s most passionate, evocative scores and one of opera s most enigmatic figures She has made this character her own and has dedicated herself to championing this under-appreciated work. Acclaimed performances in Baden-Baden and Salzburg have opened the eyes of critics and opera fans to Iolanta s captivating blend of romance and mysticism Set in 15th Century France, the piece tells the story of Iolanta, the blind daughter of King Rene, who, through a dramatic trial of love and faith, achieves not only sight but spiritual transcendence In this live recording, maestro Emmanuel Villaume, with whom Netrebko collaborated on the successful Souvenirs album, leads a stellar cast comprising a number of Russia s biggest opera stars (Markov, Skorokhodov, Kowaljow). The hand-picked company of supporting artists makes in this a significant addition to Netrebko s discography and an artistically valuable addition to the DG catalogue Excerpts from Iolanta have already been heard on two of Anna s most successful releases: The Russian Album, and Duets Netrebko is scheduled for eight staged performances of Iolanta at the Metropolitan Opera in New York in January-February 2015, as well as a four-city U-Live produced European tour of concert performances and a Royal Albert Hall date later in the season