‘Iolanta’ and ‘Perséphone’ – A double bill consisting of two stage works that “represent an ideal of beauty, poetry and hope” forms this new production in Madrid from the Teatro Real. In both works, the progression from darkness to light acts as an initiation rite that completely transforms the existential attitude of the leading characters. This broadcast features Stravinsky’s three-act ‘mélodrame’ ‘Perséphone’. The piece features only one singer, the priest Eumolpus, who functions largely as a narrator. The orchestral writing is melodious, with a solo woodwind or brass instrument presenting arresting, even jaunty themes over the simple rhythmic accompaniment.
