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Modest Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Librettist
Biography
The Russian playwright, critic and librettist Modest Il'yich Tchaikovsky (1850–1916) wrote the librettos for his brother Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky's operas The Queen of Spades and Iolanta, in both cases working in close collaboration with his brother.

Modest Il'yich Tchaikovsky studied law at the Imperial School of Jurisprudence in St Petersburg. He spent five years working in the civil service, then decided to devote the rest of his career to literature. He worked as tutor to a deaf-mute boy called Kolya Konradi (whom he taught to read and write in three languages and to speak), and during the 1870s worked as an anonymous music and theatre critic. He made his debut as a playwright in 1881 with the comedy The Benefactor. Over the next decade he produced several more popular plays. His final work for the theatre was a translation of Corneille's tragedy Horace (1894). After Pyotr Il'yich's death in 1893 Modest devoted much of the rest of his life to his brother's memory. He wrote a three-volume biography, later translated into English by Rosa Newmarch as The Life and Letters of Tchaikovsky, and founded the Tchaikovsky Museum in Klin.

In addition to his collaborations with his brother, Modest Il'yich Tchaikovsky wrote librettos for several other composers. These include Nal' I Damayanty (1904, based on the Mahabharata) for Anton Arensky, and Francesca da Rimini (1904) for Sergei Rachmaninoff.

Productions
Click company name to view productions details.
COMPANYTITLEDATES
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades5/23/2025 - 6/7/2025
Pacific Opera ProjectIolanta3/20/2022 - 3/27/2022
Des Moines Metro OperaThe Queen of Spades7/3/2021 - 7/24/2021
Lyric Opera of ChicagoThe Queen of Spades2/15/2020 - 3/1/2020
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades11/29/2019 - 12/21/2019
Glimmerglass FestivalThe Queen of Spades8/6/2019 - 8/19/2019
Metropolitan OperaIolanta1/24/2019 - 2/14/2019
Chicago Opera TheaterIolanta11/10/2018 - 11/18/2018
Queen City OperaIolanta5/25/2018 - 5/27/2018
Tri-Cities OperaIolanta11/12/2015 - 11/15/2015
Dallas OperaIolanta4/10/2015 - 4/18/2015
Metropolitan OperaIolanta1/26/2015 - 2/21/2015
Opera SlavicaIolanta8/8/2013 - 8/23/2013
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades3/3/2011 - 3/26/2011
Houston Grand OperaThe Queen of Spades4/4/2010 - 5/5/2010
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades11/11/2008 - 12/12/2008
Curtis Institute of MusicIolanta5/5/2008 - 5/11/2008
West Bay OperaPikovaia Dama2/16/2007 - 2/25/2007
San Francisco OperaThe Queen of Spades6/1/2005 - 7/1/2005
Chicago Opera TheaterFinding Yolanda3/1/2005 - 3/20/2005
Academy of Vocal ArtsIolanta2/1/2005 - 3/1/2005
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades2/1/2004 - 3/1/2004
Dallas OperaThe Queen of Spades10/1/2003 - 11/1/2003
Canadian Opera CompanyThe Queen of Spades9/9/2002 - 10/10/2002
Los Angeles OperaThe Queen of Spades9/6/2001 - 9/25/2001
Lyric Opera of ChicagoThe Queen of Spades9/9/2000 - 10/26/2000
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades3/3/1999 - 4/15/1999
Yale UniversityIolanta2/2/1999 - 2/26/1999
Curtis Institute of MusicIolanta2/1/1997 - 2/22/1997
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades10/10/1995 - 12/29/1995
Central City OperaThe Queen of Spades7/5/1995 - 8/8/1995
Sorg OperaIolanta4/1/1995 - 4/29/1995
Metropolitan OperaThe Queen of Spades1/2/1995 - 1/2/1995
Glimmerglass FestivalIolanta7/1/1994 - 8/1/1994
San Francisco OperaThe Queen of Spades11/1/1993 - 12/1/1993
Light Opera of New YorkIolanta8/1/1993 - 8/29/1993
Opera PacificThe Queen of Spades7/1/1993 - 7/31/1993
Teatro Municipal De SantiagoPique Dame5/1/1993 - 5/31/1993
Sarasota OperaIolanta2/1/1993 - 3/1/1993
Orlando OperaPique Dame11/1/1991 - 11/25/1991
Artist Information

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