At the beginning season, Estonian National Opera celebrates its 100th birthday. In 1906, song and play society “Estonia” was reorganized to the professional theatre company, starting with opera and operetta productions two years later.
On 6th –24th September, the festival „Estonia – 100” in honour of the jubilee takes place, including the best opera productions, exhibitions of the set and costume designs and posters, and the presentations of new books and CD-s. As the pinnacle of the festival, a gala concert will held on September 16, exactly a century after the foundation of Estonia as a professional theatre company.
Under the direction of Katrin Aaslav-Tepandi the new production of the drama „Judith” by Estonian writer Anton Hansen Tammsaare will be performed in September, to remind the former Theatre „Estonia” as a drama theatre. The music of the production is composed by Estonian composer Helena Tulve.
Aside of the world opera classics, the repertoire of the Estonian National Opera includes two contemporary Estonian operas in this season – “Gourmets -2” (2002/2005) by René Eespere and children’s opera „Me – Napoleon!” (2004) by Tõnis Kaumann.
As the highlight of the season, the opera „Wallenberg” by Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür will have an Estonian premiere on June 1, 2007 under the direction of Dmitri Bertman, the artistic director of the Moscow Helicon Opera. “Wallenberg” is a story about holocaust, its main hero is a Swedish businessman Raoul Wallenberg who saved the lives of a thousands of Jews in the days of the Second World War.
“Wallenberg” was composed at the request of the Dortmund Opera where it had the world premiere in 2001. In Estonian production the title role is sung by Finnish baritone Hannu Niemelä, the musical director and conductor is Arvo Volmer.