From August 11 to 20, music theatre event Birgitta Festival will take place in the ruins of medieval Pirita (Birgitta) convent in Tallinn. This year, the program consists of two oratorios, four operas, ballet and concerts of vocal ensemble.
The opening night of the festival will be filled with Carl Orff’s oratorios Carmina Burana and Trionfo di Afrodite, performed by Mari National Opera and Ballet Theatre and directed by Mai Murdmaa. On the next day, August 12, Mari National Opera and Ballet will perform Cesare Pugni’s ballet Esmeralda, based on Notre Dame de Paris by Victor Hugo. The director and author of libretto is Konstantin Ivanov.
On August 13, Dmitri Shostakovich’s opera The Nose will be played by Boris Pokrovsky Moscow Chamber Musical Theater that appears on the stage also on August 14 performing Giacomo Puccini’s operas Il tabarro and Gianni Schicchi.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera Don Giovanni can be seen in two evenings (August 17 and 18) as a joint project of Garsington Opera (Great Britain) and Birgitta Festival. The production features also Tallinn Chamber Orchestra and Festival Choir under the baton of Eri Klas. Director is Daniel Slater, in the main roles there are Lauri Vasar, Aile Asszonyi, Ain Anger, Joshua Bloom, Natasha Jouhl, Callum Thorpe and Jésus León.
Show vocal group Voca People from Israel is the festival guest already at the second time due to the demand of the audience. Ensemble’s performances will take place in two last evenings – August 19 and 20.
Festival is organised by Tallinn Philharmonic Society, festival’s artistic director is Eri Klas.
All performances will take place in Birgitta convent at 8 pm.
More info: Birgitta Festival