On 23 and 24 October the historic stage of the Mariinsky Theatre will host performances by the Estonian National Opera. For the St Petersburg tour, the Estonian company will be bringing two productions: Eduard Tubin's ballet Kratt with choreography by Marina Kesler and George Frideric Handel's opera Rinaldo staged by William Relton.
On 23 October (19.00) the Mariinsky Theatre will present the ballet Kratt – the first Estonian ballet and the first work by Eduard Tubin for musical theatre. According to the composer, the score is entirely based on folk music which "makes this ballet an inexhaustible treasure-house". The premiere of Kratt took place in 1943 at the Vanemuine Theatre – it was conducted by the composer himself, and the choreographer was Ida Urbel. One year later the ballet staged by Rachel Olbrei was performed at the Estonian National Opera, though soon the theatre building suffered from bombing and performances were cancelled. In 1999 Kratt was re-staged at the Estonian National Opera with choreography by Mai Murdmaa. St Petersburg audiences will see the Estonian company perform its fourth version of Kratt (choreography and stage designs by Marina Kesler).
The lead roles will be performed by Anatoli Arkhangelski (the Master), Andrei Fabbri (the Devil), Patrick Foster (the Goblin), Yevgeny Grib (Batrak) and Marta Navasardyan (the Master's Daughter). Vello Pähn will be conducting the Estonian National Opera Orchestra.
On 24 October (19.00) at the historic stage of the Mariinsky Theatre there will be a performance of George Frideric Handel's opera Rinaldo staged by William Relton. The lead roles are to be performed by Mati Turi (Goffredo), Helen Lokuta (Almirena), Monika-Evelin Liiv (Rinaldo), Mart Madiste (Eustazio), Rauno Elp (Argante), Helen Lepalaan (Armida) and Mart Laur (the Magician). Conducting will be the acclaimed specialist in medieval and baroque music and the founder and director of the famous Hortus Musicus ensemble Andres Mustonen.
The world premiere of the opera Rinaldo took place at the Queen's Theatre in London in 1711 and proved a tremendous success: none of the composer's other operas was performed so often during his lifetime. The libretto by Giacomo Rossi and Aaron Hill after Torquato Tasso's poem Gerusalemme liberata included most of the available plot techniques: war, magic, treason, love, kidnapping and heroic endeavours. In speaking about work on the opera, William Relton remarked that "When I first saw Rinaldo, nothing had prepared me for the delight which I felt while watching this masterpiece for the first time. Even for Handel this opera has a large number of 'hit' arias that leaves one gasping. And then there is of course the incomparable 'Lascia ch’io pianga' sung by Almirena in the middle of Act II. One of Händel’s most beautiful and celebrated arias. A treat indeed!"
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