Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore

Estonian National Opera, Tallinn, February 21 - September 12, 2015

Photographs by Harri Rospu,courtesy of  Estonian National Opera

The Estonian National Opera can trace its roots back to 1865 and was given its current title in 1998. The performing season begins in September and ends in mid-June. The theatre’s wide repertoire includes about thirty productions from different genres, featuring the best of classical opera, ballet, operetta and musical. There are evergreen operas from Verdi to Wagner, ballets from Tchaikovsky to Prokofiev, operettas and musicals from Loewe to Kálmán but also many modern stage productions and the works of world top choreographers. Estonian original productions play an important part in the theatre’s repertoire, as do performances for children. Each season, about 350 performances and concerts are given. The annual number of visitors is about 180,000. The permanent staff numbers about 470, including 94 musicians in the orchestra, 40 singers in the choir, 18 vocal soloists, 8 principal dancers, 6 soloists, 6 demi-soloists, 3 young soloists and 43 dancers in the ballet troupe. A longer article on the company can be found here.

*****

This staging was a revival of their 2014 production.  Göran Forsling (Seen and Heard International , May 20, 2014) summarised the original production as "A wholly delightful production and a love potion that really works" and thought that moving and updating the setting to Sicily in the 1930's with its mafia overtones worked "miraculously well". The photographs are from the original 2014 production.

The director, Georg Malvius, returning to the Estonian National Opera after 20 years remarked that

To be back again feels like another circle has been completed. It has been a happy and pleasurable rehearsal period and the ensemble have given themselves totally to the process and have dug deep at the gold mine of this glorious comic opera. Donizetti’s music and a very well written libretto has been a source of great joy in the creation of this production.  A fuller comment on his time in Estonia can be found here.

The Team

Nemorino: Cataldo Caputo, Oliver Kuusik, Andres Köster

Adina: Kadri Kipper, Kristel Pärtna

Belcore: Rauno Elp, Aare Saal, René Soom

Dulcamara: Pavlo Balakin, Rauno Elp

Giannetta: Janne Ševtšenko, Olga Zaitseva

Conductors: Vello Pähn, Risto Joost, Lauri Sirp

Stage Director: Georg Malvius

Designer: Ellen Cairns

Lighting Designer: Palle Palmé

Choreographer: Adrienne Åbjörn

Nemorino - Oliver Kuusik, Adina - Kristel Pärtna,Giannetta - Olga Zaitseva

Belcore - René Soom

Dulcamara - Rauno Elp

Nemorino - Oliver Kuusik, Adina - Kristel Pärtna, Belcore - René Soom

Dulcamara - Rauno Elp, Adina - Kristel Pärtna

Nemorino - Oliver Kuusik

Giannetta - Janne Ševtšenko with Chorus

The finale