Narva Opera Days to feature four-and-a-half-hour 'Einstein on the Beach'

The 10th edition of the Narva Opera Days will be held on August 14 and 15 in the industrial spaces of the Krengolm Manufactory. Artistic director Julia Savitskaya said the venue has excellent acoustics and this year all events are under a roof, so rain is not a concern.

On August 14, the festival presents the opera gala 'Turandot 100,' marking the centenary of Giacomo Puccini's 'Turandot.' The Estonian National Symphony Orchestra will accompany international soloists, including Latvian tenor Aleksandrs Antonenko, Swedish soprano Ida Falk Winland, Ukrainian tenor Oleksandr Kireiev from the Kyiv National Operetta Theatre, and Estonian National Opera mezzo-soprano Karis Trass.

On August 15, Philip Glass's opera 'Einstein on the Beach' will be staged. Savitskaya explained that the production has no intermission and lasts four and a half hours. However, audiences are not expected to remain seated the whole time; people can come and go, visit a restaurant, or stroll outside. The acoustics are good enough that the music will be clearly heard, and additional speakers may be installed. The Italian director Matteo Mazzoni has created video installations that make staying in the hall interesting, though sitting for so long is demanding. The musicians will also rotate during the performance.

On August 13, a pre-festival event called 'TANGO Forever' will take place in the historic Krengolm Manufactory space. It is not part of the official program. The musical-theatrical performance will be given by Odesa Camerata, an ensemble of soloists from the Odesa National Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre, featuring works by Astor Piazzolla, Carlos Gardel, Richard Galliano and other composers associated with tango.