Saaremaa Opera Days Begin in Kuressaare Castle Courtyard
The 19th Saaremaa Opera Days will take place from July 18 to 25 in the courtyard of Kuressaare Castle, featuring Italy's Livorno Goldoni Opera House and the first full Estonian staging of Richard Wagner's 'Das Rheingold'.
Festival Opens in Historic Setting
The 19th edition of the Saaremaa Opera Days kicked off on July 18 in the courtyard of Kuressaare Castle, running through July 25. This year's headliner is the Livorno Goldoni Opera House from Italy, one of the country's leading opera companies, which travels abroad annually. The company has brought 135 people—soloists, choir, and orchestra—to Estonia.
Italian Repertoire and Wagner Premiere
For Saaremaa audiences, the Livorno Goldoni Opera House will perform Pietro Mascagni's "Cavalleria rusticana", Giacomo Puccini's "Gianni Schicchi", Giuseppe Verdi's "La traviata", and Gaetano Donizetti's "L'elisir d'amore". The program also includes an Italian film music gala and an opera gala. In addition to the evening performance of "La traviata", a daytime show will be held in the castle courtyard.
The festival's opening production is "Das Rheingold", the first part of Wagner's 1874 tetralogy, presented in full in Estonia for the first time through a collaboration between Eesti Kontsert and the National Theatre Vanemuine. "Eesti Kontsert and the National Theatre Vanemuine have long discussed working together, and it is symbolic that we are bringing the technically demanding first part of the Ring cycle to the stage with Vanemuine this summer in Kuressaare," said Eesti Kontsert director Eha Pank.
Additional Events and History
On July 19, Vanemuine will present the children's musical "Sipsik", based on Eno Raud's book and Edgar Valter's illustrations. On July 22, the Italian film music gala will feature works by Ennio Morricone, Nicola Piovani, Nino Rota, and Alan Silvestri. The program also includes Opera Royal's midnight salon, with two performances by Livorno's Gary Baldi Bros ensemble. Saaremaa Opera Days conclude on the evening of July 25 with an opera gala featuring selections from Italian composers.
The festival began in 1999, and since 2008 it has been organized by Eesti Kontsert. The executive producer is Priit Mikk and the artistic director is Ain Anger.
