Two news operas and Five women in a chapel

Two new operas will be seen at Turku Music Festival on 17 August. Ville Matvejeff's Shitstorm and Jukka Nykänen's Kenraali are both brand new works – they have been written during the summer to very topical themes.

Shitstorm's libretto is written by Jukka von Boehm and it discusses the ongoing financial crisis in Europe. The performance is directed by Aino Kivi. Kenraali is about the current political situation in Russia now that freedom of speech and activities of civic organizations are being constricted. The libretto is written by Eppu Nuotio, and the stage director is Kurt Nuotio. The singers include Petri Bäckström, Oskari Nokso-Koivisto, Veera Railio and Elli Vallinoja.

Another new opera will be premiered at Helsinki Festival on 1 September. Uljas Pulkkis's first operatic work, Viisi naista kappelissa (Five women in a chapel) is based on a play by Arto Seppälä and features five women discussing a man at his funeral. The libretto is written by Erik Söderblom and the stage director is Vilppu Kiljunen.

The one hour opera features five strong female singers, Hedvig Paulig, Eeva-Maria Kopp, Virpi Räisänen, Riikka Rantanen, Eeva-Kaarina Vilke, as well as Chamber Orchestra of Lapland conducted by John Storgårds. The production is made in co-operation with Finnish Chamber Opera.

Merja Hottinen / Music Finland
13 August, 2012