One Night Stand by Kortekangas at Musiikkitalo

Olli Kortekangas has composed a new opera to be premiered at Musiikkitalo's Sonore Hall on 15 October. Titled as Yhden yön juttu ("One Night Stand"), the work has been developed in collaboration with librettist-director Michael Baran and the students of Sibelius Academy, who also perform the work.

The libretto is set in an unnamed city on the seashore in two different moments, now and five years from now. Among the central subjects of the story are questions of identity, hopes, memories and longing – as well as love. The multifaceted story hints towards many directions and styles, to a detective story and a love story, dream worlds and social commentary. "And it is also fun", says Michael Baran.

The collaboration between opera troupers Kortekangas and Baran and the young generation singers from Sibelius Academy has resulted in new kinds of operatic solutions. One of the interesting characteristics is that the role of Axe/Momo is divided between two different registers in different casts: some of the performances feature soprano Terttu Iso-Oja, and some tenor Simo Mäkinen. In addition, recycling has come to a prominent role in the costumes and staging.

The cast includes eighteen singers from Sibelius Academy. The Sibelius Academy Opera Orchestra will be conducted by Markus Lehtinen. The opera is commissioned by Sibelius Academy.

A live stream of the performance on 22 October can be seen also at yle.fi/klassinen.

Cast:

Axe aka Momo: Terttu Iso-Oja / Simo Mäkinen
Kami: Annami Hylkilä / Meeri Pulakka
Minä (Me): Jani Kyllönen / Oskari Nokso-Koivisto
Pipopää (Beaniehead): Jussi Hirvonen / Joonas Pajari
Katusoittaja (Busker): Mikko Sateila
Hemmo: Ronnie Karlsson
Johanna: Reetta Haavisto
Hanna: Anna-Maija Perttunen
Anna: Malin Döragrip
Hoitaja (Nurse): Anna Maria Parkkinen / Emriikka Salonen
Nuori nainen (Young woman): Aurelia Eespere
Nuori mies (Young man): Mikko Kilkkinen / Olli Rasanen
Pukumies (Suit man): Joonas Asikainen / Antti Pakkanen
Vanha nainen (Old Woman): Susanna Koski / Theresa Paul
Hullu tyttö (named Ainut): Katariina Heikkilä / Ann-Marie Heino
Toinen hoitaja (Second nurse): Mikko Kilkkinen / Olli Rasanen
Sasu: Joonas Asikainen / Antti Pakkanen
Leena: Susanna Koski / Theresa Paul

Merja Hottinen / Fimic
30 September, 2011