Wallenberg

The highly acclaimed production of the contemporary Opera "Wallenberg" is being performed this season at the Estonian National Opera.

Wallenberg is an antifascist opera by the widely known Estonian composer Erkki-Sven Tüür. The opera was commissioned by Theatre Dortmund in 2001. The contemporary opera in the fantastic vision of the world-renowned stage director Dmitri Bertman and the bold artist Ene-Liis Semper, tells the story of Raoul Wallenberg, a Swedish diplomat who saved 100 000 Jews from German concentration camps.The provocative staging by Dmitri Bertman has created lively debate.

"I don´t know whom of these three [Dmitri Bertman, Ene-Liis Semper, Neeme Kuningas] should receive the primary "blame" for the total success of the premiere, but the performance was perfect to the smallest detail â€" due to the powerful imagery, courageous staging and playful visual aesthetics, all the 19 scenes melted into one whole within the two different acts. It is a find in the field of staging that balances on a fine line between tackiness and utter ingeniousness. ... The Wallenberg of Erkki-Sven Tüür is a complete and diverse artistic success, contemporary theatre in all its aspects without compromise: it is playful, provocative, has many layers, is open to interpretation, does not state the evident..." (by Alvar Loog/Newspaper Postimees /04 June 2007)


Sung in German with subtitles in Estonian and English, the programme includes the libretto in Estonian and Russian.

Musical Director: Arvo Volmer
Conductors: Arvo Volmer, Risto Joost
Concept: Dmitri Bertman
Designer/Stage Director: Ene-Liis Semper
Stage Directors: Dmitri Bertman, Neeme Kuningas
Lighting director: Neeme Jõe