There are in Helsinki more and more small opera productions, which are always not even so easy to find. One of these productions was an experimental chamber opera “Thousand Times Yes” composed by Marja Ahti and shown in the Kiasma Theatre. The production was made in collaboration with Inter Arts Center, Inkonst, Kiasma Theater, Kunsthal Rønnebæksholm and Moderna Museet Malmö.
The story of the
opera is a bit peculiar, so I will write here a direct quotation from the
programme leaflet: An ancient organism in the Earth’s crust is rising towards
the surface. Its movements resonate in the bodies of minerals, bacteria, fungi,
gasses and the atmosphere, causing instability and uncertainty that cluster
into a web of unexpected conflicts. Our protagonist, a human called G, is
unwillingly equipped with a skill to connect and communicate with different
bodies and beings. She is summoned to mediate between the conflicting parties –
and eventually with the ancient organism itself.
So, from the story
you can already guess that this was not the most typical chamber opera. The
music was a bit unusual, libretto by Jenny Kalliokulju at times even more
unusual and the characters themselves were not standard humans, either e.g. one
of them was Washing Machine.
If you are a lover
of classic operas, this opera may not be meant to you, but as an opera it was
actually quite all right. Sure, it was a bit peculiar, but the music was interesting,
and the singers were also quite good. I would definitely like to hear again Johanna
Kalliokulju, who did a nice performance in the role of G. And Yuko Takeda in
the roles of Washing Machine and Worm did also an impressive performance.
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