Opera by Manfred MIM
“Estonian History. A Nation Born of Shock”
In cooperation with the Estonian National Opera and Kanuti Gildi SAAL
World premiere on January 19, 2018 at the Estonian National Opera

In March 2014, Estonian theatres decided to gift the Republic of Estonia with a grandiose stage project, which will present the audiences with a story of a century of the republic. In the framework of the project, 24 theatres will create 12 performances from the autumn of 2017 until the spring of 2018. The theatres raffled partners and divided the decades amongst themselves. Fortune chose for the joint effort of the Estonian National Opera and the Kanuti Gildi SAAL to reflect the sixties.

As a lucky coincidence, the partners had in their possession a libretto and a score of a piece yet unknown on the landscape of Estonian opera. It was written around the sixties by an innovative inventor and scientist Manfred MIM. The opera tells a story of a people and a land whose history has been affected by a great cosmic natural disaster, which caused them to inadvertently be the founders of the European culture since the early Iron Ages.

After almost two years of insistent work, the group of more than 10 creative members of MIMproject have worked their way through most of Manfred MIM’s notes and restored and deciphered the musical score. It is a monumental task, as at the time he wrote the opera neither the era’s modern music nor the stage technical facilities had developed to the level Manfred had hoped to use in his work. Therefore, some of the notes have been recorded in an unprecedented way and on many occasions the first task is to recreate the language for reading his scripts. Even now many of his ideas need the use of newest technology and it is very likely that quite a few of those elements will be used for the first time in an opera.

Creating the opera is a monumental task and engages the maximum creative and technical force by the Estonian National Opera, Kanuti Gildi SAAL and MIMproject.

The lecacy of Manfred MIM has been researched and prepared for the stage by the members of MIMproject: Tatjana Kozlova-Johannes, Andrus Laansalu, Andrus Aaslaid, Karl Saks, Raul Keller, Taavet Jansen, Maike Lond Malmborg, Oksana Tralla, Mart Koldits, Henri Hütt, Kalle Tikas, Andres Tenusaar, Evi Pärn and Evelyn Raudsepp.

Presented by the soloists of the Estonian National Opera, dancers of the Estonian National Ballet, the orchestra and the chorus. Conductor Kaspar Mänd.