From May 22, 2009

The masterpiece of French opera music premières May 22nd 2009 in Estonian summer capital Pärnu during the Pärnu International Opera Music Festival. Opera is sung in French, with titles in English and Estonian.

It is an original staging by Mai Murdmaa, the first avant-garde director of Estonian ballet. Musical director Erki Pehk, stage and costume design by Madis Nurms.

Production of Thaïs has international and youthful cast, in the leading roles, the winners of the Klaudia Taev Competition for Young Opera Singers in 2005 -  Veronika Dzhioeva (Russia) and Ilya Silchukov (Belorussia).

Thaïs is an opera in three acts by Jules Massenet based on the novel of the same name by Anatole France. After Manon and Werther, Thaïs is one of Massenet's most performed operas, but it is not part of the standard operatic repertoire. Its famous entr'acte Méditation is among the most frequently performed concert pieces.

The story concerns a monk, Athanaël, who attempts to convert Thaïs, a courtesan of Alexandria and devotee of Venus, to Christianity, but discovers, too late, that his obsession with her is rooted in lust. Thais has been described as bearing a kind of religious eroticism and has spawned many controversial productions. The role of Thaïs is notoriously difficult to sing and is reserved for only the most gifted of performers.

May 22 – Endla theatre, Pärnu - première
May 24 – Endla theatre, Pärnu - matinee
May 28 – Russian theatre, Tallinn
May 30 – Endla theatre, Pärnu
June 1 – Endla theatre, Pärnu

Tickets available starting from 200 EEK
Reservations: maris@xxiso.ee or +372 566 566 54

Aino Ackté, Sharon den Adel, Montserrat Caballe, Lisa della Casa, Mirella Freni, Edita Gruberová, Soile Isokoski, Anna Netrebko, Anna Samuil, Lucia Popp, Kiri Te Kanawa, Angela Gheorghiu, Anna Moffo, Joan Sutherland, Maria Callas, Leontyne Price, Lotte Lehmann, Jenny Lind, Karita Mattila, Birgit Nilsson, Lucia Popp, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Joan Sutherland, Elisabeth Söderström, Renata Tebaldi, Kiri Te Kanawa, Tarja Turunen, Anita Välkki