Opera
Croak – or the Unexpected Joys and Perils of Singing
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Composed: 2016-2018
Puppet opera in two acts
Composed by Markku Klami and Maria Kallionpää (separate scenes in both acts)
Scenes by Klami:
ACT I:
Scenes 1, 5, 6 and 7
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ACT II:
Scenes 10, 14, 15 and 16 (first half of scene 16)
Five soloists, SATB choir and orchestra
Libretto by Mikhail Brashinsky
Directed by Anna Ivanova-Brashinskaya
Puppets and visual design by Viktor Antonov
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Duration: ca. 2 hours, of which Klami's part around 1 hour and 10 minutes
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Commissioned by Mixed Art Society Poike and Pori Opera Society
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First performance: Joonas Eloranta, tenor, Anna-Kristiina Kaappola, soprano, Teppo Lampela, counter-tenor, Merja Mäkelä, mezzosoprano, Jouni Kokora, bass-baritone, Pori Opera Choir, Pori Sinfonietta, cond. Nils Schweckendiek, Promenade Hall, Pori, March 9, 2018
Croak: work commentary in English
Markku Klami and Maria Kallionpää composed Croak together. The opera is a commission by the Pori Opera Society and Mixed-art Society Poike. Originally the opera was commissioned from Jouni Kaipainen (1956-2015), whose work was left unfinished.
The new composers started from a scratch and begun composing a new opera in 2016. They divided the opera into sections where every scene is composed by only one composer.
Croak – or the Unexpected Joys and Perils of Singing is the first full-length opera work by Klami and Kallionpää.
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– Work commentary for the first production of Croak, March 2018
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Croak: teoskommentti suomeksi
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Markku Klami ja Maria Kallionpää ovat säveltäneet Croakin yhdessä. Teos on Porin Oopperan ja Poike ry:n tilaustyö. Teos tilattiin ensin Jouni Kaipaiselta (1956-2015), jonka työ jäi kesken.
Uudet säveltäjät aloittivat säveltämisen alusta vuonna 2016. He jakoivat oopperan siten, että jokainen kohtaus on yhden säveltäjän käsialaa.
Croak – or the Unexpected Joys and Perils of Singing on Klamin ja Kallionpään ensimmäinen kokoillan oopperasävellys.
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– Teoskommentti ensimmäisen tuotannon ohjelmakirjasta, maaliskuu 2018
Tulevaisuuden retki (Future Trek)
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Composed: 2010
"Turku 3011 -lastenooppera" (Turku 3011 children's opera)
Intro and 8 scenes (with two optional scenes no.7)
2 soloists (soprano & tenor), 1 actor (puppeteer) and chamber ensemble: clarinet, horn, percussion (1 player), piano, violin and violoncello
Libretto by Emma Puikkonen
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Duration: ca. 1 hour
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Commissioned by ArtSoppa Society and Turku 2011 European Capital of Culture
First performance: Kirsti Tuominen, soprano, Timo Turunen, tenor, chamber ensemble, cond. Pasi Helin, Linna Theatre, Turku Music Festival, Turku, August 6, 2011