Opera for our time

Victoria (Susan Bickley) and Alexander (Gidon Saks) are celebrating Victoria’s 55th birthday with their daughters Sandra (Jessica Niles) and Naomi (Sarah Defrise), and with Blake (Paul Appleby). The atmosphere is buoyant, banter flows and different ways of predicting the future are discussed. But Sandra is not at all pleased that her scientific work is being compared to crystal-gazing. The conversation turns to her parents’ visit to her in Antarctica and the alarming state of that continent. Alexander waves aside Sandra’s doom-mongering about the ice caps and points to the opportunities such as mining, which he believes will come with the melting of the polar ice… Sandra and Blake are shocked by what they hear and make ready to leave the party. But then the birthday cake is brought in. Once Victoria has blown out the candles, Naomi can finally share the news of her pregnancy.

Scene 14. Wood Behaviour - The Student tells the Forester how sad she is that her own human life cannot have the same rhythm as the Tree’s; the Forester praises fire and human civilisation.

'Doctor' Despina (Karita Mattila) is ready to dish out her doses of her new corona vaccine. Her opera star patients have their doubts. 'Has this vaccine been tested?' ask Fiordiligi (Miina-Liisa Värelä), Dorabella (Johanna Rusanen) Ferrando (Tuomas Katajala) Guglielmo (Waltteri Torikka) and Don Alfonso (Tommi Hakala). Covid fan tutte is a delightful satire on Mozart's classic opera - adapting its storyline to reflect Finland's experience during the current crisis. Conducted by Esa-Pekka Salonen, the production lightheartedly follows ordinary Finns' lives amid press conferences by the government and pandemic experts. The libretto for Covid times is by Minna Lindgren; the music is (almost) 100% Mozart's.

It’s Christmas, the weather is stormy, and a ship has sunk off the island of Utö. At Mass, Petter Kummel (Ville Rusanen) prays for the crew and the islanders discuss the fate of the ship.

Act I. In the year 354 of the New Anthropogenic Glacial Period, members of an expedition led by Dr Walton (Andrew Schroeder) have discovered a strange creature trapped in the ice. While his resuscitation is being performed, Walton examines it and wonders about the possibility of penetrating its memory and materializing its memories. The Creature (Topi Lehtipuu) comes back to life and stutters.

Act II. On his wedding night, Victor Frankenstein (Scott Hendricks) finds his new wife lying dead on the bed. She has been killed by his monster, whose mark is still on the unfortunate woman's neck.

The research ship King's Anthropocene is moored in northern Greenland. The expedition team have brought a large block of ice aboard and are amazed to see a body trapped within it. When Daisy (Sarah Champion) begins photographing the body inside the ice, she sees an eye move. Vasco (Anthony Gregory) takes an axe and smashes open the block, freeing a young woman, Ice (Jennifer France).

Maths teacher Claire hears a mysterious low-frequency noise and the pollution is driving her crazy. The constant ‘hum’ drives her away from her family and towards others who also hear the same all-consuming sound...

The Princess (Maïlys de Villoutreys), who stayed in the royal palace after being caught in a storm, complains that she didn't sleep a wink because of something underneath her twenty matrasses. The Queen (Camille Merckx) reveals the pea that she placed at the bottom of the bed. The princess has passed the test - she truly is a real princess. She agrees to marry the Prince (Enguerrand de Hysand) and the King (Marc Mauillon) promises to place the pea in a museum.

Chorus of the Dead from the opera The Promise (Löftet in Swedish) by composer Mats Larsson Gothe in a Swedish Royal Opera production that had its world premiere on January 27, the International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Convinced that he can make contact with extraterrestrial civilisations, engineer Gregor begins to pass for an eccentric - despite Ethel's protective stance for the press. Journalist Betty, played by soprano Elsa Benoit, thinks she's the only one who truly understands Gregor. In her words, Ethel 'loves or thinks she loves him, she admires his body but ignores his mind.'

Inspired by the life story of engineer Nikola Tesla as fictionalised by novelist Jean Echenoz, the third opera by composer Philippe Hersant lights up Opéra Comique. Conducting the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Chœur Aedès, Ariane Matiakh draws out the poetry from this scientific adventure alongside director Clément Hervieu-Léger.

Engineer Gregor has 'so many things to do': scrutinise the infinitely small, accelerate particles, even transform air into liquid. The public may see him as a genius but the recognition weighs on him. He decides to leave to continue his work quietly in Colorado.

Inspired by the life story of engineer Nikola Tesla as fictionalised by novelist Jean Echenoz, the third opera by composer Philippe Hersant lights up Opéra Comique. Conducting the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and the Chœur Aedès, Ariane Matiakh draws out the poetry from this scientific adventure alongside director Clément Hervieu-Léger.