Repertoire Operas Ballets

Pulcinella and L’Heure Espagnole

How many lovers can you fit into one single grandfather clock?

Approx. running time 2 h, one intermission

Ballet by Igor Stravinsky and opera by Maurice Ravel

February 16 cast

PULCINELLA & L’HEURE ESPAGNOLE

Ballet by Igor Stravinsky and opera by Maurice Ravel
Premiere on March 9, 2024 in Opéra Comique
Premiere in the Estonian National Opera on February 7, 2025

Music Director and Conductor: Arvo Volmer
Conductors: Kaspar Mänd
Stage Director: Guillaume Gallienne (France)
Choreographer: Clairemarie Osta (France)
Set Designer: Sylvie Olivé (France)
Costumes Designer: Olivier Bériot (France)
Lighting Designer: John Torres (France)
Dramaturge and Assistant to the Stage Director: Marie Lambert-Le Bihan (France)
Ballet Repetiteurs: Linnar Looris, Daniel Kirspuu
Production Assistant: Pirjo Levandi
Chief Pianist-Repetiteur: Jaanika Rand-Sirp
Pianist-Repetiteur: Ave Wagner, Jaanika Rand-Sirp, Riina Pikani
Stage Managers: Anton Osul, Riina Airenne, Rein Lepnurm

Estonian National Opera Orchestra

Within one night, the audience can experience two masterpieces of the 20th century: Stravinsky’s ballet with songs “Pulcinella” and Ravel’s short opera “L’Heure Espagnole”.

“Pulcinella”

One-act ballet with songs 
Music By Igor Stravinsky after Giovanni Battista Pergolesi
World premiere on May 15, 1920 in Opéra de Paris

“Pulcinella” tells a story about a vivid commedia dell’arte character, rogue Pulcinella whose cheeky charm helps him to woo other men’s lovers and saves him from intricate plans of revenge … 

When the director of Ballets Russes, Sergei Diaghilev proposed that Igor Stravinsky write a ballet with songs based on Giovanni Battista Pergolesi’s (1710–1736) music and a commedia dell’arte libretto, Stravinsky thought that Diaghilev must be out of his mind. After having acquainted himself with the musical material that included also music of some less know Italian composers, he was hooked, “I took a look at the music and fell in love!”. The commission resulted in an artistic pearl that combines song and dance, Stravinsky’s musical humour and Pablo Picasso’s designs.

Cast:

Pulcinella: Finn Adams, Oscar Pouchoulin, Cristiano Principato, Connor Williams
A woman in white: Laura Maya, Ketlin Oja, Anna Roberta
A woman in black: Ami Morita, Abigail Payne, Sofia Zaman
A woman in green: Akane Ichii, Phillipa McCann, Abigail Payne
A man in black: Cristiano Principato, Hidetora Tabe, Ali Urata, Liam Strickland, Sacha Barber
A man in green Jan Trninič, Antonio Gallo, Sacha Genet
Soprano: Juuli Lill, Aule Urb
Tenor: Rafael Dicenta, Yixuan Wang
Bass: Raiko Raalik, Priit Volmer


Copyright © Boosey & Hawkes

During the ballet "Pulcinella", the subtitles are not displayed.

“L’Heure espagnole”

Musical comedy by Maurice Ravel after the eponymous play by Franc-Nohain
World premiere on May 19, 1911 in Opéra-Comique

Sung in French with subtitles in Estonian and English

A story about a woman yearning for a love affair, an unsuspecting husband, three concealed lovers and a room full of clocks ...

The opera is based on Franc-Nohain’s eponymous play that premiered in 1904 that in its clear and realistic expression opposed Symbolism that had emerged in the 19th century France and was popularised by Mallarmé, Verlaine and Maeterlinck. The colourful characters and events of the play offered Ravel a chance to experiment with musical means and sonorities. We can hear clocks chiming in various rhythms and characteristic Spanish dances, such as habanera and jota. The critique of Ravel’s first opera can be summed up with an opinion published after the premiere: “This is a musical comedy that is full of brilliant clockwork and seductive joie de vivre – Ravel’s first opera is a masterpiece, bristling with dazzling music!”

Cast:

Torquemada, clockmaker: Mart Madiste, Reigo Tamm
Conception, Torquemada's wife: Helen Lokuta, Karis Trass
Gonzalve, a student poet: Brayan Avila Martinez (Mehhiko), Heldur Harry Põlda
Ramiro,a muleteer: Tamar Nugis, René Soom
Don Iñigo Gomez, a banker: Mart Laur, Priit Volmer

Production: Opéra Comique
Co-production: Estonian National Opera

Recommended age 12+
 

Conductor

Kaspar Mänd

Stage Director

Guillaume Gallienne

Lighting

John Torres

Costume Designer

Olivier Bériot

Choreographer

Clairemarie Osta

Set Designer

Sylvie Olivé

Music director and conductor

Arvo Volmer

Assistant to the Stage Director

Marie Lambert-Le Bihan

Production Assistant:

Pirjo Levandi

Chief Pianist and Repetiteur

Jaanika Rand-Sirp

Pianist and Repetiteurs

Tarmo Eespere

Ave Wagner

Stage manager

Rein Lepnurm

Riina Airenne

Concertmaster

Riina Pikani