Estonian National Opera symphony concert

This season Estonian NAtional Opera gives two symphony concerts at Estonia Concert Hall

November 11, 2026 in the Estonia Concert Hall

PROGRAMME
Francis Poulenc “Gloria”
Hector Berlioz “Symphonie fantastique”
Maurice Ravel “Alborada del gracioso”

Conductor: Arvo Volmer
Soloist: Kristel Pärtna (soprano)
Chorus Master of the Boys Choir: Hirvo Surva
Estonian National Opera Boys Choir and Orchestra

Approx. running time:
Recommended age:

Francis Poulenc’s (1899–1963) “Gloria” (1959) is one of the composer’s best-known works, written in memory of Serge Koussevitzky and his wife Natalia, the founders of the musician-supporting Koussevitzky Foundation. This sacred composition unites liturgical text with human warmth and theatrical colour. Striking contrasts unfold before the listener – prayer and joy breathe side by side. In Poulenc’s unmistakable style, luxuriant harmonies, incisive rhythms and melodic simplicity are woven into a vivid whole.

Hector Berlioz’s (1803–1869) “Symphonie fantastique” (1830) is among the boldest confessions of the Romantic era – a work in which a brilliant flight of imagination, passion and human fear are poured into music. This revolutionary five-movement orchestral masterpiece tells an autobiographical story of an artist’s opium-induced, obsessive love for a woman. She is represented by a recurring leitmotif (the idée fixe), which leads the listener through dreamlike visions, dances and pastoral scenes, on to the march to the scaffold, and finally to a demonic witches’ sabbath.

Maurice Ravel’s (1875–1937) “Alborada del gracioso” (1905/1918), originally written for piano, is a sparkling, richly coloured piece that brings a touch of Spain and a world of virtuoso rhythms to the listener. Its distinctive title can be translated as “The Jester’s Dawn Song”: alborada refers to a traditional Spanish song for sunrise, while gracioso denotes a witty servant figure from Spanish theatre. This is music that is at once fiery and playful – full of wit, elegance and Ravel’s exquisitely refined melodic sensibility.

March 24, 2027 in the Estonia Concert Hall

Programme:
Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 2 in C minor

Conductor: Arvo Volmer
Soloists: Kadri Raalik (soprano), Kai Rüütel-Pajula (mezzo-soprano)
Chief Chorus Master: Heli Jürgenson
Assistant to the Chief Chorus Master: Ksenija Grabova
Estonian National Opera Chorus and Orchestra

Approx. running time: 1.5 hours
Recommended age:

The Symphony No. 2 by Gustav Mahler, subtitled “Resurrection” was completed in 1888–1894 and first performed in 1895. Along with the symphony No. 8, it was the most well-known work by Mahler already during his lifetime. He told his friends about his work: “The first movement tells about a funeral and poses a question: is there life after death? The second movement is a reminiscence of the joyous events in the lives of the deceased. The third movement discusses the pointlessness of life. The fourth movement is all about one’s wish for release from meaningless life. The fifth movement returns to the doubts of the third movement and the questions of the first, and subsequently ends with a hope of resurrection.”