Finnish National Opera

The Finnish National Opera (Finnish Kansallisooppera, schwed. National Opera) is the only professional opera company in Finland. The ensemble was founded in 1911. The building in which it is housed, is located in Helsinki, on the bank of the bay Töölönlahti. It was completed in 1993 and has two auditoriums: the main theater has 1350 seats, the smaller features depending on seating 300 to 500 visitors.

History

Until the second half of the 19th century operas were performed only sporadically in Finland, either by amateur actors and by foreign ensembles that were on tour. After gradually Enjoy a private Finnish opera culture had emerged, began in 1873 for the first time regular professional performances, as was established at the Finnish National Theatre in Helsinki, a Finnish opera company named Opera ( Suomalainen ooppera ). This ensemble but was already dissolved in 1879 due to financial reasons.

The existing today opera company was founded in 1911 under the name " Native Opera " ( Kotimainen ooppera / Inhemska operant ). Which belongs to the founders soprano Aino Ackté fell out in 1912 with the other founders, and left the ensemble to create the still existing Savonlinna Opera Festival. In 1914, the local opera was renamed " Finnish opera" and 1956 in " National Opera ".

In its early years, the opera company had no permanent home. After Finland became independent in 1917, the Ensemble in 1918, the formerly Russian Alexander Theatre ( Aleksanterin teatteri ) was left in Helsinki. However, this was actually too small for the opera. The construction of its own building had been planned since the 1920s, but the plans due to financial difficulties could be realized only in 1993 with the opening of today's opera house. It was the first designed from the outset as an opera house building in the country.

Cast and Schedule

The Finnish National Opera has 30 permanently employed solo singer, a 60 - person choir with the associated Orchestra, which has about 120 members. The ballet troupe has 90 dancers from 17 different countries. Overall, the Opera House is 735 members strong.

The stage of the National Opera performs every year between four and six premieres, including a world premiere of at least one Finnish opera as such as Rasputin the composer Einojuhani Rautavaara. 20 different operas in about 140 performances are scheduled annually on the game board. The Finnish National Opera has a year to about a quarter of a million visitors.