Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra & Esa-Pekka Salonen: Khovanshchina

• Time:

  • Tue 20.8.2024 18:00

  • Wed 21.8.2024 18:00

  • Duration: 3h 30min, interval

• Address:

  Helsinki Music Centre, Concert Hall
  Töölönlahdenkatu
  00100 Helsinki

• Tickets:

  35–135 / 21–117 € (Musiikkitalo)

Event Introduction

The history of Modest Mussorgsky’s opera Khovanshchina is fascinating and complex. Mussorgsky started the project already in 1872 while still working on the opera Boris Godunov. The composer began a compulsive investigation into a dark part of Russian history, the 17th century rebellion of the streltsy, soldiers armed with muskets. The events, full of conspiracies and ruthless violence, did not leave the composer alone, but Mussorgsky only managed to complete the piano score before his death in 1881. Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov finalised the work, and the opera premiered in 1886. 

The opera will be performed at Helsinki Festival as a previously-unheard concert version compiled by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The grand production conducted by Salonen will bring a group of nearly two hundred musicians onto the stage: the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra, singers from Tapiola Chamber Choir, Dominante and The Helsinki Chamber Choir and dozens of soloists. The orchestration devised by Dmitri Shostakovich in 1959 and the finale arranged by Igor Stravinsky are connected by a musical bridge created out of the surviving musical sketches of Mussorgsky by composer  Gerard McBurney who also directs the creation of this unique interpretation with a sound world created by the renowned sound artist Tuomas Norvio. Salonen and the FRSO’s Khovanshchina will continue to the Salzburg Easter Festival 2025 in a staged new production by Simon McBurney.

Khovanshchina’s story of greed, power and madness resonates in our time stronger than ever before.

Programme notes »

Artist discussion before the performances at 17:00 at the Music Hall, main foyer. Discussion with director Gerard McBurney and senior producer Johanna Rajamäki (Tue) and Marko Ahtisaari (Wed), Artistic Director of the Festival.
Note: a ticket to the concert is required to participate in the artist discussion. In English.

Subtitles in the mobile app

We provide subtitles in Finnish, Swedish and English for all Khovanshchina performances. The subtitling is done on your smartphone with the Subtitle Mobile app. Below you will find more detailed instructions on how to set up and use the mobile app.

Before the performance:
1. Download the free Subtitle Mobile app (from Loitsut Ltd) from the App Store or Google Play on your phone before the performance: m.subtitles.cloud.
2. Be sure to charge your phone battery, as the subtitle app uses battery power.

This is what to do at the concert:
1. Put your phone on silent or Do Not Disturb mode.
2. Open the Subtitle Mobile app.
3. follow the instructions in the app and enter the 4-digit code: L4FX
4. select your preferred subtitle language (Finnish, Swedish or English) and wait for the concert to start.
5. Turn your phone to horizontal position. You can adjust the brightness of the screen by touching the screen and moving the control at the top.
7. You can also change the language from the menu at the top right.
8. You can exit the subtitle view by pressing the X symbol in the top left corner.
9. Turn off the app when the concert is over.

Credits:

Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra
Tapiola Chamber Choir
Dominante
The Helsinki Chamber Choir

Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Gerard McBurney, director

Mika Kares, bass – Prince Ivan Khovansky
Tuomas Katajala, tenor – Andrey Khovansky
Kristofer Lundin, tenor – Prince Vasily Golitsin
Tomi Punkeri, baritone – Boyar Fyodor Shaklovity
Nadezhda Karyazina, alto – Marfa
Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrhacke, tenor – Scrivener
Olga Heikkilä, soprano – Susanna
Ain Anger, bass – Dosifey
Natalia Tanasii, soprano – Emma
Johan Krogius, tenor – Kuzka
Juhana Kotilainen, baritone – Streshnev
Greggory Haueter, baritone – Varsonof’yev
Aarne Mansikka, tenor – Golitsin’s servant

Tuomas Norvio, sound design
Elias Brown, assistant conductor
Charlotte McBurney, assistant director

Jari Valo, concert master
Hannu Norjanen, choir master
Tatu Erkkilä and Seppo Murto, choir coaching
Elenora Pertz & Harri Karri, rehearsal pianist
Olga Heikkilä, Russian language phonetic trainer
Helmi Salin, stage manager
Merja Thil, costume coordinator

Jasu Aalto, subtitler
Lotta Mäki-Luopa, subtitles
Jertta Ratia and Annastina Aff, Finnish translations
Elin Nauri Skymbäck, Swedish translations
Gerard McBurney, English translations

Unlike previously announced, the Latvian Radio Choir and tenor Giorgi Sturua will not perform at the concerts.

Categories

Classical and Contemporary Music, Talks

Map

Accessibility

Musiikkitalo is fully accessible.
Musiikkitalo’s information desk loans wheelchairs.
Accessible toilet facilities can be found on all of the Musiikkitalo’s floors.

Accessible parking spots are located on the Q-Park Finlandia parking hall’s lowest level, which leads to the Centre’s Main Lobby via a lift.

Accessible traffic: Accessible taxis can pick up and drop off customers at Helsinki Music Centre’s Mannerheimintie entrance.

More accessibility information »