Kalevala The Opera Part 1

MUINAINEN KALEVALA - OOPPERANA
Andrew Lawrence-King re-unites Finnish epic verse with traditional melodies from Karelia and Ingria, transforming Lönnrot's 1849 compilation into a 'medieval opera'.
A story in music, whether it's Monteverdi or 'Peter & the Wolf': in Kalevala, ancient shamans wreak magic with song, forge the mysterious Sampo and battle against the Witch of the North.
Birds and storms recall Vivaldi's imitations of the sounds of nature's Seasons. Finnish rune-melodies set to medieval harmonies for modern orchestra suggest something of Carl Orff's 'Carmina Burana', inevitably something of Sibelius.
But Kalevala has a sound-world of its own. And so does its dark rival, Northland, ruled by Louhi, Witch of the North.
The libretto (in original Finnish, plus English and Russian translations) is available at www.IlCorago.com