Oma Vika:: Own Fault

 Olli Kortekangas, composer, gave us tickets to attend the premier of his newest opera, Oma Vika at Manilla in Turku.  Libretto was by Michael Baran.

The opera was held in an old rope factory near the river in the center of the city. The floors were cobblestone, brick and cement. There were curbs and ramps, and the chairs were arranged a simple stage curtained with black sheers.
 Here is a plot summary from Kortekangas:

The work is a monologue opera called Oma vika ("Own Fault"), and it is based on the diaries of baritone singer Sauli Tiilikainen who will sing the only role of the opera himself. The "orchestra" is an instrumental ensemble of four players.
Sauli's adult daughter, mother of four small kids, committed suicide seven years ago. The text is written by Michael Baran, and as said, is based on Sauli's life and texts. There are 13 short scenes. Here are the titles in a very rough and quick translation, with some additional notes:

1. Sun, black (Four days later); (Sauli had just retired and was living in Spain)
2. Cause-of-death statement (Two-and-a-half months later)
3. Funeral program (Three weeks later)
4. No, we're not No (five months later); (dream scene)
5. Oh f--- f--- F--- (three months later)
6. What is happiness? (three years earlier); (speech at her wedding)
7. Notebook (a year or two earlier)
8. Farewell (November 13); (her farewell letter to her kids and husband)
9. What was and will be ruined (three months later); (this was very hard to translate, maybe you get an idea...!)
10. A dove and a fox (ten months later); (dream scene)
11. So that my sorrows would not end (six months later); (partly dream scene)
12. Mother and You-Butterfly (one-and-a-half years later); (partly dream scene)
13. Daddy (now)

The set was simple.  Black sheers surrounded the stage on 3 sides.  The orchestra of four instruments (piano, viulu, sello, Klarinetti) was on the right hand side. The audience's chairs were front and left side.  The stage was bare, except for long and narrow gray box. It stood on end initially. When the father arrived on stage, he laid it down on the floor. It looked like a coffin, or a storage box.  It was filled with letters.  The scenes were rapid, each a song.  The actions were simple -- opening the box, or laying on the box, or putting the box back on end, and leaning against its door.   Opening the door, to an empty space, stepping into the empty space.   I wrote notes on the back of the program (see below).  The music was fantastic.