Saariaho’s opera reaps success in Canada

Finnish contemporary classical composer Kaija Saariaho’s opera L'amour de loin (“Love from Afar”) is now reaping success in a production by the Canadian Opera Company.
      According to the Toronto Star theatre critic Richard Ouzounian, Saariaho’s work is “modern opera at its very best”. The newspaper praises the production directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, which has previously been seen in London.
      The Globe and Mail slams the same production’s acrobatic tricks, but otherwise applauds Saariaho’s opera as a “beautiful, sometimes hypnotic procedure”.
      “The Canadian Opera Company’s opening-night performance sounded both luxuriant and austere”, the paper writes.
      The National Post daily, in turn, called Saariaho’s opera “affecting, if sometimes exasperating” and urged people to go and see it.
     
The first of Saariaho's three operas so far, L'amour de loin was premiered at the Salzburg Music Festival in 2000, and has since been performed for example in London, Paris, and Helsinki.
      Subsequently Saariaho has composed Adriana Mater (2005) and Emilie (2010) for the Opéra National de Paris and the Opéra de Lyon respectively.
      On all three occasions, the librettist has been Amin Maalouf.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Kaija Saariaho wins Grammy Award for opera recording of L´amour de loin

Links:
  Kaija Saariaho website
  Toronto Globe and Mail review
  Toronto Star review
  National Post review
  Kaija Saariaho (Wikipedia)