MEDIATHEK

“Croak” (composed by Maria Kallionpää and Markku Klami) is the first puppet theatre opera produced in the Nordic Countries. The opera was premiered at Promenadi Hall, Pori, in March 2018 by Pori Sinfonietta orchestra, conducted by Nils Schweckendiek. All in all, five soloists, seven puppeteers and thirty puppets alongside with the Pori Opera Choir performed on stage during the shows. "Croak" is a tragic musical fantasy about love, the gift of song, and the responsibility brought on by talent. Mikhail Brashinsky’s libretto got its inspiration from the wisdom of classic fairytales. The performances were directed by Anna Ivanova-Brashinskaya, who has worked extensively to promote the art of puppeteering in Finland. The human-sized puppets, costumes and the set were designed by Viktor Antonov in Sankt Petersburg.
 The composers and the stage design team were intrigued by the many layers concealed within the realm of the puppet opera. When working on the score, the composers focused on the unique voice qualities of the soloists, and the musical landscape and the set visuals resulted from the close composer-director collaboration. "Croak" is set to renew both the opera tradition and the art of puppeteering, and it is specifically intended for the audiences of today.