Unusual Double Lithuanian Opera Performance Saturday & Sunday – Lamb of God and The Bear

Lamb of God (Dievo Avinėlis) is an opera-ballet set in rural Lithuania in the aftermath of war. It depicts the atmosphere of unease, fear and uncertainty about the future as a village cobbler tries to stick to the straight and narrow path of honesty.

Composed by Feliksas Bajoras in 1982, Lamb of God is based on an eponymous novel by Rimantas Šavelis. 11 March 1990, the Republic of Lithuania was re-established as an independent state, the first Soviet Republic to leave Moscow and leading other states to do so. With a subject that treats the resistance of people in post-war Lithuania, the piece had to wait nearly four decades for its premiere. Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre, in collaboration with Lithuanian State Symphony Orchestra and maestro Gintaras Rinkevičius and choreographer Martynas Rimeikis, now share this spectacular piece with the world. ‘We all are going to the beyond and will not be able to bring any of our material belongings with us’, says Bajoras, ‘It is crucial to stay spiritually pure.’

Subtitles in English and Lithuanian

And the Sunday performance of  the gothic opera The Bear:

The story is set in a wild and remote corner of 19th-century Lithuania, where folk customs and pagan beliefs still have a hold sway on the population. Here we meet a strange family consisting of the young count, Michel (Mykolas), who exhibits animalistic behaviours, and his mad mother who, as legend has it, was raped by a bear at her own wedding. Reputed to be the product of this bestial assault, the half-human half-bear falls in love with the beautiful girl from the next manor, Miss Julia, and asks for her hand in marriage. Will this union be enough to tame the young count’s dual nature?

Written in 2000, The Bear (Lokys) is the third opera by Lithuanian composer Bronius Kutavičius (1932–2021) and his first ‘grand’ opera, if not in terms of duration – it’s under two hours – then in terms of artistic forces including many soloists, full orchestra, mixed choir and ballet scenes. A ‘mystic thriller’ based on a libretto by Lithuanian writer Aušra Marija Sluckaitė-Jurašienė, in which she retells the story of a bloody wedding inspired by the gothic fantasy novella Lokis (1869) by Prosper Mérimée. Like a horror movies of the silent era, the plot centres on the dark side of human nature and to what extent one can defy bestiality in favour of our humanity. Conducted by Music Director Martynas Staškus and the Lithuanian theatre director Gintaras Varnas, this awarding-winning production from Klaipėda State Music Theatre gives form to the conflict at the heart of the opera, juxtaposing the manor house and murky woods, civilisation and primordial chaos, culture and nature, light and darkness.

Available on 19 November 2023 at 1900 CET / 1800 London/ 1300 NY