Rasputin, the opera.
Two years ago, Sept 19th, 2003 the Finnish National Opera staged the premiere of finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara's opera "Rasputin". Rasputin was performed by Matti Salminen, Alexandra Fjodorovna by Lilli Paasikivi, tsar Nikolaj by Jorma Hynninen. All finnish topsingers. Conductor Mikko Franck. Libretto by Rautavaara was inspired by and based on Radzinksy's book on Rasputin. The opera and its staging were praised by the critics. They (for ex Los Angeles Times's Mark Swed) prefered Rautavaara's opera above Deborah Drattell's opera "Nicholas and Alexandra", that had its premiere some days earlier, with Placido Domingo as Rasputin, and Mstislav Rastropovitsh as conductor.
Rautavaara's Rasputin is performed again the second half of May this year here in Helsinki, and May 31st at the Mariinsky in St Petersburg.
