Festival opening: “Saja lugu” (“The Story of One Hundred”)
Friday 20. April 19:00
Tickets 45.-/35.-/25.-/20.- according to the seat
Tallinn
Viru Keskus presents:
“Variations of Estonian people”
How to portrait the spirit of an era? How to gather together the human feelings that are spread around 45 339 square kilometres to a few dozens of square meters? How to portrait together tens of destinies, hundreds of memories, flowing pride, honest complaints and carefully hidden joys? How to portrait a hundred people together? How to portrait the land and its people in one passing moment? Half of the answer is – through music.
Jazzkaar will celebrate the 100th birthday of the Republic of Estonia with a documentary performance “Saja Lugu” (“The Story of One Hundred”) that portraits Estonia through its peoples’ eyes. There’s a hundred of them from hundred different places around Estonia. The selection is no hall of fame, they are all ordinary people who have been carefully picked amongst all the candidates. All very different but yet amazingly similar. On the opening night of Jazzkaar, all of them will meet at the special cathedral-like factory hangar, which for one night will transform into an unique concert venue.
The poetical generalisation of Estonians here and today will feature original music by Erki Pärnoja and staging by Jaak Prints. Together with live-video, the audience will be faced with a hundred people and musicians. Erki Pärnoja’s emotional compositions will be performed together with Estonia’s best musicians, together with the author itself – Joel-Rasmus Remmel on keyboards, Sander Mölder on cello and electronics, Peedu Kass on double bass, Kristjan Kallas on drums and percussion, together with a brass group, and vocalists Anna Põldvee and Sänni Noormets.
“Saja lugu” will take a visual form through a photo book by Kaupo Kikkas, where the hundred Estonians will be portrayed on photographs together with their most personal thoughts. The texts have been composed of the stories of the people by Laur Kaunissaare.
“Saja lugu” will be brought out with the help of Viru Keskus. The performance will take place at Noblessner Tallinn Shipyard shipbuilding hangar (Allveelaeva 4). Due to the peculiarity of the show and location, every seat will have unique visibility. We ask to dress according to the weather conditions.
The performance “Saja lugu” is part of the Estonian Republic 100 music programme. In 2018, hundred years will pass from the birth of Estonian Republic. More information about the music programme, preparations and events see www.ev100.ee.
We thank: Viru Keskus, BLRT
Erki Pärnoja – composer, guitars
Jaak Prints – artistic director
Kaupo Kikkas – photographer
Laur Kaunissaare – dramaturg
Joel-Rasmus Remmel – keyboard
Sander Mölder – electronics, cello
Peedu Kass – double bass
Kristjan Kallas – drums, percussion
Anna Põldvee – vocals
Sänni Noormets – vocals, violin
Meelis Vind – clarinet, bass clarinet
Johannes Kiik – trombone
Keio Vutt – saxophone
www.sajalugu.ee
www.jazzkaar.ee
www.ev100.ee
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Composer and multi-instrumentalist Erki Pärnoja is known amongst the wider audience as the guitarist and vocalist of Ewert and The Two Dragons and with his movie-like sounding solo projects “Himmelbjerget” (2016) and “Efterglow” (2017). His melodic, fresh and minimalistic sound helps the listener to a better understanding of the music. Composition “Saja lugu” will run its course though the form of variations – one idea will present itself in different shapes through the entire work. The Nordic mood, inner depth and interesting swerves will take the listener to an exploratory journey. The composition will be played by a modern orchestra together with vocals. The music is a centre point of “Saja lugu” and the musicians will stand on the second floor of the stage.
Jaak Prints is an actor and director. From 2005 to 2012 he was part of the acting troupe of Theatre NO99 (“NO88 ГЭП”, “NO83 How to Explain Pictures to a Dead Hare”, “NO75 Unified Estonia Assembly”, if to mention some) with whom he has performed in many European cities. In 2016, he was awarded the best male actor title for his solo production “NO45 Screams of Fatherland”. He has studied in the Russian State Institute of Performing Arts and been the CEO of football club FC Flora. The Estonian Republic anniversary concert of 2017 in Estonian National Opera was directed by Jaak Prints.
Kaupo Kikkas is a photographer and artist. Internationally he is mostly known of his portraits of musicians, which have been published in the world’s biggest publications. His photos have also won awards in Europe and USA. The collaboration with composer Arvo Pärt is considered by the most important for Kikkas himself. As a photographer, he has mostly focused on portraits, but as an artist he mainly walks on the paths of still life. His best-known exhibition project is a series portraying trees – “Treescape” – that has been exhibited in Germany, France, UK and Latvia. At the moment, Kikkas is working on his next project “Ansel”.
Laur Kaunissaare has been working as a dramaturg in Tallinn City Theatre, Kanuti Gild SAAL and since 2012 at Theatre NO99. He has worked together with Ene-Liis Semper, Tiit Ojasoo, Saša Pepeljajev, Jaanus Rohumaa and Jarek Kasar. Kaunissaare is behind the dramaturgical framework and texts of “Saja lugu”.