The Latvian National Opera has ceased operations. But don’t be alarmed – this is temporary. The renovation will last two months. If nothing unforeseen happens.
Through Thorns to the Stars
To be fair, the slow renovation without interruption of performances began last year. Let's applaud the artists and musicians who, despite the construction work that started, bravely danced, sang, and played. But the audience also deserves applause, as in recent months they had to undertake a bit of a quest to enter the snow-white temple of arts and move around inside.
Imagine, for example, a recent evening celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of the creative activity of the ballet's artistic director, Aivars Leimanis. The theater doors were locked, and the audience was invited to enter through a side entrance. Why? Because the foyer is under active renovation.
For the lucky holders of free invitations (the press, friends of the jubilarian), who previously received tickets at the box office in that very foyer (with a signature, as usual), the door for disabled access was opened from the other side, near the New Hall.
There’s a Ticket for the Buffet
And that’s not all! The buffet in the mezzanine hall was moved to the already narrow foyer of the second floor (yes, we don’t have the Bolshoi Theatre), and the audience carefully moved with glasses of champagne to avoid spilling on each other.
Meanwhile, the expensive wallpaper, glued 31 years ago during the global reconstruction of the theater (when it was closed for a whole five years!), has been torn off, revealing wires underneath (they are changing the wiring).
The mezzanine hall, however, was open, but... the parquet flooring has been completely removed (they are changing it!). So many were worried about how the buffet for the jubilarian would be handled. Usually, informal gatherings for the social elite with covered tables took place in the mezzanine hall... However, it soon eased the heart: the buffet was held, but in the colorful red hall on the third tier.
However, that hall is half the size of the mezzanine, and it took considerable effort not to spill on, for example, prima ballerina Elza Leimane (and the celebrant himself!), Culture Minister Agnese Lace, or the former president Valdis Zatlers.
So the Prima Doesn’t Get a Draft
So, the renovation is related to the urgent need for infrastructure modernization, and the theater plans to continue operations, adapting the creative program to the challenging renovation conditions.
Moreover, work is also being done to enhance the energy efficiency of the building, so that it doesn’t draft and a lot of money isn’t spent on heating. Even the roof will be insulated. A great example: the New Riga Theatre, where the energy efficiency is such that it seems you don’t even need to heat it in frosty weather - it’s warm in the hall. Modern technologies!
Bureaucratic delays in developing reconstruction rules have led to a situation where the renovation work (including critically important safety systems) required the closure of the building, affectionately referred to as our "White House" by lovers of beauty. It was previously reported that the main work is planned to be completed by May 2026, and... it seems that will indeed be the case. But for this, the temple of high art had to be closed for two months.
The cost of the reconstruction is estimated at over 12 million euros, but don’t rush to criticize - most of the costs are covered with financial support from the European Union Recovery Fund. As the ever-optimistic Ostap Bender said: "The West will help us, Europe is with us!".
Soviet-Era Balls
And with the help of Europe, they are insulating and replacing engineering communications, some of which have served for over half a century. The restoration of the historical tiled floor in the foyer is being carried out with financial support from the Latvian National Opera Fund and the Opera Guild, whose members include many Latvians abroad, and they are wealthier than local lovers of beauty.
They are also updating the interior items. For example, the theater director Sandis Voldiņš reported that the work on the first and second balconies in the areas intended for the public has already been completed, but among other things, the project is returning historical lamps. "Until now, there were just Soviet-era balls here," says the director. So, a return to true values!
In Tartu, They Will Appreciate the "Love Potion"
What about the operas and ballets now? Don’t worry - they will continue. The theater management has already invited to a press conference dedicated to the exchange of touring performances with the Estonian theater "Vanemuine" in Tartu. However, entry to that press conference is through the new hall, and it will be impossible to enter the main room (unless, of course, there are still mice in the theater).
We inform you in advance that at the end of August, the Latvian Opera and Ballet will visit the "Vanemuine" theater, where they will present the opera "The Elixir of Love" by Gaetano Donizetti and the ballet "Carmina Burana" by Edward Klug to the music of Carl Orff.
In turn, "Vanemuine" will visit the Latvian Opera, presenting the opera "Julius Caesar" by Georg Friedrich Handel and the dance-musical-theatrical performance "A Little Prayer. A Tribute to Arvo Pärt". The press conference will feature Aivars Mjae (general director of "Vanemuine") and the aforementioned Sandis Voldiņš.
The Concrete Workers Scared the Ballerinas
During the renovation, the Latvian Opera and Ballet will embark on a large-scale tour, as the large hall will not reopen until June. Specifically: it will welcome the audience on June 4 with the premiere of the new production of Giacomo Puccini's opera "La Bohème" and events of the Riga Opera Festival.
While muscular concrete workers and painters are in charge of the temple of arts, fragile ballerinas will perform in several European countries and concert halls in Latvia with a diverse program.
For example, our wonderful ballet has already been to Budapest, where on April 2 and 3, it presented the modern ballet "Nijinsky" by Marco Goecke at the festival theater "Müpa". These performances were included in the international multi-genre festival "Bartók Spring", which brings together artists from various fields of art and offers a wide range of music, dance, and performing arts.
Meanwhile, the opera troupe headed north, where on April 7, the opera "The Tales of Hoffmann" by Jacques Offenbach was performed at the Estonian National Opera Theatre. The ballet, in the meantime, will move to the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre in Vilnius with "Esmeralda" by choreographer Aivars Leimanis to the music of Riccardo Drigo and Cesare Pugni, where it will present "Nijinsky" on April 29 and 30, and a similar production will be shown in Tallinn on May 5.
In Rezekne, Passing Through Bydgoszcz
These touring performances signify closer cooperation between the opera theaters of the Baltics, and in the upcoming seasons, the Estonian and Lithuanian national opera theaters are also expected to perform in Riga.
Moreover, after a seven-year break, our Opera will head to Bydgoszcz (Poland), where on May 10, as part of the opera festival, the opera "Salome" by Richard Strauss will be performed under the direction of Mārtiņš Ozoliņš and staged by the restless Alvis Hermanis.
In spring, the theater artists will also visit their native lands, regional concert halls - first in Rezekne (Gors hall) - the ballet "The Jungle Book" by Raimonds Pauls and Karlis Lācis based on Rudyard Kipling. Then, a gala concert will take place in the "Latvia" concert hall in Ventspils, and at the end of May, a special concert is planned as part of the anniversary program of the concert hall in Cēsis.
Then the theater will open its doors and immediately close them again, as the vacation will begin. But the program of performances by invited artists will continue into the summer. In mid-June, the ballet will visit the International Festival of Music and Arts in Granada, where it will present the sublime ballet "Giselle" by Adolphe Adam.
