BALTIC SEA FESTIVAL, BERDWALHALLEN 2008 FINISH RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

ESA-PEKKA SALONEN (conductor)
FINNISH CHAMBER CHORUS
FINISH RADIO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
KRISTIINA HELIN (VISUALISATION)

ESA RUUTTUNEN (Alexander Petrovič Gorjančikov)
ERIC STOKLOSSA (Aljeja)
STEFAN MARGITA (Luka Kuzmi?)
GORDON GIETZ (Skuratov / 1º Guard / Kedril )
GABRIEL SUOVANEN (Šiškov)
HANNU NIEMELÄ (Comandante / Čekunov / 2º
Guard/ Cook / Father / Don Juan / Brahman / Prisoner)
DAN KARLSTRÖM (Šapkin / čerevin / tall prisoner)
PETRI BÄCKSTRÖM (prisoners)
ANNA DANIK (Prostitute)

PETRI RUIKKA (video technic)
HANS-OTTO EHRSTRÖM ( musical chordinator)

Original film by Jouni Hiltunen 2001 / IllumeBLATNOI MIR - Varkaiden tarina on dokumenttielokuva kolmen venäläisen elinkautisvangin mielenmaisemasta: matka elinkautisvankilan vuodesta toiseen jatkuviin rutiineihin ja ihmisyyden äärialueille. Maailmaan, josta vangeilla ei ole paluuta.

Svenska Dagbladet 28 August 2008
Kristiina Helin's way of creating semi-stage opera works well despite the limited space in Berwaldhallen. Helin dresses the orchestra in black and lets the camp inmates, a very fine ensemble of Finnish male soloists, appear in simple white shirts and vests and build characters with simple poses. In the lighter second act, the bells ring on Sunday, and a group of prisoners whip each other with birch bark in the sauna while the young prisoner (Petri Bäckström) courtes a prostitute.
Scenes from Juoni Hiltunen's documentary about Russian prisoners of life, Blatnoi mir (Underworld), take place in the fund: gloomy close-ups of prison activities that convey a sense of the author's, the prisoner's presence in a floating now - alternating with more elusive images of a religious-poetic nature. The orchestra body (Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra) is also present everywhere, whose compassion is carved out with a scalpel by Esa-Pekka Salonen. The final moment suggests a brightening: when the captured eagle is released, the captive Petrovich also gets his freedom - nature and man in harmony.