Malle Maltis’ opera “Bread Crumb Child”

August 16, 2025 – Narva Kreenholm Manufactory Opera Stage

The opera is based on a folkloric tale with pagan elements about addictive love and passion, where words of a spell created for selfish gain turn against the speaker and lead to tragic consequences.

Inspired by Herta Laipaiga’s story “Titekirikuleib” (1986).

Approximate duration: two hours (with one 35-minute intermission).

Director: Karl Laumets
Composer: Malle Maltis
Libretto: Merle Jääger

Cast:
Heba (soprano) – Annabel Soode
Lemmet (tenor) – Janari Jorro
Asso (baritone) – Pavlo Balakin
Mari (mezzo-soprano)
Jakap (baritone) – Endrik Üksvärav

Narva City Symphony Orchestra
Conductor: Anatoli Štšura

Malle Maltis graduated from the Georg Ots Tallinn Music School with a specialization in oboe and recorder, and from the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre with a degree in composition. She has furthered her studies in composition at the Utrecht School of the Arts in the Netherlands, and in electronic music at the G. Tartini Conservatory in Trieste, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, and the Catalonia College of Music in Barcelona. Malle’s work focuses on pieces for acoustic instruments and electronics. She has worked as a music director at the Estonian Drama Theatre, created music and sound design for stage productions, and composed scores for nearly ten animated and short films. In 2004, her piece Res won 1st Prize at the Musica Nova electroacoustic music competition in Prague. In 2005 and 2007, she received the Composer Award at the Estonian Music Days. In 2010, her work Chameleon chant won 3rd Prize at the pan-European ECPNM (European Conference of Promoters of New Music) competition in Austria.
Currently, Malle Maltis is a senior lecturer and program director of electroacoustic composition at the Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre.

Synopsis:
Act I
The story takes place at the Karutoosi farm by a lake in South Estonia. Heba, an orphan, finds work there as a maid and falls in love with the farmhand Lemmet. But Lemmet soon leaves for a wealthier farm with a finer farm girl and abandons Heba with a broken heart. The widowed farm owner, Asso, wants Heba to become his wife and bear him an heir. Soon, their son Iko is born.

Act II
Heba admits she does not love Asso, but Lemmet seems to be magically stuck to her heart. When Asso dies in a work accident, Heba and Lemmet begin seeing each other again. Iko dislikes his mother’s meetings with the man and tries in every way to stop her. Desperate, Heba turns to witchcraft to silence her son. Some time later, Iko dies in an accident. In spring, a young stork with a wounded wing appears by the lake. Heba believes it is her son returning to her as a bird.

Ticket Information:

1st Hall Section – €40 (discount) / €50 (regular)
2nd Hall Section – €25 (discount) / €35 (regular)

● Discounted ticket: 

Valid for students, teachers, pensioners, and visitors with disabilities upon presentation of appropriate documentation at the venue.

Free admission:

• – for companions of visitors with special needs
• – for children with special needs (up to 18 years old)
• – for children up to and including 6 years

Tickets are available via piletilevi.ee or at the venue one hour before the performance.

This year, the weather hasn’t been kind, so we’ve decided to move all events indoors at Kreenholm.

In this case, the stage and audience seating will be protected from the rain.

The organizer reserves the right to change the festival program and make other adjustments related to the event’s organization.