Aulis Sallinen

Bilbo [The Hobbit] - a visual adventure The performance, on the main stage of the Finnish National Opera, convincingly vindicates the perseverance with which the production was pursued despite copyright difficulties. The fantasy world of Tolkien's children's book is abundantly rich, with hobbits, dwarves, elves, wolves and goblins amidst fantastically beautiful sets. Sallinen's music fits the work admirably; it is effective, rhythmically vivid and lucid in its idiom.

The Hobbit is a captivating adventure The National Opera's Tolkien ballet delights adults and children alike This dance production of The Hobbit must be the most ambitious and demanding stage production ever put on in Finland with young talent - and on the main dance stage, too! One could see in the faces of the young performers during the curtain calls how their tension subsided into delight as the tumultuous appreciation of the audience flooded the stage. Aulis Sallinen, whose music was used in The Hobbit, is a brilliant man of the theatre, as his six operas and (so far) only ballet Variations sur Mallarmé demonstrate.

The wild and wonderful Hobbit The premiere concluded with a storm of applause and cheering on a scale never heard before for a dance performance at the Finnish National Opera. This is an adventure to captivate viewers of all ages.