Estonian and Finnish Decadence Launch of Volupté 9.1

Oct 22, 2026

Estonian and Finnish Decadence
Launch of Volupté 9.1

Thursday, 22 October 2026,
6.00-8.00 pm 

Institute of English Studies
Senate House
Room 264

Pen-and-ink drawing by the Estonian writer Friedebert Tuglas

Join us for an evening of music and literature to celebrate the publication of Volupté: International Journal of Decadence Studies, 9.1 which is devoted to the  magical  and  mythic  realms  of Estonian  and  Finnish decadence where we encounter dark forests and deep lakes, symbolic of the darker and deeper emotional states of isolation, ecstasy, disgust, and despair. Old worlds are ambivalently and affectively tied to accelerated states of transition and change and are succeeded by new, young Nordic nations.  We explore  the  (Euro)peripheries  of  the  Baltic  and  Nordic  countries  and  the interconnections  between  fin-de-siècle  culture  and  nationalism  and  between  different  forms  of nationalism and decadent literature and art.

Programme

Solo Cello Improvisation by the artist Ramilda; panel discussion about Estonian and Finnish decadence panel with Mirjam Hinrikus, Riikka Rossi, Viola Parente-Čapková; poetry reading by Hasso Krull; and a classical saxophone performance of Jacob TV’s The Garden of Love, based on William Blake’s poem, by Uku Gross.

This event is part of the BADS Jeudis series.

Attendance is free but please register by clicking the link below.

Senate House is in Bloomsbury, central London.

Senate House
Malet Street
London
WC1E 7HU
United Kingdom

Estonian and Finnish Decadence 22 October 2026 6-8pm — BADS

Kaija Saariaho & Amin Maalouf: Adriana Mater

Nov 28 - Dec 12, 2026

Kaija Saariaho & Amin Maalouf
Adriana Mater
28 Nov – 12 Dec 2026
London Coliseum

Like father, like son…?

In a world shaped by war, Kaija Saariaho’s opera, Adriana Mater finds hope where it seems impossible. Powerful and rarely staged, this ENO debut unites Artistic Director Annilese Miskimmon and Music Director Designate André de Ridder in their first collaboration.

Book your tickets for Adriana Mater, an opera that will stay with you long after the curtain falls, live at the London Coliseum in 2026.

Overview

Amid a brutal civil war, Adriana becomes pregnant following a violent assault by a soldier. She chooses to give birth to the child she conceives, naming her son Yonas and raising him with love and hope for the future, whilst shielding him from the truth about his father. Many years later the young man discovers the truth of his origin, and becomes consumed by the desire for revenge.

In a gripping climax, Adriana tries to convince Yonas that true strength lies in mercy, not murder. And that, only by breaking the male cycle of violence, will they, and their country, truly be healed.

Righting the wrongs of Tosca, Adriana Mater forms the second half of a bold narrative arc contributing to a season that brings stories of resistance, resilience, hope and what it means to be free.

Experience Adriana Mater as a stand-alone story, or paired with Tosca as the second half of a bold narrative arc contributing to a season that brings stories of resistance, resilience, hope and what it means to be free.

Staging and score

Adriana Mater picks up where Tosca left off, returning to the concert hall which we now find is a field hospital in post-war turmoil, where the women and mothers, like Adriana, that are left to pick up the pieces.

Kaija Saariaho was named ‘Greatest living composer’ in a 2019 BBC Music Magazine poll. Since her death in 2023, she has continued to be one of the most influential voices in contemporary classical music of the last half-century.

This opera is a collaboration between Saariaho and the writer and war correspondent Amin Maalouf, inspired by his experiences and Saariaho’s reflections on motherhood. Her pioneering music often blends electronics with live instruments to create a distinctive, shimmering sound world. It will be performed in a new, specially commissioned English translation by the composer’s son, writer-director Aleksi Barrière.

Singers and creatives

Conducted by ENO Music Director Designate André de Ridder and directed by Annilese Miskimmon in their first collaboration.

The title role will be performed by Kristina Stanek, making her ENO debut. Caspar Singh returns to sing Adriana’s son, Yonas, following his stand-out performance in ENO’s 2025 production of Albert Herring. Widely praised for his performance in The Rhinegold, ENO favourite Leigh Melrose sings the role of the militia leader, Tsargo and Lauren Fagan makes her company debut as Refka.

Credits:
Adriana Mater
Music by Kaija Saariaho
Libretto by Amin Maalouf
English Translation by Aleksi Barrière

For more information and tickets please see: