Vanemuine
Encyclopedia
- This article is about the theatre in Tartu. For the mythological character, see Vanemuine (god)Vanemuine (god)Vanemuine, a literal translation from is a god of music in the artificial Estonian mythology created by Friedrich Robert Faehlmann and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald. His name is probably derived from the Finnish Väinämöinen....
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Vanemuine, a literal translation from is a theatre
Theatre
Theatre is a collaborative form of fine art that uses live performers to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place. The performers may communicate this experience to the audience through combinations of gesture, speech, song, music or dance...
in Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
, Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
. It is the first Estonian language
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
theatre, founded as the Vanemuine Society (Vanemuise Selts) on June 24, 1865 following the idea of Johann Voldemar Jannsen
Johann Voldemar Jannsen
Johann Voldemar Jannsen was an Estonian journalist and poet active in Livonia....
. In 1869 Vanemuine Society organised the first song festival in Estonia. On June 24, 1870, the fifth anniversary
Anniversary
An anniversary is a day that commemorates or celebrates a past event that occurred on the same day of the year as the initial event. For example, the first event is the initial occurrence or, if planned, the inaugural of the event. One year later would be the first anniversary of that event...
of the society, a play called "The cousin from Saaremaa" ("Saaremaa Onupoeg") by Lydia Koidula
Lydia Koidula
Lydia Emilie Florentine Jannsen, , known after her pen name Lydia Koidula was an Estonian poet. Her sobriquet means ‘Lydia of the Dawn’ in Estonian. It was given her by the writer Carl Robert Jakobson...
was performed, marking the beginning of the Estonian national theatre and the theatre Vanemuine.
The theatre was originally located in a building on Jaama street. This building was destroyed in a fire in 1903. A new building, designed by Armas Lindgren
Armas Lindgren
Armas Eliel Lindgren was Finnish architect, professor and painter.- Biography :Armas Lindgren was born in Hämeenlinna on November 28, 1874. He studied architecture in the Polytechnic Institute of Helsinki, from where he graduated in 1897. While being a student he collaborated with Josef Stenbäck...
, was opened in 1906 in Aia street (now known as Vanemuise street), which is when the theatre became professional. The opening event was led by Mihkel Lüdig
Mihkel Lüdig
Mihkel Lüdig was an Estonian composer, organist and choir conductor. As a composer, he particularly worked on a cappella choral songs. Lüdig is considered one of the major organisers of large-scale musical events in 20th century Estonia...
.
In 1944 the building burned down as a result of the Second World War. The theatre subsequently moved to the building of the former Tartu German theatre, which is now a part of Vanemuine known as the "little house". In the former location a new building (with a different design), now known as the "big house", was built and opened in 1967, having a hall with 682 seats. A concert hall (842 seats) was opened in 1970. The little house was destroyed in fire in 1978 and was restored in 1991.
The Vanemuine Theater is home to a Ballet company.