Savonlinna in the context of "Enonkoski"

Opera is a form of Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librettist and incorporates a number of the performing arts, such as acting, scenery, costume, and sometimes dance or ballet. The performance is typically given in an opera house, accompanied by an orchestra or smaller musical ensemble, which since the early 19th century has been led by a conductor. Although musical theatre is closely related to opera, the two are considered to be distinct from one another.

Opera is a key part of Western classical music, and Italian tradition in particular. Originally understood as an entirely sung piece, in contrast to a play with songs, opera has come to include numerous genres, including some that include spoken dialogue such as Singspiel and Opéra comique. In traditional number opera, singers employ two styles of singing: recitative, a speech-inflected style, and self-contained arias. The 19th century saw the rise of the continuous music drama.

Lappeenranta (Finnish: [ˈlɑpːeːnˌrɑntɑ]; Swedish: Villmanstrand) is a city in Finland and the regional capital of South Karelia. It is located in the southeastern interior of the country and in the Finnish Lakeland. The population of Lappeenranta is approximately 73,000, while the sub-region has a population of approximately 88,000. It is the 13th most populous municipality in Finland, and the 11th most populous urban area in the country.

Lappeenranta is located on the shore of Lake Saimaa, 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the Russian border and 64 kilometres (40 mi) from the city of Vyborg. Lappeenranta is one of the most important urban centres in the entire Saimaa region, together with the cities of Imatra, Mikkeli and Savonlinna. Lappeenranta incorporated the late municipalities of Lappee and Lauritsala in 1967, Nuijamaa in 1989, Joutseno in 2009 and Ylämaa in 2010.

Savonlinna Opera Festival (Finnish: Savonlinnan oopperajuhlat) is held annually in the city of Savonlinna in Finland. The Festival takes place at the medieval Olavinlinna (St. Olaf's Castle), built in 1475. The castle is located amid spectacular lake scenery.

Olavinlinna (Finnish: [ˈolɑʋinˌlinːɑ]; Swedish: Olofsborg), also known as St. Olaf's Castle, is a 15th-century three-tower castle located in Savonlinna, Finland. It is built on an island in the Kyrönsalmi strait that connects the lakes Haukivesi and Pihlajavesi. It is the northernmost medieval stone fortress still standing and also the best preserved of all the medieval castles in the Swedish realm.The castle forms a spectacular stage for the Savonlinna Opera Festival, which was held for the first time in the summer of 1912.

Mikkeli (Finnish: [ˈmikːeli]; Swedish: S:t Michel; Latin: Michaelia; Russian: Миккели) is a city in, and the regional capital of, South Savo, Finland, located in the Finnish Lakeland. The population is approximately 52,000, while the Mikkeli sub-region of South Savo has a population of approximately 68,000. Mikkeli is the 18th most-populous municipality of Finland and the 19th most-populous urban area in the country.

Mikkeli is located on the shores of Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in the country, and Europe's fourth largest. Prior to being located within South Savo, the city was in Mikkeli Province (until 1997), before becoming part of Eastern Finland Province (1997-2009). The city covers an area of 3,229.57 square kilometres (1,246.94 sq mi), of which 424.7 km (164.0 sq mi) is water. Mikkeli is one of the largest towns in the South Savo region, and one of the main hubs in the region's hospital districts, along with Savonlinna.

South Savo (or Southern Savonia; Finnish: Etelä-Savo; Swedish: Södra Savolax) is a region in the south-east of Finland. It borders the regions of North Savo, North Karelia, South Karelia, Kymenlaakso, Päijät-Häme, and Central Finland. The total area of South Savo is 18,768.33 km (7,246.5 sq mi), with a population of 153,738 (2011). South Savo is located in the heart of the Finnish lake district, and contains Lake Saimaa, the largest lake in Finland. The three major towns in the region are Mikkeli, Savonlinna and Pieksämäki.

Haukivesi is a lake in southeastern Finland and a part of the Saimaa lake system. Haukivesi is the central basin of the system, collecting 80% of the water that eventually flows into Lake Ladoga through River Vuoksi. Its area is 562.31 square kilometres (217.11 sq mi) (8th). Like other lakes in the system, it has a convoluted shoreline with numerous islands and is divided into a number of smaller regions (selkä) such as Siitinselkä, Saviluoto, Tahkoselkä, Vuoriselkä, Kuokanselkä, Kuivaselkä, Heposelkä, Peonselkä, Tuunaanselkä, Hiekonselkä, Varparannanselkä, and Iso-Haukivesi. Haukivesi stretches from Varkaus to Savonlinna in a northeast–southwest direction. The northern part is shallow, at less than 20 metres (66 ft), but deepens toward the southeast, up to 60 metres (200 ft) at Kuivaselkä.

Most water flows from the east, through Tappuvirta, Oravikoski and Haponlahti locks. A smaller inflow is from the north, through Pirtinvirta in Varkaus. Of the lakes in the Saimaa lake system, Haukivesi receives the most nutrients. The water quality varies with location, because of the differences between the water qualities of the inflows. In Haukivesi, more nutrient-rich water flowing from the north mixes with purer waters from the east. The largest individual pollution sources are the city of Varkaus and its pulp mills, although smaller settlements and diffuse pollution from agriculture and forestry contribute. The lake was heavily polluted by the pulp mills up to the 70s, but stricter regulation forced the mills to treat their wastewaters, and thus the lake recovered.