ESTONIAN SYMPHONIC MUSIC. THE FIRST CENTURY 1896-1996.
The honour of writing the first opera and the first symphony must be given to
Artur Lemba (1885-1963). Artur Lemba graduated from the St. Petersburg
Conservatoire in 1908 in piano and composition with admirable success (Gold and
Silver medals respectively).
Lemba was only 20 when he composed Sabina (1905), a story derived from
ancient Roman history. The first version of the libretto was also written by Lemba. The
first performance of this romantic drama took place in the Pavlovo Hall, organised and
staged on the initiative of the Estonian Women’s Society, in 1906. 2 The plot and libretto
was not to the liking of the Estonian audience. The Estonian poetess Anna Haava
(1864-1957) reshaped it into poetic form under the title The Daughter of Lembitu
1
Editor’s note: both were popular light romantic pieces rather than challenging pieces demanding the
attention of the audience.
2
Exact date unknown.
annaabi.ee 
