Saturday 23 October 2021

The well-known directing group behind the opening ceremony for the Summer Olympics in Barcelona, La Fura dels Baus interpret the opera about the water nymph Rusalka who transforms into a human being - in Eivind Gullberg Jensen's first performance as opera director at Bergen National Opera.

Autumn's great operatic experience in the Grieg Hall is the Czech national treasure Rusalka by Dvořák. The opera is also one of the absolute favorites of BNO's new opera director, who himself conducts the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, soloists and the Edvard Grieg Choir at this milestone in Bergen's opera history.

Gullberg Jensen has handpicked both Norwegian and foreign soloists for Rusalka:
In the Grieghallen, the Swedish soprano Malin Byström, known from strong title roles such as Salome, Jenůfa and Tosca, will make her acting debut as Rusalka. Her prince is the Czech tenor Ladislav Elgr, who has already garnered praise for this male lead role in several different opera houses. And the energetic witch Ježibaba is from Bergen: Mezzo-soprano Hege Høisæter has extensive experience both from classical roles at Den Norske Opera & Ballett, and as a prominent performer of contemporary music.

Rusalka by Antonín Dvořák is a national treasure in the Czech Republic, and belongs to the opera's core repertoire, but in this country this romantic and melodious opera is still a rarely performed gem: In fact, it was Gullberg Jensen himself who conducted Rusalka when Den Norske Opera & Ballet performed the opera for the first time time in Norway in 2009, with Solveig Kringlebotn in the title role. This was also the start of the first season in the new opera building in Bjørvika, and the performance was broadcast live on NRK2.

Later, Gullberg Jensen conducted Rusalka both at the opera in Zurich, the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma and the Wiener Staatsoper.
If the opera Rusalka is unfamiliar to you, it is still quite possible that you will nod in recognition to "Rusalka's song to the moon". This otherworldly aria comes already in Act 1, when the water nymph Rusalka sits and longs for love - before the witch Ježibaba comes and transforms her into a human.

RUSALKA
Opera in three acts (full stage)
Antonín Dvořák / Music
Jaroslav Kvapil / Libretto
Performed in Czech, subtitled in Norwegian
Duration approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes, including a 30-minute break
Premiere Saturday 23 October 2021 at 18
Played on 25, 27 and 29 October at 19

Grieghallen

A new production from Bergen National Opera
Presented by the Bergen National Opera in collaboration with the Harmonien Music Society and the Edvard Grieg Choir

Due to the strike in cultural life, Bergen National Opera has to cancel all performances of Rusalka, which were to be on stage on 23, 25, 27 and 29 October in Grieghallen.