February 16, 2013: UN GIORNO DI REGNO in Kristiansund, Norway

2013-02-16 Un Giorno di Regno (Verdi),Operaen i Kristiansund

Belfiore = Lars Eggen

Baron Kelbar = Trond Halstein Moe

Marchesa del Poggio = Itziar Martinez Galdos

Giulietta = Anna Einarsson

La Rocca = Sverre Johan Aal

Edoardo = Kristian Krokslett

Grev Ivrea = Thomas Ruud

Delmonte = Aleksander Mork

Kjell Seim, conductor

Regie - Ronald Rørvik

Scene - Bo-Ruben Hedwall

Lights - Hans-Åke Sjøquist

Costumes - Else Lund

Hair & mask - Maren Togstad

Operaen i Kristiansund

Un Giorno di Regno, or Konge for en dag in Norwegian, is simply Giuseppe Verdi's most wonderful comedic opera. It was simply the most fun you can ever have in an opera. The genius of Giuseppe Verdi together with Ronald Rørvik's Regie. It proved you can laugh so much and have so much fun your face seem  to have been massaged through and through. One can listen to the Philips recording with Jessye Norman, José Carreras, Fiorenza Cossotto and Ingvar Wixell and hear it is beautiful music but to really get into the fun one would need to go to Kristiansund and see Rørvik's production. On Youtube one can see parts of Parma's production with great singers but for the fun one would need the Kristiansund production.

The chorus was a great part of making this production so special. Every single member had their job and did it magnificently. It was beautifully done with a musicality that was amazing. A choreography that never felt forced and always seemed right. Everyone could act towards their strength. Whatever your body-type were or whether you needed glasses everything could be used to enhance the story. It was brilliant. That the beautiful and young man that was Belfiore, Lars Eggen, was simply made into just the right type for the fake King Stanislaus. Eduardo was sung by Kristian Krokslett, a chubby man that did not look like the young lover Eduardo. What a tenor voice and a true comedian!!! Of course this production worked even better like that. In an ordinary production. Both Belfiore and Eduardo would have been looked upon as miscast. But no, they were brilliant. What to say about the rest? Simply that they were brilliant. Itziar Martinez Galdos was amazing as Marchesa del Poggio. Anna Einarsson was simply beautiful in every way. And they could be serious and comedienne. Trond Halstein Moe was the most unhinged Baron Kelbar, simply genious. Sverre Johan Aal was a great La Rocca. Bravi, tutti!!!

OD Travel & Photos. Original blog post.

For more reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com If you want to see more photos from my OperaDuets Travels, go to www.operaduetsphotos.com