March 8, 2014: Stiffelio in Stockholm

2014-03-08 Stiffelio (Verdi), Kungliga Operan (Stockholm)

Stiffelio = Andrea Caré
Lina = Lena Nordin
Stankar = Kosma Ranuer
Raffaele = Jonas Degerfeldt
Jorg = John Erik Eleby
Federico = Klas Hedlund
Dorotea = Sara Olsson

Giampaolo Bisarti, conductor
Stage design and costumes: Magdalena Åberg 
Light design: Ellen Ruge 
Dramaturg: Stefan Johansson 

Producer: Tobias Theorell 

It was the first time that I saw and heard the tenor Andrea Caré. I do think I have found my new favorite tenor. He was just wonderful as Stiffelio.

After 27 years working in Royal Opera House in Stockholm Lena Nordin was singing her last role as permanent engaged as opera singer. Now she is officially retired. But as Birgitta Svenden, the opera chief said she will still work in other opera houses and with her festival and also come as guest to Stockholm opera house.

I almost missed that the opera started 1500 and not 1900 as I thought. It was cold in Stockholm, not as bad as in January. Since I had already seen the production before, and did not love it, but as I had seen it I found it easier to like it this time. Having Andrea Caré as Stiffelio helped a lot. I think the whole ensemble was better, more together. Las time we had two Stankars, one singing and one acting. Now we had the unity that was missing. Lena Nordin was Lina that time, too. I think that Andrea Caré was inspiring them all. And then it was Lena Nordin chance to go out with a bang. Lovely!!!


Andrea Caré is a young tenor and hope he will have a long and exciting career. One could not have a better Stiffelio, not even Carreras, Domingo or Cura could do better!!! As a Cura fan I would love to see him in Stockholm as Stiffelio... Andrea Caré is just simply lovely. His voice has everything, strength and sweetness.

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

January 10, 2014: Andrea Chenier in Stockholm

2014-01-10 Andrea Chenier (Giordano), Kungliga Operan (Stockholm)

Andrea Chénier - José Cura
Carlo Gérard - Alberto Gazale
Maddalena di Coigny - María José Siri
Bersi, her maid - Susann Végh
The Countess of Coigny - Marianne Eklöf
Madelon - Marianne Eklöf
Roucher  - Linus Börjesson
Mathieu, a sans-culotte - Johan Edholm
The Incredible - Magnus Kyhle
The Abbot - Magnus Kyhle
The novelist Pietro Fléville - Kristian Flor
Fouquier Tinville, the Public Prosecutor  -
Kristian Flor
Schmidt - Michael Schmidberger
Dumas - Michael Schmidberger
Master of the Household - Michael Schmidberger
Father of Gerard - Lars Ekholm

Pier Giorgio Morandi, conductor

DIRECTOR Dmitri Bertman
SETS Hartmut Schörghofer
COSTUME Corinna Crome
LIGHTING Hans-Åke Sjöquist
CHOREOGRAPHY Edvald Smirnoff

The Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus master: Folke Alin and Christina Hornell

Royal Opera Orchestra

It was Friday January 10th, 2014, it was winterly cold without snow. The snowing started on Sunday. I was going to see a traditional Regie of Andrea Chenier, or so I thought. At first I was disappointed but then I started to understand it. I hated the fakesness of the Contessa and her ilk in act 1. I thought in the beginning it meant that the Regie was wrong-headed and just vulgar. Later I understood it as a critique, and a just one, of the high society. A world where the fake has substitued the real. They might say the word love (Amore) but love is nowhere to be seen in here. They might flirt with sex, to be vogue as they lust, but real, pure love or simple affection that is true and not just affected does not live here.

Carlo Gerard looks at it all, sees the wrongness, and loves the still pure Maddalena. Maddalena di Coigny who is a few years from being corrupted by this society, is still pure at heart. Her play with Bersi, her chamber maid, is still that of a child. Then the entertainment enters. Andrea Chenier is the only one that is not playing a role. Chenier is clad in dark cloths and no whig. No one of the gray hairs on his head can make him old and cynic. Jose Cura's Andrea Chenier is very much young at heart. A dreamer and a poet. He does not belong in the cold and fake world. La Contessa of Marianne Ekløf is angered by his refusal simply to bough and recite a poem on the fly. Maddalena of Maria Jose Siri is taken by the first appearance of Andrea Chenier, so taken is she that she has to make him talk of love. She insults him by saying that they all have spoken of Love, and without his precious Muse. L'Improvviso. Great singing. And very much a tipping point, Maddalena understands  something new, feels love. Carlo Gerard opens the door for la Miseria to visit the high society. As Carlo Gerard of Alberto Gazale leaves, the high society will meet death.

Often I get bored with the first act of Andrea Chenier and it is only when Chenier himself arrives that I get into it. In Stockholm there was no hesitation, I went inside the opera and stayed there. Alberto Gazale is the best Carlo Gerard I have ever seen. Maria Jose Siri was just amazing as Maddalena di Coigny. Jose Cura is the best Andrea Chenier today, and in Stockholm he just did one of his fiest intepretation. Marianne Ekløf was La Contessa. She was putting layers to her role, just as she could be totally fake and play with crowd, there was also a deep love for her daughter. Foolish and yet profond.

Act 2 was really great. It was really well thought out. Gazale, Siri and Cura was just astounding. Marianne Ekløf came again, this time as La Vecchia Madelon. Wow, this is how it should be done. I mean WOW!!! Of course, the love duet between Siri and Cura was wonderful!! But really Marianne Ekløf!!!! Viva!!

Interval. The Royal Opera House in Stockholm. It is old, it is lovely, it seem like an intimate venue.

Act 3. Alberto Gazale was looking so well in his red tuxedo. He looked like the handsomest Mefistofele. Carlo Gerard is no longer an innocent servant and he still lusts after Maddalena and now he has power. Maria Jose Siri is a powerhouse as Maddalena di Coigny. She is also an excellent actress. La mamma morta, wonderful, feeling every second of it. Then it is the court scene. Not just four condemned people but four people whose lives are connected now. Andrea Chenier is a source of comfort and strenght for them all. Chenier defense, Si, fui soldato, ended on a high note that I deem did not belong there. And really that it the only minus in the whole evening, that I still haven't accepted.

Act 4. Wonderful act 4. I have never seen any production of Andrea Chenier where the 4 prisoners are interacting. I loved how much love and care that they had towards each other, only when the soldier was not looking. Idia Legray, the young, pregnant woman. When the soldier let her out the door was he really letting her go? Chenier was a source of goodness and comfort. Wonderful love duet!! Of course, Stockholm got one of the best ever Come un bel di di Maggion from Jose Cura, too.

Death cage with the former high socity members to carry them to Death. Viva la morte insieme!

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

September 1, 2012: Tosca in Stockholm

2012-09-01 Tosca (G. Puccini), Operan (Stockholm)


Floria Tosca = Lena Nordin
Mario Cavaradossi = Thiago Arancam
Baron Scarpia = Fredrik Zetterström
Angelotti = Anton Eriksson
Sagrestano = Magnus Kyhle
Spoletta = Daniel Ralphsson
Sciarrone = Michael Schmidberger
Jailer = Alar Pintsaar

Lawrence Renes, conductor

Stage design: Björn Brusewitz Costumes: Ann-Mari Anttila
Light design: Hans-Åke Sjöquist Producer: Knut Hendriksen

It was a pity I was not there when Jose Cura sang even though I had tickets. I had hoped for another tenor to love.

I did not love this tenor, Thiago Arancam. He was good-looking and could act. He was the ideal Mario Cavaradossi except for his voice. I do not like Jonas-Kaufmann-like tenor voices, they are too dark for me.  There was no announcement that the tenor was not well. The weather was bad, lots of rains so it would not have been strange if it had some impact on the opera singers. But with no announcement and with the enthusiasm of the audience I must believe that the voice I heard on September 1, 2012, was his normal opera voice. He had the weakest voice of all in this performance. His voice was dark and so "covered" that he seem to have to fight to get it out. It is great shame when then tenor can be overwon by the Sagrestano. Magnus Kyhle was magnificent and had a big voice. Lena Nordin as Floria Tosca was likewise in all shapes better than the tenor. The duet was less painful to listen to than the Recondita armonia. But it was act 1 so I thought it must get better. This must just be a bad start. Fredrik Zetterström as Baron Scarpia was perfect in all, singing, acting. Fredrik rules!!!

Act 2 and I am really getting to see the production as it is. And that it is nothing too special. It is a traditional opera production and the only thing that differentiates it from other traditional Tosca productions is that in Act 2 the stage floor is lifted up  while they are singing and we see the dungeon where Cavaradossi is tortured. But Cavaradossi has his back to the audience so it is not like we are really getting some gruesome detailed torture scene. It is rather clean and nice. And when Cavaradossi comes up again from the torture there is no blood that I could see. This is beautiful production that is not daring at all. Fredrik Zetterström, Thiago Arancam and Lena Nordin can all act well and they do it well. Only Fredrik Zetterström and Lena Nordin lifts the act up. Zetterström is the closest to the ideal Scarpia. Lena Nordin is a wonderful Tosca and sings the most vulnerable Vissi d'arte and for the first time the audience interrupts the opera with applause. She deserved the long applause of Wiener Staatsoper and many BRAVA shouts.

Act 3 and for the second time an aria ends in applause. But this time with shouts of BRAVO. For me I can only say yes, he did not completely ruin this aria as he did in Recondita armonia. I was sitting there so decidedly underwhelmed and confused by the "whole" audience going wild for Thiago. THEY loved him, I liked him after all he is the dark good-looking man. He can act.  Then the duet. I wonder how did it feel to be Lena Nordin singing with him. Or maybe she just loved it. I don't know. Lena saved the show!!! But I know I prefer to have a great Tosca, Scarpia AND Cavaradossi in Tosca.

Dear Thiago, you can only be better. I hope this was just this time, but if not, please get help with the issues. Love!!



OD Travel + Photos
Original blog post (Norwegian), Second blog post (English)

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

May 22, 1982: Rosenkavalier in Stockholm

1982-05-22 Der Rosenkavalier (R. Strauss), Operan (Stockholm)

Feldmarschallin Fürstin Werdenberg = Margareta Hallin
Octavian = Edith Thallaug
Herr von Faninal = Erik Saeden
Sophie, his daughter = Dorrit Klejmert
Baron Ochs = Arne Tyrèn
Jungfrau Marianne Leitmetzerin = Leana Peterson
Valzacchi = Sven-Erik Vikström
Annina = Gunilla Söderström
A singer = Hans Johansson

Neemi Järvi, conductor



ROSENKAVALJEREN = Der Rosenkavalier
Composer: Richard Strauss

Saturday 22 may 1982 kl. 16.30



Operan, Stockholm (Kungliga Teatern = The Royal Theatre)

Regie = Folke Albenius
Conductor NEEME JÄRVI
Translation = Herbert Sandberg & Göran Gentele

We were in Stockholm for vacation. My mother had bought the Stockholm-card to get the most out of this trip to Sweden. We got tickets at the Royal Opera and saw our own Edith Thallaug as Octavian. And we enjoyed it. The production seemed to be a classic and the singers were good.

OD Travel

April 16, 2011: Stiffelio in Stockholm

2011-04-16 Stiffelio (Verdi),Kungliga Operan (Stockholm)

Stiffelio = Lars Cleveman
Lina = Lena Nordin
Stankar = Marcus Jupither
(Karl-Magnus Fredriksson)
Raffaele = Jonas Degerfeldt
Jorg = Michael Schmidberger
Federico = Karl Rombo
Dorotea = Sara Olsson

Pier Giorgio Morandi, conductor
Stage design and costumes:Magdalena Åberg
Light design: Ellen Ruge
Dramaturg: Stefan Johansson
Producer: Tobias Theorell

Kungliga Operans Kör
Kungliga Hovkapellet



Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Lyrics: Francesco Maria Piave





April 16, 2011 premiere of Stiffelio. Before the opera started Birgitta Svendén, the opera intendant, came to announce we would have 2 Stankars, Marcus Jupither acting the role and Karl-Magnus Fredriksson to sing from the side of the stage. Both baritones was obviously immensely popular in Stockholm. The conductor Pier Giorgio Morandi with orchestra, choir and soloists made all a strong and good impression already from the ouverture. In this production we are introduced to 2 addittional characters, a boy and a girl, the children of Stiffelio and Lina. The regissör chose them to accentuate the dilemma of Lina. Unfortunately I felt they only made the story stranger. This was wonderful children actors acting how it is to child in a sect that care not of protecting children from realities children should be protected from. For me the children did not change Lina as much as it made Stiffelio to an even more manipulative person. Stiffelio was in this production a charismatic leader who uses the children for his own profit. They must see and hear and be the light of the sect. Lina does not protect the children much but she is like the whole congregation under the heavy thumb of Stiffelio. The divorce scene starts with "Fritz? ... S'avverta Mamma, che qui l'attendo". So the boy comes in with mamma Lina. And they are present there until finally Lina takes them out. Poor children. Would not a divorce make 2 innocent children into social outcast. So little does Stiffelio care. Just like Stankar is Stiffelio only consumed with his own feelings of betrayal. The scenography is mimalistic and shows with simple means how the ceiling loweres and certain points in the opera. The regie is always telling that this is a rather fanatic sect with very little open space for the individual.

Stockholm, well, I found the Opera House (original blog post)

OD Travel
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