March 3, 2000: Cosi fan tutte in Zurich

A great Cosi fan tutte. An absolutely magical Despina. Her voice, her acting. Liked Bartoli too, but she is no soprano. Nikiteanu was a great Dorabella. Loved Carlos Chausson. And what a great tenor Roberto Sacca is !



Musikalische Leitung NIKOLAUS HARNONCOURT
Inszcnierung JÜRGEN FLlMM
Bühncnbild ERICH WONDER
Kostüme FLORENCE VON GERKAN
Lichtgestaltung JÜRGEN HOFFMANN
Chor ERNST RAFFELSBERGER

CHOR DES OPERNHAUSES ZÜRICH STATISTENVEREIN AM OPERNHAUS
ORCHESTER DER OPER ZÜRICH
Continuo: Cembalo THOMAS GRABOWSKI
Violoncello LUCIANO PEZZANI
UNTERSTÜTZT VON ABB
Musikalische Assistenz
und Einstudierung THOMAS GRABOWSKI
Abendspielleitung
und Regieassistenz GUDRUN HARTMANN
Regiehospitanz EVA ADAM, GREGORY FULLER
BühnenbildassistenzA MRA R" MATTHIAS ENGELMANN
Kostümassistenz GABRIELA PIZZO
Inspizienz SUSANN ZAHLER
Souffleur ADRIANO
Freitag, 3. März 2000FREIER VERKAUF
PAUSE NACH DEM 1, AKT
BEGINN19.00 UHR
ENDE ca. 22.30 UHR

Opernhaus Zurich
February 20, 23, 27
& March 1, 3, 9, 11, 14, 2000

2000-03-03 Cosi fan tutte (W.A. Mozart), Opernhaus Zurich

Don Alfonso = Carlos Chausson
Fiordiligi = Cecilia Bartoli
Dorabella = Liliana Nikoteanu
Guglielmo = Oliver Widmer
Ferrando = Roberto Sacca
Despina = Agnes Baltsa

Nikolaus Harnoncourt, conductor

OD Travel

December 9, 1988: The Magic Flute in Oslo

1988-12-09 Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), Den Norske Opera (Oslo)

Tamino = Ulf Øien
Nattens Dronning = Benedicte Adrian
Papageno = Per Vollestad
Monostatos = Tor Gilje
Pamina = Itziar Martinez Galdos
Sarastro = Svein Carlsen

Per Åke Andersson, conductor

Benedicte Adrian, the other part of pop-duo Dollie (de Luxe), soprano, pop star, composer is singing Queen of the Night in the Norwegian Opera. And she does quite good. But although success at the opera she decides that opera is too "operatic" and goes to pop, composing with Ingrid Bjørnov (the other part of Dollie de Luxe) an rock-opera called Which Witch about the witch-hunt in Norway where (Norwegian baritone) Knut Skram also sang in a few staged concerts.

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

September 11, 2004: Nozze di Figaro in Oslo

2004-09-11 Le Nozze di Figaro (Mozart), DNO (Oslo)

Count Almaviva = Ole Jörgen Kristiansen
Figaro = Magne Fremmerlid
Countess Almaviva = Ragnhild Heiland Sörensen
Susanna = Kari Postma
Cherubino = Hege Höisaeter
Marcellina = Torill Eriksen
Dr. Bartolo = Anders Vangen
Don Basilio = Kjell Magnus Sandve
Don Curzio = Svein Erik Sagbråten
Barbarina = Sabine Gross

Eivind Aadland, conductor




LE NOZZE DI FIGARO
Opera in 3 acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Libretto by Lorenzo da Ponte

Season premiere: 11/9
Days of performance: 14/9, 18/9, 22/9, 28/9
Duration: app. 3h 30 mins
Sung in Norwegian

Conductor: Eivind Aadland
Direction: Willy Decker
Set design: Achim Freyer
Costumes: Claudia Doderer
Choir: Steffen Kammler


Count Almaviva - Ole Jörgen Kristiansen
Figaro - Magne Fremmerlid (role debut)
Countess Almaviva - Ragnhild Heiland Sörensen
Susanna - Kari Postma (role debut)
Cherubino - Hege Höisaeter
Marcellina - Torill Eriksen (role debut)
Dr. Bartolo - Anders Vangen (role debut)
Don Basilio - Kjell Magnus Sandve
Don Curzio - Svein Erik Sagbråten
Barbarina - Sabine Gross

The Norwegian National Opera`s Choir and Orchestra

The season of the Norwegian Opera (DNO) started with a classical treat of Mozart's opera Le Nozze di Figaro in Norwegian called Figaros Bryllup. Sung in Norwegian in the wonderful translation of Jens Chr. Ek.

This version had premier on April 28, 1986. And it was also televised. Then it was Knut Skram as Almaviva, Frøydis Klausberger as Contessa, Terje Stensvold as Figaro, and Solveig Kringlebotn (Kringelborn is her artistic name outside Norway) as Susanna.

Ole Jørgen Kristiansen who sang Rigoletto in DNO that was televised was even more wonderful in this opera. Dedicated and convincing. Not a villain, only a man who sincerely believe that he has the first right to all the women in the county. The Contessa here was more of a weakling with little of the grandezza of Frøydis Klausberger. She was no match for Susanna, here wonderfully portrayed by the relatively newcomer Kari Postma. Vocally Postma was in great shape and also acting the role of Susanna most convincingly. Magne Fremmerlid as Figaro is just another example of the deep voices also taking on the more baritonal edge. When one adjusted to this big-voice, big man as Figaro, one cannot be more convinced that he is Figaro. One wondered when he will sing Almaviva. Looking in role list, it said he was singing Furst Gremin in Murmansk, wow that would have been something.

In the smaller roles, Cherubino Hege Høisæter, utterly convincing. Sings her arias wonderfully and not only singing them but acting too, wonderful.
Anders Vangen as Dr. Bartolo and Torill Eriksen as Marcellina, what a treat to have such great singers/actors in this role. Anders Vangen is a relatively newcomer and Torill Eriksen is for some time now been the mezzo in Norwegian opera-life, or she has at least been that in my book. She sang wonderful and I loved the life she brought into the role of Marcellina.

Kjell Magnus Sandve as Don Basilio. It is not a great role in this opera. Sandve who is /has been the tenor-hope of Norway. To my regret I did not find it memorable. When Tor Fagerland sang this role in 1986/87 is was memorable. But no doubt, this is a first for Kjell Magnus Sandve, he will, I am sure, be more memorable in the next performances.

Sabine Gross as Barbarina was also nice. Don Curzio was energetic sung by Svein Erik Sagbråten, something I had not expected. But suddenly I had to look in the role list, Don Curzio.

OD Travel + Photos

June 3, 1983: The Magic Flute in Oslo

1983-06-03 Die Zauberflöte (Mozart), Den Norske Opera (Oslo)

Tamino = Patrick Power
Queen of the Night = Inger Lise Walseth
Papageno = Knut Skram
Monostatos = Tor Gilje
Pamina = Irma Urrila
Sarastro = Svein Carlsen
Papagena = Eva Solheim

Per Åke Andersson, conductor



TRYLLEFLØYTEN = Die Zauberflöte
Opera in 2 acts by Wolfgang A. Mozart
Libretto: Emanuel Schikaneder
Translation: Per E. Passer
Conductor: Per Åke Andersson
Regie: Ehrhard Warneke
Scenography: Franz Bavemann
Costums: Dorothea Weinert


19.30-ca. 22.40


I do not remember much of this Zauberflöte, but it did remind me a lot about the Swedish Zauberflöte-movie directed by Ingmar Bergman and with Papageno sung by Håkan Hagegård. And it was Irma Urrila who sang Pamina as in the movie.

OD Travel

May 22, 1987: Don Giovanni in Oslo

1987-05-22 Don Giovanni (Mozart), Den Norske Opera (Oslo)

Don Juan: Knut Skram
Il Commendatore Oddbjörn Tennfjord
Donna Anna: Eva Johansson
Don Ottavio: Esaias Tewolde
Donna Elvira: Frøydis Klausberger
Leporello: Stein Arild Thorsen
Masetto: Espen Fegran
Zerlina: Ingjerd Oda Mantor

Heinz Fricke, conductor



Friday 1987-05-22 DEN NORSKE OPERA

(Premiere 4/4-87)
DON JUAN = Don Giovanni
Opera in 2 acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
Text: Lorenzo da Ponte
19.30 - ca. 22.35.

Conductor: Heinz Fricke
Regie: Goran Järvefelt
Translation: Per Boye Hansen after Pauline Hall
Scenography: Kathrine Hysing

Lysdesign: Torkel Blomquist


Den Norske Operas chorus
Den Norske Operas orchestra
Cembalo: Tore Dingstad

This Don Giovanni production was also televised naturally with Knut Skram, our Great Norwegian baritone but with other singers in the other roles.

OD Travel

As I remember it, I enjoyed this night at the opera.