Opera Scotland

Aniara 1959Royal Opera, Stockholm

Read more about the opera Aniara

This was the British premiere of Blomdahl's novelty, based on a recent post-nuclear science-fiction poem. As that description might imply, there was much electronic music, but also extensive dance interludes. In spite of the subject-matter, a nuclear holocaust engulfing Earth while an asteroid strike dooms these escapees to a fate of wandering through space, it was by no means all as depressing as that would imply.

Cast details are from our copy of the Festival programme book.

 

Royal Swedish Opera at the Edinburgh Festival 1959

For its first Edinburgh visit, the Royal Opera, Stockholm, brought a typically ambitious programme of Verdi, Wagner, Berg and Blomdahl.  While the Rigoletto and Walküre may have been fairly conventional,  Un ballo in maschera showed a clear attempt by the director to get as close as possible to Swedish history.  Wozzeck was a Scottish premiere, and Aniara saw the British premiere of an interesting new piece only launched in May.

The five operas given were by Wagner (Die Walküre);  Verdi (Rigoletto,  Un ballo in maschera);  Berg (Wozzeck) and Blomdahl (Aniara).

The three week performance schedule was:

Week One, w/c 24 August:  Mon 24  Ballo in maschera;  Tue 25 Rigoletto;  Wed 26 Walküre;  Thu 27  Rigoletto;  Fri 28  Walküre;  Sat 29  Ballo in maschera.

Week Two,  w/c 31 August:  Mon 31 Walküre;  Tue 1 Sep  Rigoletto;  Wed 2 Walküre;  Thu 3  Aniara;  Fri 4  Ballo in maschera;  Sat 5  Aniara.

Week Three, w/c 7 September:  Mon 7 Walküre;  Tue 8  Wozzeck;  Wed 9 Rigoletto;  Thu 10  Wozzeck;  Fri 11  Rigoletto;  Sat 12  Ballo in maschera.