Cast information
Welcome to Die tote Stadt at Bergen National Opera
Dear friends,
I am very happy to welcome you all to Bergen, to our brand new production of Die tote Stadt by Erich Wolfgang Korngold.
A warm and special welcome to our stage director Calixto Bieito and his team – together with a wonderful cast, I am sure we will have an amazing time together. Calixto was actually the first stage director I invited to Bergen, as we happened to work together the same week as my position as opera chief in Bergen was announced ☺
This is incredibly the first time this opera is being performed in Norway, and we are, of course, proud to present the Norwegian premiere of this masterpiece.
When the young prodigy Korngold composed Die tote Stadt, which premiered in 1920, Vienna was a city deeply marked by the aftermath of World War I. The Austro-Hungarian Empire had collapsed, and Vienna, once the vibrant capital of a vast empire, had been reduced to the capital of a much smaller Austria.
The opera itself, with its themes of loss, memory, and psychological complexity, reflected the broader atmosphere of uncertainty and change that permeated the city. The cultural life of Vienna, though still rich, was now infused with a sense of melancholy and nostalgia for the pre-war world.
In spite of the this dark setting on stage, all the wars around the world, and the notorious, rainy weather in Bergen, I hope and think I can still promise you a very good time in this charming city.
Make sure you also find time to visit our fish market, take a trip with the funicular Fløibanen, walk from Ulriken to Fløyen (2 of the 7 mountains) visit our museum complex KODE, the beautiful house of Edvard Grieg at Troldhaugen, or simply have a walk in the atmospheric city center.
Wednesday 2nd of October we have an OperaPub in Kulturhuset just a few minutes walk from Grieghallen. This is a very popular, monthly arrangement where you can both attend or even perform in a very informal environment. And our orchestra the Bergen Philharmonic (link) is playing a French programme on the 3rd of October, before the "Musikalfest" (Musical Highlights) 17 and 19 October.
Looking forward to seeing you all soon – enjoy!
From Bergen with love, Eivind
PRODUCTION SCHEDULE
Please click on the link to see the Production Schedule The schedule is subject to change. Please contact Mia Julie Wiland (miajulie@bno.no) if you have any questions.
CREATIVE TEAM
Eivind Gullberg Jensen / Conductor
Calixto Bieito / Stage director
Anna-Sofia Kirsch / Set designer
Paula Klein / Costume designer
Michael Bauer / Lighting designer
Adria Bieito Cami / Video designer
Håkon Matti Skrede / Chorus master
ASSISTANTS TO THE CREATIVE TEAM
Ann-Terese Aasen / Assistant stage director
Andreas van Tol / Assistant conductor
Jürgen Schock / Assistant lighting designer
ON STAGE
Vincent Wolfsteiner / Paul
Nadja Stefanoff / Marie and Marietta
Audun Iversen / Frank and Fritz
Tone Kummervold / Brigitta
Dumitru Mitu / Victorin
Sarah Gilford / Juliette
Arnheiður Eiríksdóttir / Lucienne
Álvaro Zambrano / Gaston
Kristofer Lundin / Count Albert
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Edvard Grieg Choir, Edvard Grieg Boys’ Choir and Edvard Grieg Girls’ Choir
Sung in German, surtitles in Norwegian and English
Duration: approx. 2 hours and 45 minutes including 30 minutes interval
November 2nd at 18:00, 4th, 6th and 8th at 19:00
Grieghallen
A new production by Bergen National Opera
Presented by Bergen National Opera in collaboration with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Edvard Grieg Choirs
BACKSTAGE
Odd Halstensen / Production Director
Mia Julie Wiland / Production Manager
Sara Eeg Jonasmo/ Stage Manager
Cathrine Ahlsen / Head of Costume
NN/ Head of Stage
Barbro Worren / Head of props
Ivar Skjørestad / Lights
CONTACT DETAILS BNO STAFF
All contact emails and phone numbers to BNO staff can be found here (link)
MILJØFYRTÅRN / ECO LIGHTHOUSE
BNO is certified Miljøfyrtårn/ ECO Lighthouse since 2021. We focus on how we can make more environmentally friendly choices every day and you can help. Please choose public transport to work, bring your own water bottle, coffee mug, choose trademark products, recycle waste, clean up after you and create a nice work environment
GRIEGHALLEN
Grieghallen is a multi purpose venue and BNO only have access to the rooms that are in the Production Schedule. Shared dressing rooms will be assigned after get-in on stage 20th of October.
CANTEEN
The canteen is located on the 4th floor in Grieghallen. It's open during the Orchestra's rehearsal. With the Lunch Deal (50 NOK a day) we offer warm lunch, sandwiches to go, coffee and tea. If you like to join the lunch deal, we kindly ask you to sign up before you arrive by sending an email to Mia Julie (miajulie@bno.no) The canteen do not accept cash or credit card. This lunch deal is for artists and technical personal employed by BNO.
CODE OF CONDUCT
Please see our code of conduct here: Code of conduct
ADDRESS
Our venue, rehearsal studio and costume fittings are located in Grieghallen
- Edvard Griegs plass 1, 5015 BERGEN
Pictures of the venue and information can be found on their website: www.grieghallen.no
PRESS AND MEDIA
Contact persons
Ole Klemsdal / Head of Communication / Send email / +47 911 01 791
Monika / Head of e-commerce / Send email / +47 92 47 0001
Press
There may be journalists from the written press present at the rehearsals during the whole rehearsal period. There will be information about this beforehand. Any media coverage involving sound recording will be approved by the involved artists and singers beforehand.
Photo
Monika from Bergen National Opera's communications department will be recording and taking photos throughout the production for use in our social media channels.
Film
We will be recording parts of the rehearsals for documentation and social media teasers.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Please join us on social media!
FOLLOW BERGEN NATIONAL OPERA
facebook
instagram
twitter
youtube
vimeo
DINING IN BERGEN
Here are some tips on where to get discounts when eating out, just remember to bring your BNO card to the below restaurants and cafés and present it when you place your order:
Zen Café: 10% with purchase over NOK 100
Café Opera: 10% Address: Engen 18, 5011 Bergen
Pingvinen: 10% - Address: Vaskerelven 14, 5014 Bergen
PLANNING YOUR STAY IN NORWAY
Weather
Norwegians love to talk about the weather! It changes from day to day, hour to hour, and we recommend bring clothes for both a rainy day as well as sunshine.
Money
The standard way of paying is by credit card or bank card. Few locals pay with cash - even for a packet of chewing gum.
As for general shopping, all but kiosks and tourists shops are closed on Sundays. Restaurants, cafés and bars are open all week. If you're looking for a Sunday open supermarket we recommend Bunnpris, Torggaten 6, and/or Nygårdsgaten 89.
For things to do in Bergen, check out Visitnorway.com
Premiere Party- what to wear
Anything and everything is welcomed. Most of us wear casual chic.
FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE CITY CENTRE (FOR OUR PRODUCTIONS IN GRIEGHALLEN, BERGEN)
There are several efficient and easy alternatives for how to get from Bergen Airport Flesland to Bergen city center. Bergen has good public transport services with both the Airport Bus Flybussen and the City Light Rail (called Bybanen in Norwegian), as well as taxis going between the airport and the city center.
If you have suitcase or heavy bags we would recommend the Airports bus. We recommend checking the www.entur.no for information on which transportation is available at the time of arrival at Bergen Lufthavn.
- Bergen City Light rail (Bybanen) The cheapest way to get from Bergen Airport Flesland to Bergen city center is to go by the City Light Rail (Bybanen). It takes about 45 minutes from the Airport to Bergen city center and it costs only NOK 47 for an adult. The ticket needs to be purchased in advance either online at www.skyss.no/en/ or in their app Skyss ticket app. From the airport to the city center is 1 zone.
Check out www.skyss.no for more information. The City Light Rail starts right at the airport terminals lower deck and ends in the center of Bergen. The closest stop to Grieghallen, Hotel Terminus and Hotel Zander K is called Nonneseter.
- Airport bus (Flybussen) A faster way to reach Bergen city center is by the Airport Bus (Flybussen), which only takes 33 minutes. The bus costs NOK 169 if you buy the tickets in advance online at www.flybussen.no The bus has several stops in Bergen city center and the closest stop to Grieghallen, Grand Hotel Terminus and Hotel Zander K is Bergen Busstasjon. You can find the bus just outside the Flesland arrival terminal. All stops with the Airport bus are announced.
- Taxi The most direct way to get to your hotel is to take a taxi. A taxi from Bergen Airport Flesland to Bergen city center costs around NOK 580/630, but prices vary according to the time of day and the number of passengers. The taxis are parked just outside the arrival terminal. They prefer bank card (BankAxept, Visa and MasterCard) as payment, but you could also pay in cash (NOK).
ANY QUESTIONS?
Please don't hesitate to contact us.
If you have any question regarding artistic program, music and scores, please contact Nicolai@bno.no
Any other question please contact miajulie@bno.no
CONTACT INFO
Bergen Nasjonale Opera
Edvard Griegs plass 1
5015 BERGEN
NORWAY
+47 55 21 61 20
info@bno.no