Rusalka
Rusalka's song to the moon is one of the highlights in the fairy-tale world of Dvořák’s supremely romantic opera.
Star soprano Malin Byström, whose strong title roles include Salome, Jenůfa and Tosca, debuts in the role as Rusalka, the water nymph who longs to be human. Hege Høisæter sings the witch Ježibaba and Allison Cook is the foreign Princess. Eivind Gullberg Jensen conducts the Bergen Philharmonic.
Dvořák’s Rusalka is regarded as a national treasure in the Czech Republic, however in Norway this romantic and melodic gem is rarely performed. Gullberg Jensen conducted Rusalka, for the first time in Norway, in Oslo in 2009 for the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet.
Whilst the music is classic, and the world it inhabits unique, director Àlex Ollé plans to go deeper than just conveying a fairy tale: for him, the fatal love story about the water nymph Rusalka and the prince is an allegory of alienation and being different in the world today.
– I look very much forward to presenting Rusalka, an opera which has been with me throughout my opera career. Since conducting it in 2009 in the brand new opera house in Oslo it has become one of my personal favourites. It is a joy that this wonderful universe now can be experienced in Bergen, says Eivind Gullberg Jensen
The famous aria "Song to the Moon" is one of the highlights of the opera. Enjoy this recording from The Metropolitan Opera i New York, with soprano Renée Fleming as Rusalka:
RUSALKA
Opera in three acts
Antonín Dvorák / Music
Jaroslav Kvapil / Libretto
All contributors:
see biographies and photos
at the bottom of this page
CREATIVE TEAM
Eivind Gullberg Jensen / Conductor
Àlex Ollé / Stage Director
Alfons Flores / Set Designer
Lluc Castells / Costume Designer
Urs Schönebaum / Lighting Designer
Håkon Matti Skrede / Chorus Master
CAST
Malin Byström / Rusalka
Allison Cook / The foreign Princess (Cizí kněžna)
Hege Høisæter / Ježibaba
Igor Gnidii / The Gamekeeper (Hajný)
Siv Oda Hagerupsen / The Turnspit (Kuchtík)
Hamida Kristoffersen / First Wood Nymph (První žínka)
Marcela Randem / Second Wood Nymph (Druhá žínka)
Monika Jägerová / Third Wood Nymph (Třetí žínka)
Ian Marcus Bjørsvik / A Hunter (Lovec)
Teatertigrene / Extras
Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Edvard Grieg Kor
Lady chorus from Bergen Philharmonic Chorus (offstage chorus)
18, 20, 22 and 24 March 2023
Grieghallen
Sung in Czech, surtitles in Norwegian
Duration 3 hours, with 30 minutes intermission included
A new production by Bergen National Opera
Presented by Bergen National Opera in collaboration
with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Edvard Grieg Kor
Contributors
Eivind Gullberg Jensen
Conductor
Àlex Ollé
Stage Director
Alfons Flores
Set Designer
Lluc Castells
Costume Designer
Urs Schönebaum
Lighting Designer
Håkon Matti Skrede
Chorus Master
Malin Byström
Rusalka
Allison Cook
The foreign princess (Cizí kněžna)
Hege Høisæter
Ježibaba
Igor Gnidii
Gamekeeper (Hajný)
Siv Oda Hagerupsen
Turnspit (Kuchtík)
Hamida Kristoffersen
First wood nymph (První žínka)
Marcela Randem
Second wood nymph (Druhá žínka)
Monika Jägerová
Third wood nymph (Třetí žínka)
Ian Marcus Bjørsvik
Hunter (Lovec)
Teatertigrene
Extras
Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester
Orchestra
Edvard Grieg Kor
Chorus