Rusalka

Coming soon

Coming Soon...

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. Her fatal love, the Prince, is performed by the American tenor Brenden Gunnell. Hege Høisæter sings the witch Ježibaba, Jongmin Park is Vodník 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 Prinsen danser med Fyrstinnen web

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
Brenden Gunnell  / The Prince (Princ)
Allison Cook / The foreign Princess (Cizí kněžna)
Jongmin Park / Vodník
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   

Introductions by Nicolai Riise one hour before the performance in the foyer in Grieghallen

A new production by Bergen National Opera

Presented by Bergen National Opera in collaboration
with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Edvard Grieg Kor