Name: Asle og Alida
Start: 2025-05-21
End: 2025-05-21
Location: Royal Danish Theatre

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Det Kongelige Operakor

Stage director

Sofia Jupither

Conductor

Eivind Gullberg Jensen

Costume designer

Maria Geber

Lighting designer

Ellen Ruge

Set designer

Erlend Birkeland

Singer

Kari Dahl Nielsen

Den yngre kvinde

Louise McClelland Jacobsen

Alida

Royal Danish Opera

Bergen National Opera

Johannes Gustavsson

Chorus master

Håkon Matti Skrede

Translator

Nicolai Riise

Johannes Weisser

Den eldre mannen (The older man)

Randi Stene

Den eldre kvinna (The older woman)

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra

Edvard Grieg Choir

Norwegian Nynorsk

Asle og Alida

Bergen

Norway

Grieghallen

Griegsalen

Copenhagen

Denmark

Royal Danish Theatre

Operaen Store Scene (Main Stage)

Asle and Alida (Libretto: Jon Fosse. Music: Bent Sørensen)

Public

Rahul Solomon

English

Approved

A newly composed opera based on the famous trilogy by Nobel laureate Jon Fosse.

The straightforward yet profound language of Nobel laureate Jon Fosse, combined with enchanting soundscapes crafted by Bent Sørensen, forms the backbone of a new Danish-Norwegian opera. This dramatic work centres on the young, fate-entwined couple, Asle and Alida.

One of Norway's greatest authors and playwrights, Jon Fosse, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2023, makes his debut as an opera librettist with a new opera based on his award-winning novella trilogy Wakefulness, Olav’s Dreams and Weariness. The title, Wakefulness (Andvake in the original Norwegian), is mysteriously ambiguous and could be translated as meaning 'sleepless’, 'night owl' or 'vigilant.' The trilogy tells the story of a poor musician and his pregnant girlfriend, Asle and Alida, who seek shelter in the dark, cold and rainy city of Bjørgvin, only to encounter closed doors and a cruel fate.

Bent Sørensen, a Nordic Council Prize winner aptly known as a 'night owl' for his preference to compose at night, has been dubbed a 'dream catcher' and 'sound magician.' With this opera, the Danish composer envelops the narrative in his expressive musical language.

The words of Jon Fosse, drawn from one of this century's most acclaimed Scandinavian trilogies, combined with the score that captures Bent Sørensen's evocative and expressive musical realm, set the stage for this dramatic narrative, exploring how fate can guide individuals onto perilous paths.

Staging this tale of fate is Sofia Jupither, a Fosse expert who directed Tristan und Isolde at the Royal Danish Opera last season.

Opera in two acts
World premiere

Bent Sørensen / Music
Jon Fosse / Libretto
based on The Trilogy (Trilogien) by Jon Fosse
CREATIVE TEAM
Johannes Gustavsson / Conductor
Sofia Adrian Jupither / Stage director
Erlend Birkeland / Set designer
Maria Geber / Costume designer
Ellen Ruge / Lighting designer
Håkon Matti Skrede / Chorus master

Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra
Edvard Grieg Choir

World premiere in Grieghallen in Bergen Saturday 29 March 2025
Also performed 31 March, 2 and 4 April

Performed in Norwegian, surtitles in Norwegian and English
Duration: Approx. 2 hours and 15 minutes including 30 minutes interval after act 1

A new production by Bergen National Opera, in collaboration with the Royal Danish Theatre (Det Kongelige Teater) in Copenhagen.
Presented by Bergen National Opera in collaboration with Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra and Edvard Grieg Choirs

After the world premiere here in Bergen, Asle and Alida will be performed in Copenhagen in May and June 2025
The ticket sales for Bergen start June 5 (2024)

Nyskrevet opera over Nobelpristageren Jon Fosses berømte trilogi
 

Nobelpristageren Jon Fosses enkle og særegne sprog og Bent Sørensens magiske klangverden forenes i en dramatisk, ny dansk-norsk opera om det unge, skæbneramte par Asle og Alida.

En af Norges største forfattere og dramatikere, Jon Fosse, der modtog Nobelprisen i litteratur i 2023, debuterer som operalibrettist i en ny opera baseret på hans prisbelønnede romantrilogi Andvake, Olavs draumar og Kveldsvævd. Titlen Andvake er mystisk tvetydig og kan oversat til dansk betyde både søvnløs, natvågen og årvågen. Trilogien beretter om en fattig spillemand og hans gravide kæreste, Asle og Alida, der søger nattely i den mørke, kolde og regnvåde by Bjørgvin, men kun møder lukkede døre og får en grusom skæbne.

Nordisk Råd-prismodtageren Bent Sørensen, som apropos natvågen gerne komponerer om natten og er blevet kaldt ’drømmefanger’ og ’klangmagiker’, iklæder beretningen sit ekspressive tonesprog.

Jon Fosses ord fra en af dette århundredes mest anerkendte, skandinaviske trilogier og tonerne fra Bent Sørensens suggestive og udtryksfulde klangverden indrammer universet og den dramatiske historie om, hvordan skæbnen kan lede mennesket på farlige afveje.

Fosse-eksperten Sofia Jupither, der instruerede Tristan og Isolde på Den Kongelige Opera i sidste sæson, iscenesætter skæbnefortællingen.

dansk

Asle og Alida by Sørensen, Wed 21 May 2025, From (2025/2025), Directed by Sofia Jupither,, Conductor Eivind Gullberg Jensen, Johannes Gustavsson, Royal Danish Theatre, Copenhagen, Denmark

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