Posts Tagged ‘opera’

Kvinnogräl

september 17th, 2009
Kvinnogräl

When I was still an opera student I had the privilege of working with Lars Johan Werle – a great composer and a lovely person!
At that time we worked with the chamber opera ”Hercules”, and one day after a performance he took me aside and handed me a score with the words:
I would really like you to perform this opera sometime!
What he gave me was the score for the opera ”Kvinnogräl”. I´ve had it in my library since then, and now – in 2009 – I’ll finally get the opportunity to perform it in Vara Concert Hall and in Atalante.

Thank you for the music Lars Johan!

Soloists Monica Danielson
Birgitta Rydholm
Director Iwar Bergkwist
Conductor    Marit Strindlund
Ensemble Jonas Olsson piano
Jonas Larsson percussion
Kristina Lindgård   cello
My Holmberg cello
Thomas Allen double bass

Produced by Levande Musik and Göteborgs Kammarmusikförening

”Music which has made a more profound impression to the audience than any other Swedish art music from that time.”   DN

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Vad Man Måste

augusti 1st, 2008
Duo Ego

When Duo EGO was established in 2001 by myself and my friend Per Sjögren, percussionist, we had just been on tour with ensemble Gageego. An absolutely lovely bunch of people but we were really fed up with being so many people trying to agree on when to eat, waiting at the bus for latecomers, picking up passports which had been left behind etc…
So, we went to our favourite pub, had a beer and decided that we would start Duo EGO – no extras!
In the beginning it was not very easy to find repertoire for voice and percussion, but as the years have gone by we can now proudly present more than one full concert program with repertoire composed for us!
Even more impressive – a small opera of our own: ”Vad man måste” by Paula af Malmborg Ward. A comic mini-opera which in 25 minutes deals with immigration issues, painted wooden horses and several different ways of eating a banana split!

”It’s horrifying and funny and with Malmborg-Ward´s special timing not a second too long!”   ” …fantastic a capella song by Danielson…”   Expressen

”This is how you create a success!”   BT

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Magnus Gabriel

juli 1st, 2008
Magnus Gabriel

Outdoor summer opera is an exciting thing to do since the Swedish summers are not really reliable!
A few summers ago I was singing Mrs Herring in Britten´s opera Albert Herring at Läckö Slott when a storm really hit the place. The poor audience could hardly hear a word that was sung because of the wind and in the middle of my aria the roof cover broke. Well, the show must go on, I thought and kept singing and singing until I realized that even the orchestra had left the building…
Summer of 2008 was however a nice and warm summer and I had a lovely time at Läckö singing the part of Ebba Brahe in the opera ”Magnus Gabriel” by Daniel Börtz.
Magnus Gabriel and his relatives lived in Läckö Slott in the 16th century so it was fascinating to make the performance in it´s right historical environment!

Music Daniel Börtz
Libretto Iwar Bergkwist
Director      Elisabeth Ljungar
Conductor Simon Phipps

”Monica Danielson has never sounded better than as Ebba Brahe!”   MusikDramatik

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Death Knocks by Christian Jost

januari 1st, 2008
Death Knocks

My little opera company MusikTeaterVerket is one of the things that I’m most proud of having created. Together with director Ola Beskow we have struggled on since 1996 and done more than 10 productions.
Two years ago we found an opera composed by Christian Jost with text by Woody Allen! An irresistable mix we thought and decided to play the opera in Kronhuset together with musicians from Gothenburg Wind Orchestra and conductor Jerker Johansson.
A Swedish translation was made by Ture Rangström which gave the piece the new title ”Döden knackar på” and director Mattias Ermedahl gave myself and Åke Zetterström brilliant comic ideas to work with.
Playing Death is definitely one of the most fun things I’ve ever done!

”A performance glimmering with joy!”   GP
”Fun staging and great musicality”   DN

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Infinito Nero

november 1st, 2004
Infinito Nero

When MusikTeaterVerket prepares a new opera we always try to find a specific place to perform it. Sometimes it has been Black Box Theatres but also in Art Museums, churches and an old sawmill.
For Salvatore Sciarrino´s fantastic ”Le voce sottovetro” and ”Infinito nero” we really wanted to find the right place to get the spirit of desolateness and darkness and we found it in the wonderful building ”Röda Sten”.
We where also lucky enough to have the lovely actor Kent Andersson in the performance reading the letters of Tasso in a brilliant way!
One little detail that we had not thought about was that the cathedral in Röda Sten has no heating system and November 2004 was one of the coldest November months ever.
I spent the first 10 minutes of the opera laying on the stone floor – after that there was no problems with giving the impression of a desperate woman!
In 2005 I gave the performance in a nice, warm church in Bodö, Norway and in the autumn of 2010 I will sing ”Infinito Nero” with Petter Sundkvist and Norrbotten NEO.

Composer Salvatore Sciarrino
Conductor    Jerker Johansson / Jonathan Stockhammer
Director Ola Beskow

”Endlessly dark and beautiful”   GT
”A small sensation and very admirable!”   Svd
”It is very beautiful and the best production by MusikTeaterVerket
I’ve seen so far.”
   DN
”Monica Danielson has a fantastic stage presence in a beautiful stage picture”   GP

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