Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011

26 July - 4 August 2011 I www.copenhagenoperafestival.com

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The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

Copenhagen Opera

Festival 2011 This year’s Copenhagen Opera Festival is trying out a new, modern and youthful approach, and has a little of everything for everyone. By Jazz K.

S

ome may ask, what is opera really?

According to festival director Anders Beyer, opera is about experiencing the most personal and intimate instrument of them all – the human voice.

“You can count on your own life being played out on the scene and you can mirror yourself in the dreams and sufferings, which the singers communicate,” says Beyer.

Opera is a form of art, where the singers and musicians communicate a dramatic story using text and musical score. It incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, for example acting, scenery, and costumes. The magic of opera, however, is dependent upon the highly trained and unique refinement of the human voice.

Opera started in the end of the 16th century in Italy with Jacopo Peri’s ‘Lost Dafne’, which was produced in Florence around 1597. Other European composers became inspired by this new form. Schütz in Germany, Lully in France, and Purcell in England, all helped to establish their respective nation’s traditions in the 17th century.

This year, The Copenhagen Opera Festival is taking opera to the streets! The festival’s planners are very aware of renewing the image of opera. They are attempting to achieve this by creating a new international space, where new creations and initiatives can meet tradition.

The festival wishes to showcase Copenhagen’s image as a cultural centre in Europe, while contributing to the innovation of opera as a both modern and traditional art form. This year’s opera festival is bigger and better than ever, where there will be 16 different events to attend. The three pillars of this year’s festival are: tradition, renewal and fusion.

Don’t miss the fusion, which you can see at the Opera Jam or Stand Up Opera (where the punch line is: Opera is just more fun, when sung!)

In 2009, Christina Nielsen and Finn Bannergaard Johansen launched the opera festival, which featured three events. In those two years, the festival has grown and evolved into something that is for those curious souls who would like to experience something innovative and potentially transformative that is always entertaining.

Opera went through a turbulent time of experimentation during the 18th century and continuously evolved. Today, Mozart is the most well-known composer of opera in the late 18th century. Mozart began composing opera seria, but is mostly famous for his Italian comic operas, such as ‘The Marriage of Figaro’, ‘Don Giovanni’, and ‘The Magic Flute’. These works today represent a landmark in the German operatic tradition. Throughout the 19th century, the bel canto style was refined in the masterpieces of Rossini, Donizetti and Bellini, whose works are still performed today.

Grand Opera made its debut with artists such as Meyerbeer. The late 19th century, also known as the ‘golden age’ of opera, was dominated by Wagner and Verdi. The popularity of opera continued to flourish in the works of Puccini and Strauss. Parallel operatic traditions began to emerge in Central and Eastern Europe, especially in Russia and Bohemia (Czech Republic).

During the 20th century, and continuing today, many composers experimented with modern styles, such as atonality, serialism, neoclassicism and minimalism. New recording technologies have allowed audiences outside of the operatic circle to experience great singers, such as Enrico Caruso.

Today, opera is everywhere – TV, radio, and film, and of course on the great stages around the world.

Q A

How has it changed over the years?

The festival has gotten bigger. First year we had 3 projects and this year we have 16 different shows on the program. But we remain faithful to the mission statement of the festival to present opera in unusual places and in new ways.

Q A

Have you got any idea what we might we expect in the future?

Q & A with Anders Beyer Director of the Copenhagen Opera Festival

Q A

How long has the Opera Festival been going on?

Copenhagen Opera Festival for the first time saw the light of day in 2009, so is now playing on it’s 3rd year.

We will continue to present a broad spectre of offers, with the children’s opera, family opera, modern music drama, and more. We dream about having ambitious site specific productions of our own, which you will not be able to see or experience anywhere else in the world.

Q A

What is special about opera and what might opera mean to you?

With opera you get the most personal and intimate instrument of them all; the human voice.

You can count on your own life being played out on the scene and you can mirror yourself in the dreams and sufferings, which the singers communicates.

Q

Have you got any advice on what to see or how to engage opera, for those out there who want to give opera a try?

A

If you let go of your prejudices and let the music and the song seduce you, you will notice that it is entirely unnecessary to have a previous knowledge of opera. You lean back and let yourself get carried away with the story. All of a sudden you will become one with the song and stand in direct relation to the singers, because you can identify yourself with them – you cry with them when they are sad and laugh with them when happiness surrounds them. Opera is harrowing drama with soul-trembling experiences. Opera is a euphoric instrument, which you will become addicted to. Dare you try it?

POST BOX President and Publisher - Ejvind Sandal Chief Executive - Jesper Nymark Production & Layout - Lyndsay Jensen Copy Editor - Nina Chatelain Journalists - Jamina Klitsoe, Daniel van der Noon, Tom Stratton Sales and Marketing Director Hans Hermansen Sales and Advertising - Jeanne Thames, Mark Millen, Lyndsay Jensen If you would like to contact us or leave a comment: info@cphpost.dk This supplement is published by The Copenhagen Post; please refer to our disclaimer on page 2 of the newspaper.

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Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

“ Opera on location gives

Merete Sveistrup Øresundsoperan’s Artistic Director Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

a completely different experience than you get in a large concert hall where you are seated far from the singers and musicians.

“

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

Frederiksberg

Castle

Now entering its third year, Copenhagen’s Opera Festival is one of the finest, most contemporary and forward-looking gatherings of its kind, welcoming to the capital a variety of international talents. By Daniel van der Noon Frederiksberg Castle • 28 Roskildevej • Frederiksberg

A

t the beginning of the 17th century, opera emerged as a high-art form for the Italian aristocracy. Since then, opera has gained a reputation as being elitist, esoteric and inaccessible for the average person. The stereotype of opera enthusiasts still exists. Just imagine a wealthy middle-aged socialite equipped with a set of gold-plated binoculars tucked away in an imported Italian leather pouch.

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

“What we do at Copenhagen Opera Festival, actually, is bring opera back to what it once was – a lot more popular”

Opera on Location: Cinderella

The performers will lead the audience through a number of the castle’s most impressive rooms while the story unfolds. The production features some of Scandinavia’s most exciting performers, with costumes designed by Piyannah Ørnbak.

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Frederiksberg Castle in Frederiksberg – not to be confused with the Renaissance castle in Hillerød – will act as the historical setting for a few of this year’s productions. The castle is located just around the corner from Copenhagen Zoo, in the vey heart of Frederiksberg Central – easy to get to within 10 minutes from the centre. Built during the reign of Frederik IV in 1699, the Frederiksberg is one of Denmark’s most prominent and well preserved historical sites boasting an elegant regal interior design and beautiful lush Baroque gardens that enclave the magnificent building.

Concert at the Castle 28 Roskildevej, Frederiksberg; 31 July - 17:00; Tickets: kr 190

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

As the company’s artistic director, Merete Sveistrup explains, “Opera on location gives a completely different experience than you get in a large concert hall where you are seated far from the singers and musicians.”

“What we do at Copenhagen Opera Festival, actually, is bring opera back to what it once was – a lot more popular,” says Anders Beyer, the Copenhagen Opera Festival’s director.

The festival’s chief aim is make opera more accessible and less costly. The operas being performed this year are also becoming increasingly experimental. The majority of the operas scheduled this year are focused on introducing a compelling twist on conventional opera. The aim is to thrill the audience with the unexpected. Of note are: Liar on the Loose, aimed specifically at children, and Stand Up Opera (whose slogan is “stand-up is more fun when sung”). Then there is The Operetta Boat – a Copenhagen canal tour featuring a repertoire with a nautical theme.

28 Roskildevej, Frederiksberg; 26-30 July - 20:00; Tickets: kr 360 Most of us remember Cinderella from childhood.

Poor Cinderella is treated so badly by her stepmother and stepsisters until magic enters her life.

There is the handsome prince and the crystal slipper.

Adapted by Gioachino Rossini, La Cenerentola (Cinderella) became a tour de force when it premiered in 1817. Rossini’s opera has been re-envisioned time and again, but Øresundsoperan’s director Lars Knutzon will bring this classic to life in close proximity to the audience.

Opera, however, continues to evolve as art form and opera producers are finding ways to transform opera and capture new audiences. This year’s Copenhagen Opera Festival is bringing opera back to the people.

must-see performance

Frederiksberg Castle will provide the picture-perfect setting for a selection of operatic performances from some of the greatest stories ever written. Taking excerpts from some of the most exciting operas of 19th century opera, a team of artists from the alternative Scandinavian opera company, Øresundsoperan, will bring to life some of the most memorable characters in literary history from Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet, Debussy’s Pelleas et Melisande, and Gioachino Rossini’s The Barber of Seville.

This is an experience that is not to be missed.

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The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

Operette båden Vuggende rytmer og sangbare melodier i Københavns kanaler

“ I think it’s wonderful and

The Operetta Boat – lilting rhythms and catchy tunes on Copenhagen’s beautiful canals. Part of Copenhagen Opera Festival, 26 July-3 August 2011.

“ To sing in a church is a

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“

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fun to sing at different and specific locations. Of course the sound will never be the same as in a concert hall, but it has other qualities.

You meet your audience in a more face to face environment, and you have lots of fun!

In the “Operettebåden” the boat moves all the time and it’s almost like singing on a rollercoaster.

Sofie Elkjær Jensen Soprano

truly powerful experience.

Music for me already is a healing experience, but to share this with an audience deeper level. I have sung in churches before but I’ve found Pic courtesy of Ida Ling

the Christian churches to have the best atmosphere and music for me whether I’m singing folk, opera or hymns brings human spirits closer together.

and I sincerely hope it’s

Gitta-Maria Sjöberg Lyric Dramatic Soprano 6

“

received in that way.

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

music across to the audience

Pic courtesy of Martin Asbak Boensvang

This is how I try to bring my

Pic courtesy of Magnus Ragnvid Chammon

there is a connection on a

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

The Operetta

Boat

The range of productions taking place during The Copenhagen Opera Festival is just as inspiring and whimsical as the classical art it celebrates. By Tom Stratton Nyhavn, Copenhagen K; 26 July - 4 August; departures twice daily at 11:00 and 13:30; Tickets: kr 140; booking via email to canaltours@canaltours.dk or can be purchased at the ticket book at Nyhavn (located near the Anchor Memorial).

Y

The operetta first appeared in the mid-1800s and was designed to be shorter and lighter than the often serious or tragic subject matter of the opera. It is also the precursor of the modern musical.

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Andreas Mikkel Hansen

ou can join a beautiful tour through the canals of Copenhagen as notable opera singers Sofie Elkjær Jensen and Simon Duus along with pianist Jacob Beck provide a musical soundtrack to the journey.

The tour will appropriately have a nautical theme that will highlight excerpts from Gilbert and Sullivan’s H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance.

Works from the Austro-German operetta tradition will also be a part of the repertoire: Die Fledermaus by Johann Strauss and The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár.

healing power of prayer

must-see performance

1 Strandgade, Copenhagen; 2 August - 20:00; Tickets: kr 125; Nils Holger Petersen’s talk (in Danish) is at 19:00 on the patio and is free.

stand up opera at the literaturhaus 7 Møllegade, Copenhagen N; 3-4 August - 20:30; Tickets: kr 85 and the bar opens at 19:30 Further north, in Nørrebro, the Stand Up Opera returns for its tenth season at the Literaturhaus, located just off of Nørrebrogade near Assistens graveyard.

The Literaturhaus is a bar that was once a church – a rather suitable place of contrasts for an event that combines opera with stand-up comedy.

A long-running favourite of The Copenhagen Festival, Stand Up Opera is sure to attract fans of the festival who are eagerly awaiting this year’s production.

This year’s cast consists of Hetna Regitze Bruun, Rasmus Gravers Knive, Sofie Elkjær Jensen, Simon Duus, Peter Møllerhøj and Steffen Bruun who will perform a mixture of popular arias and classical music combined with hilarity.

The relaxed and intimate atmosphere will make for a great night of laughs.

This special one-night celebration of the power of prayer will appropriately take place inside Christians Kirken in Christianshavn. Built in the late 1700’s, the church was originally constructed by German community in Christianshavn and has since become a parish within the Danish National Church.

A heroine’s prayer is a part of the finale of many of the greatest tragic operas. Soprano Gitta-Maria Sjöberg will perform some of the most harrowing moments to be found in this tradition.

Desdemona from Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello, Giacomo Puccini’s Tosca and the slave girl Liù from Turandot are all victims within their respective stories. They were all were persecuted and faced cruel deaths. Desdemona is smothered by her misguided beloved Otello, Tosca jumps to her death from the Castel Sant Angelo, and Liù stabs herself to escape the cruelty of Turandot. Before the final breath is drawn, each sings a last prayer.

The heroines from Purcell’s British Baroque opera Dido and Aeneas and Wagner’s Tristan and Isolde also sing themselves to death. Isolde’s ecstatic ‘Liebestod’ will be accompanied

by Dorthe Zielke and Søren Johannsen on trumpet and organ.

The Camerata Chamber Choir will perform peaceful and meditative music from Arvo Pärt, Matti Borg, Niels la Cour, Peter Bruun and Knut Nystedt with inspiration from Johann Sebastian Bach.

Nils Holger Petersen will open the performance with a talk about prayer in the history of music. Petersen is a theologian and composer and author of Christianity in Music, Handel’s Messiah and Mozart’s Requiem.

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The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement Den Lille Havfrue

Little Mermaid

Kastellet

Opera Festival guide

Copenhagen Citadel

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1. Opera at Frue Plads VOR FRUE PLADS, WED 27th July, 17:00, free entry This will be a mix of some of the most famous repertoires in the history of the opera from Verdi’s ’Rigoletto’ to Bernstein’s ’West Side Story’. There will be 300 seats set up for the early birds, but people are recommended to bring folding chairs just in case.

Nordre Toldbod

2. Operetta Boat NYHAVN, 20 performances, 26th July - 4th August, 11:00 and 13:30, kr 140 (Tickets can be reserved at Canal Tours, but can also be bought at the ticket booth at Nyhavn by ‘Mindeankeret’). A traditional Copenhagen canal cruise with a touch of romance that features two singers and pianist.

den splana

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3.Nyholm Stand Up Opera LITERATURHAUS, 2 performances, WED 3rd August and THU 4th August, 20:30, TICKETS kr 85.

Experience classic opera stories with a comedic twist. Doors open at 19:30, and drinks can be purchased in the bar. Seats are un-assigned.

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6. Houdini the Great LINDEGÅRDEN at COPENHAGEN UNIVERSITY, MON 1st August, TUE 2nd August, 20:00, TICKETS kr 190 This is a chamber opera about the art of escaping, loosely based on the life of the great Houdini. Performances will be held in one of the old courtyards at the University of Copenhagen.

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5. Café Momus MOGENS DAHL CONCERT HALL, FRI 29th July, SAT 30th July, 20:00, TICKETS kr 485 (incl. culinary service), kr 195 (excl. culinary service) Try this, as you might not get another chance! Experience an exclusive concert with dinner provided by a Michelin-chef at a privately-owned concert hall in Islands Brygge.

7. Liar on the Loose 3-5 AMALIEGADE, COPENHAGEN, TUE 26th July, 11:00, and 13:00, WED 27th July 11:00, duration 35 minutes, TICKETS kr 80 (valid for two people), children under the age of 4 have free admission.

Mozart for children. Here is an opportunity to treat your children to some music a little more refined than Britney and Christina. Enjoy!

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4. The Healing Power of Prayer CHRISTIANS CHURCH, TUE 2nd August, 20:00, TICKETS kr 125 (There will be a short introduction in Danish at 19:00) Do not miss Christian Church’s magnificent concert hall. Come and experience royal Danish Opera singer Gitta-Maria Sjöberg and the Camerata chamber choir with trumpet and organ.

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8. Opera on location FREDERIKSBERG CASTLE, TUE 26th – SAT 30th July, 20:00, and FRI 29th July 17:00, TICKETS kr 360.

Cinderella at Frederiksberg Castle: an experience that promises to be magical in this historical setting.

9. Concert at the Castle FREDERIKSBERG CASTLE, SAT 31st July, 17:00, duration 2 hours (incl. 20min break), TICKETS kr 190 The concert will be held in the courtyard of Frederiksberg Castle. Come and experience an enchanting evening in an exclusive setting. (Note: The castle is open only for Opera Festival events since it is a designated military zone). Remember to bring your own folding chair.

10. Opera Jam BLÅGÅRDS PLADS, 3 concerts, THU 28th, 20:00-22:00, FRI 29th, 20:00-22:30, SAT 30th, 20:00-22:00, free entry The Opera Jam features more than 45 musicians, poets, and rappers jamming with the opera singers. This is a perfect opportunity to see opera in a new, fresh and youthful way.

11. Opera on Ofelia Beach OFELIA BEACH, FRI 29th July, 19:00, free entry Extra concert!

The Danish Royal Opera present an opera concert at the open air stage at Ofelia Beach next to Skuespilhuset (the Royal Theatre’s new building), featuring some of the greatest soloists of the royal ensemble.

12. Vivica Genaux TIVOLI’S CONCERT HALL, TUE 26th July, 19:30, TICKETS (A) kr 295, (B) kr 255 (C) kr 215, (D) kr 175 (Tivoli entry incl., service fee not incl.)

American mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux is one of the world’s leading singers specializing in the Baroque repertoire.

13. Tchaikovsky in Tivoli TIVOLI’S CONCERT HALL, THU 28th July, 19:30, TICKETS (A) kr 295, (B) kr 255 (C) kr 215, (D) kr 175 (Tivoli entry incl., service fee not incl.), Concert introduction at 19:00 in Danish The Russian conductor Alexander Polianichko leads the Tivoli Symphony Orchestra in an all-Tchaikovsky programme offering the fifth symphony and highlights from his opera ‘Eugen Onegin’, with two of Norway’s most talented young singers as the ill-fated lovers Tatiana and Eugen Onegin.

14. Happy Birthday Jussi Björling!

TIVOLI’S CONCERT HALL, FRI 29th July, 19:30, TICKETS kr 50 (free entry for Tivoli Season pass holders) Celebrate the 100th birthday of the legendary Swedish tenor Jussi Björling and the 80th anniversary of the concert at Tivoli that shot him to international fame. You will experience an evening where his powerful and expressive voice will once again sound in the old Tivoli Gardens via film and audio recordings.

15. The Magic of Baroque Opera TIVOLI’S CONCERT HALL, WED 3rd August, 19:30, TICKETS (A) kr 295, (B) kr 255, (C) kr 215, (D) kr 175 (Tivoli entry incl., service fee not incl.)

The internationally acclaimed Danish period ensemble Concerto Copenhagen and their charismatic leader Lars Ulrik Mortensen join three young, Scandinavian soloists in an evening of operatic highlights from the Baroque period. An exciting journey into a world of supernatural beings and magic moments you do not want to miss.

16. Roberto Alagna TIVOLI’S CONCERT HALL, THU 4th August, 19:30, TICKETS (A) kr 1250, (B) kr 1000, (C) kr 750, (D) kr 500 (Tivoli entry incl., service fee not incl.)

For more than 20 years, Roberto Alagna has been in a class of his own as an interpreter of both the Italian and the French operatic repertoire. Experience one of the leading singers in the world today at the concert hall in Tivoli.

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Opening Concert July 24

Hyun-Su SHIn international violin star

July 24 - August 4 Daily concerts at 4.30 PM

Tickets: BILLETnet Phone 70 15 65 65 www.billetnet.dk and at the entrance

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Copenhagen Opera Festival gives a boost to the culture scene of the city. Among our many outdoor events is an opera concert at Ofelia Beach with 4 opera soloists and a pianist from the Royal Danish Theatre, and I am certain that the synergy of this cooperation will be beneficial to both the Royal

“

Theatre and the festival.

Erik Jacobsen Managing Director of The Royal Theatre 10

(combine) opera with contemporary Iranian poetry, stir it into a pot of beatboxing, dub-electronica and local freestyle rap? Join us at OperaJam and get the answer.

OperaJam is an explosive celebration of the cultural plethora found especially around Blågårds Plads in Nørrebro Copenhagen.

OperaJam is three days of curious, warm and respectful meeting between people and their musical culture. There is room for everyone – even on the stage if you have the guts. So jump on stage with your song, your instrument, or that special lyric you’ve got in your back pocket.

Peter Rønn Poulsen Project and artistic leader of OperaJam

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen Pic courtesy of Klaus Holsting

tourists and Copenhageners, the

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

“A recurring summer event for

“What happens when you couple

“

Picture from Project Aftryk, photographer: Kim Agersten

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Picture from Project Aftryk, photographer: Kim Agersten

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Picture from Project Aftryk, photographer: Kim Agersten

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

Free

Events

This year’s Copenhagen Opera Festival is offering a selection of free events. It is all part of their campaign to bring opera to the people and to democratize what is often perceived to be an elite art form. By Tom Stratton Frue Plads, Copenhagen (located between Copenhagen University and Vor Frue Church); 17 July - 17:00; Tickets: Free

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hese events are meant to be enjoyed by all, not just the opera initiated.

Sure to be a treat, the program will have a diverse repertoire, such as excerpts from Giuseppe Verdi’s Rigoletto and Leonard Bernstein’s West Side Story, among others. The event, however, will emphasize playfulness and sensuality.

Highlights from Rossini’s comic masterpiece The Barber of Seville and Donizetti’s lesser known Don Pasquale will be part of the delightful mix. An arrangement from Carl Nielsen’s opera Mascerade will also be featured.

Henrik Engelbrecht, Music Director of Tivoli will preside as master of ceremonies and is sure to provide some entertaining anecdotes. Joining him will be singers Andrea Pellegrini, Sofie Elkjær Jensen, Bo Kristian Jensen and Joachim Knop.

There will be benches set up for the first 300 spectators, but it is advisable to bring a folding chair to ensure a good seat.

opera jam Blågårds Plads, Copenhagen K; 28-30 July - 20:00-22:00; Tickets: Free

Opera on ofelia beach Kvæsthusmolen, Copenhagen K; 29 July - 19:00; Tickets: Free This is an opportunity to experience some of the Royal Ensemble’s greatest soloists. Come and see Anne-Margrethe Dahl, Elisabeth Halling, Niels Jørgen Riis and Bo Kristian Jensen.

They will perform some of the most popular opera arias of all time, from Mozart to Benjamin Britten, and share some of their most memorable experiences.

The new Royal Danish Opera House across the harbor will provide the backdrop.

The performance begins at 19:00, but it is recommended to come early to claim a seat.

must-see performance

A bit further outside of the city center in Nørrebro, the Copenhagen Opera Festival will be presenting Opera Jam. The concept is to bring together singers, musicians and DJ’s of diverse musical and multi-cultural backgrounds to inspire cross-fusions of spontaneous invention. The singers from Copenhagen Opera Festival will join a variety of artists at Blågårds Plads.

Open jam sessions will held on Thursday and Friday. On Saturday, the artists will collect their new works and take the most original compositions to the final jam session. It is an opportunity to be part of an innovative and organic process.

You may get to experience an Afghan storyteller improvising prose with a tuba player from the Klezmer band, while an opera singer, a rapper and a DJ from Uruguay join forces to create the chorus.

The communal spirit of this event will definitely set it apart, so be sure to be there. You may even wish to join the jam.

Picture from Project Aftryk, photographer: Kim Agersten

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Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

“ What more could you wish for:

All of Copenhagen filled with Opera!!

I’m crazy about this initiative which really opens up the Opera goodie bag. Opera in every sense and shape of the word. This year, amongst other things, we’ve moved Cafe Momus from Paris to Islands Brygge, and following last years massive success, we’re re-opening the homestead of the bohemians from Puccini’s La Beheme, where Mogens Dahl Concerthall will put up stunning daily shows packed with stars, and Michelin Class food. Opera meets audiences of all ages and in every available city space, where, for a short moment anyone can get an experience that suits their taste.

“

Mogens Dahl Director & Conductor for Mogens Dahl Concert Hall 12

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Thomas Cato

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

Café

Momus

Whether you are looking for the grandeur of opera in an intimate setting, searching for a newborn classic or want to begin to expose your children to the theater, you’ll find something truly electrifying.

By Tom Stratton & Daniel van der Noon

Café Momus - Mogens Dahl Concert Hall; 22 Snorresgade, København S; 29-30 July - 20:00; Tickets: kr 485 with culinary service and kr 195 without.

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As the only privately-run classical music concert hall in Denmark - founded by the famous Danish conductor, Mogens Dahl, who will be present in this capacity leading his reverent chamber choir – it has drawn attention from both national and international acts. Originally a horse stable, the concert hall was restored to both maintain the integrity of its original form and to achieve acoustic symmetry, and effect that is palpable when experiencing performances live. Including a selection of excerpts that toy with the mythic concept of the love potion from Maria Donizetti’s comedy, L’Elisir d’amore, Charles Gounod’s tragic opera of Romeo and Juliet and Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata, the audience will experience an enthralling opera experience performed by an all-star cast.

Assuming the role of soprano in a number of these acts will be the celebrated daughter of Århus, Sine Bundgaard. Making her professional debut at Copenhagen’s prestigious Royal Theater in 1999, playing the part of Barbarina in Le Nozze Di Figaro – an opera originally composed by the irreverent Mozart – Bundgaard boasts an impressive résumé. Performing alongside Bundgaard will be two other guest solo artists. In no particular order, the second soloist is the lyric tenor, David Danholt. An engaging vocalist, recognised for his superb renditions of some of the finest operas to have graced modern civilisation – including Charles Gounod’s Faust, and Wolfgang Mozart’s Don Giovanni and The Magic Flute – Danholt’s role could not be better suited.

Pic courtesy of Mathias Bojesen

afé Momus is in fact the fictional café in a brightly lit street of the Latin Quarter from the second act of Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème so don’t attempt to seek out this destination on a map! The production itself will actually be held at Mogens Dahl Koncertsal that is situated on Islands Brygge, just north of Artillivej.

There is also a wealth of musical talent behind this production including the critically acclaimed pianist, Søren Rastogi, recognised as one of Scandinavia’s most sought-after solo pianists renowned for his sheer verve and rhyhmic sensibility. Together this trio will blend with Mogens Dahl’s ensemble – a 16-strong choir of Nordic singers – renowned as being one of Scandinavia’s leading choirs for their dynamic contribution to modern classical music. To top an evening of such sophistication, and obscure the boundaries between fiction and reality further there will also be an opportunity to delve in the gourmet artistry of Michelin-rated, culinary genius, Daniel Letz as well as taste a variety of vintage wines offered behind the bar – giving the production of the Café Momus scene a real sense of vitality. (Dvdn)

Liar on the Loose 3-5 Amaliegade, Copenhagen K; 26 July - 11:00-13:00 / 27 July - 11:00; Tickets: kr 80 (valid for two persons) Children under 4 have free admission

must-see performance

An opera for the child in all of us, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Liar on the Loose will be shown at Amaliegade 3-5, just east of Nyhavn.

Houdini the Great Lindegården at the Copenhagen University Frue Plads, Copenhagen; 1-2 August - 20:00; Tickets: kr 190 Houdini the Great is an opera full of humor, poetry and thoughtful music based on the life of Houdini and his spectacular feats of escape. The opera first premiered in 1988 and has since been performed throughout the world.

Composed by Danish-American Andy Pape and entertainer / film director Erik Clausen, Houdini the Great is an opera which is true to its subject matter.

The famous escapologist is still the most legendary entertainer of his kind. Houdini led a life that reads

The Opera on Wheels Company have used their love and enthusiasm for music to create a show that gives children an opportunity to experience the great and whimsical Mozart with a Danish twist.

The well-known arias will have Danish texts and new stories that bring Mozart’s work to life. Mozart wanted opera to be a living art form for the people, not an elitist indulgence. In keeping with Mozart’s playful spirit, children are invited to paint the scenery for the show.

Liar on the Loose is for the child in all of us, but especially those aged 4 to 8. Each performance is approximately 35 minutes.

The scenery paint workshop opens at 9:30 each morning. Be sure to bring your own lunch and beverages.

like an opera libretto.

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The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

“ When I took up office as Artistic

Director of the Tivoli Festival last year it seemed completely natural to venture into a collaboration beween our two festivals. It is a great pleasure for me to be able to present both the very top of the operatic world today as well as young talents, who will no doubt be the stars of tomorrow. The line-up in Tivoli during the festivals period includes not only the concerts that are a part of boths festivals, but concerts with both Jonas Kaufmann and Measha Brueggergosman, who will do lieder and song repertoire.

So we have tried to cater for the many who will come to Copenhagen for this important event.

“

Henrik Engelbrecht Artistic Director for Tivoli www.tivolifestival.com 14

The Copenhagen Opera Festival 2011 Supplement

Tivoli Concert

Hall

The 2011 Copenhagen Opera Festival is welcoming a diverse selection of performers to this year’s events. By Daniel van der Noon

“

We would like to get away from opera as something for the affluent, the learned and the wealthy who can afford to pay the expensive tickets,” says festival director Anders Beyer. “You can say that we are democratizing the art.

We have many free events. We do opera in unusual places. And we do productions for social events where you can be with the people you love.”

“Among the number of venues hosting the various shows, the Tivoli Concert hall will play host to some of opera’s biggest star performers.”

Among the number of venues hosting the various shows, the Tivoli Concert Hall will play host to some of opera’s biggest star performers.

Originally built in 1956 by the Danish art deco inspired architect, Hans Hansen, the site became Copenhagen’s primary classical music stage attracting an array of internationally renowned composers. Having undergone extensive refurbishment in 2005, the hall is now one of Europe’s state-of-the-art auditoriums hosting some of the biggest concerts in Denmark.

roberto alagna Tivoll, Copenhagen K; 4 August - 19:30; Tickets: kr 500 - kr 1250

Festival-goers will also have free access to Tivoli amusement park, since the park’s admission fee is included with the cost of a concert ticket.

Magic of Baroque Opera Tivoll, Copenhagen K; 3 August - 19:30; Tickets: kr 175 - kr 295

Of Sicilian descent, this Italian-French tenor began his professional career after he won the Luciano Pavarotti Voice Competition in the late 1980s. Today, he is one of the most sought-after names in opera.

Over the past 20 years he has performed some of the most demanding roles.

Alagna will be joined by Tivoli’s award-winning Symphony Orchestra. This is a rare opportunity well worth the price, since Alagna’s visits to Scandinavia are few and far between.

Concerto Copenhagen led by Lars Ulrik Mortensen will join three young Scandinavian soloists to perform operatic highlights from the Baroque period – a style of music that flourished from the late 16th century to the early 18th century.

Featured will be excerpts from a trio of operatic masterpieces that have never before been performed in Denmark. The repertoire will include pieces taken from Henry Purcell’s adaptation of The Fairy-Queen, William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and Jean-Philippe Rameau’s comedy-piece Platée.

vivica genaux Tivoll, Copenhagen K; 26 July - 19:30; Tickets: kr 175 - kr 295

must-see performance

The Alaskan-born mezzo-soprano Vivica Genaux is one of the most respected female vocalists of the twenty-first century who has performed some of opera’s most demanding roles.

In his review of Genaux’s performance in Salzburg in June of this year, opera-expert Fred Plotkin wrote: “She has a rich, soulful voice, sings with sovereign technique, and is a beautiful woman with a great figure that meets all the requirements of our High Definition era.”

Come and experience what is sure to be an inspirational performance. It is rare to be able to experience opera of this standard in one of the most impressive auditoriums in Europe for such a reasonable price.

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“Lets go!”