Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Culture in Sweden
Don Carlo by Giuseppe Verdi.
Summer opera with Mozart’s magic flute Sweden’s leading summer opera experience is Opera på Skäret in Bergslagen. With world-class performances in a stunning setting, it is truly an unmissable experience. This summer, visitors will be able to enjoy the fantastic The Magic Flute by Mozart.
11 countries, it was an extraordinary musical experience under the guidance of Michael Balke.
By Malin Norman | Photos: Opera på Skäret
This year, visitors can see Mozart’s The Magic Flute from 27 July to 25 August. It is one of the world’s most popular operas, where the Queen of the Night persuades Prince Tamino to rescue her daughter, Pamina, from captivity. “Musically, this is an incredibly interesting piece,” says Niclasson. “It’s not a pure opera as such, but includes spoken dialogue as well, which makes it more accessible.”
Deeply embedded in the great mining district, Bergslagen, by Lake Ljusnaren, is a historic environment with an old sawmill, which has been transformed into an opera house with unique acoustics. Opera på Skäret has seen a number of outstanding international performances and some 90,000 visitors since the start in 2004. Artistic leader Alexander Niclasson elaborates on the opera house's success: “The setting is unique with the old building, and the acoustics are phenomenal,” he says. “And we keep the artistic focus high when choosing the performers.” Instead of handpicking singers, the opera arranges open auditions where everyone 38 | Issue 122 | March 2019
is welcome. “It’s quite unusual, and as a result, we’ve had singers from all over the world. They are present for the entire summer, which means that they have the opportunity to influence the production – it’s a collaborative performance.”
Playful production for the family The Opera Festival was first founded in 2004, and since then, every year a new opera has impressed the audience. A number of the world’s most-loved operas have been performed here, such as Madame Butterfly, Tosca, Carmen and La Traviata. Last year, Don Carlo, the dramatic masterpiece by Giuseppe Verdi, became one of the most praised performances so far. With singers from
Opera house.