Scan Magazine | Special Theme | Culture in Norway
From the opera festival Mimi Goes Glamping.
From the opera I Capuleti e i Montecchi. Photo: Bergen Nasjonale Opera.
From the opera Il turco in Italia. Photo: Bergen Nasjonale Opera.
Celebrating ten years of state-of-the-art opera experiences Not just any opera company can open in the second-largest city in Norway, a country where the interest in opera is relatively new. Yet ten years on, Bergen National Opera can be assessed as nothing less than a huge success, which has spread its excitement and curious performances within Norway and also abroad. To celebrate their anniversary, they have put on an impressive programme ranging from Rossini’s dark comedy to Hollywood glamour, from Bellini’s romanticism to the boutique opera festival Mimi Goes Glamping in the fjords. By Helene Toftner | Photos: Magnus Skrede
For ten years, Bergen National Opera has been building a unique identity, bringing a wide range of opera to the Norwegian people. A people of the outdoors, skiing and hiking, many Norwegians may have thought that opera meant entertainment of a somewhat high-brow character. However, over the years Bergen National Opera has captured the hearts of the locals by storm. “Opera is still a very young art form in Norway, and traditionally only the big and famous performances were being played. Thus, when we started we 38 | Issue 91 | August 2016
wanted to bring new things to the country and explore the entire sphere of opera together with the people of Bergen,” says opera director Mary Miller. The Scottish director started her career as a concert violinist playing across the world, followed by roles as a music critic and director of various festivals before taking on the role as opera director in Bergen. Her international background and approach has indeed done wonders for the city’s opera scene, as she has
intentionally approached conventional operas with fresh eyes. “While we bring new things to Norway, we also focus on the traditional operas but with a twist. For example, we presented a Damiano Michieletto production of Madame Butterfly for the first time in Norway, but rather than being a sweetly told story, it brought the audience face to face with how older western men can still exploit young Asian girls,” she says.
‘Opera is about storytelling’ Many mistakenly think that opera is all about impressive dresses and overwhelming stage sets, rather than the depth of the story behind it. But Miller is adamant to share each story in the best possible way. “Opera is all about storytelling where everything – the costumes, the theatre, the set and the music – comes together to send powerful messages,” she says enthusiastically.