Organization

Opera Hedeland

Conductor

Nathanaël Iselin

Stage director

Freja Friberg Lyme

Chorus master

Filipe Carvalheiro

Costume designer

Marie Due Jørgensen

Singer

Mezzo-soprano

Francine Vis

Angelina

Tenor

Conny Thimander

Don Ramiro

Baritone

Teit Kanstrup

Dandini

Bass

Tadas Girininkas

Don Magnifico

Sophie Haagen

Tisbe

Soprano

Johanna Nylund

Clorinda

Simonas Strazdas

Alidoro

Orchestra

Opera Hedelands festivalorkester

La Cenerentola -  (Cinderella)

Hedehusene

Denmark

La Cenerentola Rossini

Public

Cinderella

Approved

With the August sky as a living backdrop, Opera Hedeland performs an opera by Giacchino Rossini for the first time, when the folk tale about Cinderella unfolds in an entertaining opera in two acts in Opera Hedeland's beautiful amphitheater.

"We are very much looking forward to presenting the cast and artistic team, which consists of seasoned talents you will notice if you are not already lucky enough to know them. This year, it is especially the strong female talents who, in combination with Rossini's humorous opera Cinderella, will make the experience something very special," says Claus Lynge, director of opera at Opera Hedeland.

The part as Cinderella is thus sung by the award-winning Dutch opera singer Francine Vis, who, among other things, graduated from the Royal Theatre's opera academy. Since she completed her education in 2013, she has had several solo performances at the Royal Opera in Copenhagen, i.a. in "The Marriage of Figaro" in addition to significant international activity.

"I'm really looking forward to singing Cinderella on Hedeland. It is a real ensemble opera, both musically and acting-wise. Musically, for example, I am very much looking forward to singing the sextet in the second act, “questo è un nodo avviluppato”, which is so masterfully written. The Italian language, rhythmically sung by 6 different voices, sounds almost like percussion. And of course it is a wonderful challenge to be allowed to play an adventure character. As the top buy gets her prince in the end!”, says Francine Vis about the role of Cinderella, which is staged in 18th-century Italy. 

The opera alternates between the funny and the heartfelt as the audience follows Cinderella's challenges as a poor, obedient stepdaughter. This is exactly what director Freja Friberg Lyme will draw on in her interpretation of Rossini's famous opera.

"It is always exciting to have to work with a story that people know. They come with a lot of expectations, which you naturally want to live up to, but you also want to give them a surprise and something more than what they expected. I think we can guarantee that at Opera Hedeland this year. Naturally, you are well helped on your way by the fantastic surroundings, which already provide a magical backdrop, because what is more magical than nature itself?," says Freja Friberg Lyme. Among other things, she has been part of the Norwegian Arts Foundation's talent program "The Young Artistic Elite" and today she is also the opera director of the Opera in the Midden.  

Rossini's Cinderella is much more than Disney

If you already know Disney's version of Cinderella, you will probably notice a few differences. Among other things, in his interpretation of the folk tale, Rossini has chosen a drunken stepfather, Don Magnifico. He is sung by Tadas Girininkas, who last year sang the mature role of Ramphis in Opera Hedeland's critically acclaimed version of Verdi's 'Aida'. 

"There are several differences between Rossini's and Disney's version of 'Cinderella'. The stepmother is a stepfather; a classic identity confusion takes place when the prince switches places with his valet. Rossini's librettist had the French author Charles Perrault's fairy tale "Cinderella" as his publisher, but opted out of Perrault's original snow theme, which Disney later used. Unfortunately for Cinderella, one could say, in this version she also has to be dragged along with the two horrible stepsisters," explains opera manager Claus Lynge. 

"Rossini was one of the greatest and most important composers in the history of music. He was born in 1792, the year after Mozart's death. He was an incredibly diligent composer and wrote 32 operas. He retired as early as 1829, after his debut in 1813, to make time for his extravagant gourmet lifestyle in Paris,” he explains, adding:

"Rossini's operas such as 'Cinderella', 'The Barber of Seville' and 'Wilhelm Tell' are still performed to this day all over the world in faithful and innovative versions. Rossini is particularly known for his comic operas, where character drawings and musical equilibrium are prominently in the foreground, and you should also look forward to experiencing this at Opera Hedeland. Precisely the combination of the recognizable Cinderella story and the element of humor makes it an obvious first-time opera," concludes Claus Lynge. 

'Cinderella' by Rossini will be performed under the open sky at Opera Hedeland on 5, 11 and 12 August 2023.

English

Med augusthimlen som levende bagtæppe opfører Opera Hedeland for første gang en opera af Giacchino Rossini, når folkeeventyret om Askepot foldes ud i en underholdende opera i to akter i Opera Hedelands smukke amfiteater.

”Vi har glædet os meget til at præsentere cast og kunstnerisk team, der består af rutinerede talenter man vil bide mærke i, hvis man ikke allerede er så heldig at kende dem. I år er det især de stærke kvindelige talenter, der i kombination med Rossinis spøgefulde opera Askepot, vil gøre oplevelsen til noget helt særligt,” siger Claus Lynge, operachef i Opera Hedeland.

Partiet som Askepot synges således af den prisvindende hollandske operasanger Francine Vis, der blandt andet er uddannet fra Det Kongelige Teaters operaakademi. Siden hun færdiggjorde sin uddannelse i 2013 har hun haft adskillige solistoptrædender på Den Kongelige Opera i København, bl.a. i ”Figaros Bryllup” foruden en betydelig international aktivitet.

“Jeg glæder mig utroligt meget til at synge Askepot på Hedeland. Det er en rigtig ensemble opera, både musikalisk og skuespilmæssigt. Musikalisk ser jeg for eksempel meget frem til at synge sextetten i anden akt, “questo è un nodo avviluppato”, som er så mesterligt skrevet. Det italienske sprog, rytmisk sunget af 6 forskellige stemmer, lyder næsten som slagtøj. Og så er det selvfølgelig en herlig udfordring at få lov til at spille en eventyrsfigur. Som ovenikøbet får sin prins til slut!”, siger Francine Vis om rollen som Askepot, der er scenesat i 1700-tallets Italien. 

Operaen har en afveksling mellem det morsomme og det inderlige, når publikum følger Askepots udfordringer som fattig, lydig steddatter. Netop dette vil instruktør Freja Friberg Lyme trække på i sin fortolkning af Rossinis berømte opera.

”Det er altid spændende at skulle arbejde med en fortælling, folk kender. De kommer med en masse forventninger, man naturligvis gerne vil leve op til, men man vil lige så gerne give dem en overraskelse og noget mere end det, de forventede. Det tror jeg godt, at vi kan garantere på Opera Hedeland i år. Naturligvis er man hjulpet godt på vej af de fantastiske omgivelser, som allerede giver et magisk baggrundstæppe, for hvad er mere magisk end naturen selv?,” siger Freja Friberg Lyme. Hun har blandt andet været en del af Statens Kunstfonds talentprogram ”Den Unge Kunstneriske Elite” og i dag er hun også operachef for Operaen i Midten.  

Rossinis Askepot er meget mere end Disney

Kender man i forvejen Disneys version af Askepot, vil man nok bemærke et par forskelle. Blandt andet har Rossini i sin fortolkning af folkeeventyret valgt en fordrukken stedfar, Don Magnifico. Han synges af Tadas Girininkas, der sidste år sang den myndige rolle som Ramphis i Opera Hedelands anmelderroste version af Verdis ’Aida’. 

”Der er flere forskelle mellem Rossinis og Disneys version af ’Askepot’. Stedmoren er en stedfar; der finder en klassisk identitetsforvirring sted, når prinsen bytter plads med sin kammertjener. Rossinis librettist havde som forlæg den franske forfatter Charles Perraults eventyr ”Askepot”, men fravalgte Perraults oprindelige skotema, som Disney senere brugte. Desværre for Askepot, kan man sige, må hun i denne version også trækkes med de to rædselsfulde stedsøstre,” forklarer operachef Claus Lynge. 

”Rossini var en af musikhistoriens allerstørste og mest betydningsfulde komponister. Han blev født i 1792, året efter Mozarts død. Han var en utrolig flittig komponist og skrev 32 operaer. Han trak sig tilbage allerede i 1829, efter debuten i 1813, for at få tid til sin ekstravagante gourmetlivsstil i Paris,” forklarer han og tilføjer:

”Rossinis operaer som ’Askepot’, ’Barberen i Sevilla’ og ’Wilhelm Tell’ opføres stadig den dag i dag over hele verden i tro og nytænkende versioner. Rossini er særligt kendt for sine komiske operaer, hvor persontegninger og musikalsk ekvilibrisme står markant i forgrunden, og det skal man også glæde sig til at opleve i Opera Hedeland. Netop kombinationen af den genkendelige Askepot-fortælling og humorelementet gør det til en oplagt førstegangsopera,” konkluderer Claus Lynge. 

’Askepot’ af Rossini opføres under åben himmel i Opera Hedeland den 5., 11. og 12. august 2023.

dansk

Cinderella by Rossini, Fra (2023/2023), I regi av Freja Friberg Lyme,, Dirigent Nathanaël Iselin, Opera Hedeland, Hedehusene, Denmark

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