Organization

Copenhagen Opera Festival

Conductor

Robert Houssart

Stage director

Natascha Metherell

Set designer

Jason Southgate

Costume designer

Lighting designer

Charlie Morgan Jones

Singer

Cecilia Lindwall

Daphne

Frederikke Kampmann

Dorabella

Sophie Haagen

Artemesia

Steffen Jespersen

Gene

Alex Friis Nielsen

Alex 1

Frederik Päevatalu Rolin

Alex 2

Thomas D Hopkinson

Marie Due Nørgård

Solo Child Voice

Repetiteur

Louise Schrøder

Chorus master

Anne Marie Granau

Orchestra

Athelas Sinfonetta

Others

St. Annæ Pigekor

English

Lisbon Floor

Copenhagen

Denmark

Operaen (Copenhagen Opera House)

Takkelloftet

Lisbon Floor Vestergård

Public

Approved

Danisch award Årets Reumert for Lissbon floor 2023

Experience a curious and humorous dystopia, complete with hostile mould blotches, an artificial uterus and a house plant jungle, when 7 roommates move onto the ‘Lisbon Floor’ - a derelict luxury high-rise apartment block that has definitely seen better days.
The newly written lyrical work was created by composer Matias Vestergård in co-operation with author and librettist Lea Marie Løppenthin and the British director Natascha Metherell. With an ensemble of seven characters in numerous comical entanglements, ‘Lisbon Floor’ pays homage to a classic Mozartian style, whilst at the same time, toying with the traditional conventions of opera.

 

In this dark and surreal three-act opera comedy, ‘Lisbon Floor’ is the name of the floor in an unusually high luxury apartment building, in which the story unfolds. The storeys above the 49th floor have been named after capital cities, to prevent the residents feeling insecure at the potentially dizzying heights.

 

Throughout the process, Matias Vestergård has worked closely with author and librettist, Lea Marie Løppenthin. He says that Løppenthin’s texts have released and inspired several elements in the music: "She writes with an amazing mixture of lyrical, silly and deep elements. Lea’s texts helped me to strive for the same in music - the seemingly silly and humorous that suddenly reveals something deep and beautiful.”

 

‘Lisbon Floor’ is Copenhagen Opera Festival’s own commissioned work, which has been in process for the past three years. The festival audience have had a sneak peak into the creative process for the last two years where the artistic team has held open workshops and talked about their work on the opera. And now, the brand new work is ready for its first performance. The premiere will take place at Takkelloftet, which is a facility for scenic and experimental works at the Opera at Holmen.

Oplev en kuriøs og humoristisk dystopi med fjendtlige mugplamager, en kunstig livmoder og en stueplantejungle, når syv bofæller flytter ind på ‘Lisbon Floor’ i et falleret luksushøjhus, der helt sikkert har set bedre dage.

Det nyskrevne lyriske værk er skabt af komponist Matias Vestergård i samarbejde med forfatter og librettist Lea Marie Løppenthin og den britiske instruktør Natascha Metherell. Med et ensemble af syv karakterer i talrige komiske forviklinger læner ‘Lisbon Floor’ sig op ad en klassisk Mozart-opera, som samtidig leger med de traditionelle konventioner fra den klassiske operagenre.

I denne mørkladne og surrealistiske operakomedie i tre akter er ‘Lisbon Floor’ navnet på den etage i et usædvanligt højt luksusbyggeri, hvor handlingen udspiller sig. Etagerne over 49. sal er nemlig navngivet efter hovedstæder, fordi beboerne ellers ville føle sig utrygge ved de svimlende højder. 

Matias Vestergård har arbejdet tæt sammen med forfatter Lea Marie Løppenthin, som har skrevet librettoen. Han fortæller, at Løppenthins tekster har forløst nogle elementer i musikken: "Hun skriver med en fantastisk blanding af det lyriske, det fjollede og det dybe. Mødet med Leas tekster hjalp mig på vej til at stræbe efter det samme i musikken — det umiddelbart fjollede eller humoristiske, der pludseligt afslører noget dybsindigt og smukt."

‘Lisbon Floor’ er Copenhagen Opera Festivals eget bestillingsværk og har været tre år undervejs. Festivalens publikum har fået et smugkig ind i skabelsesprocessen de sidste to år, hvor det kunstneriske hold har afholdt åbne workshops og fortalt om deres arbejde med operaen. Men nu er det splinternye værk altså klar til uropførelse. Det sker på Takkelloftet, som er et rum for sceniske eksperimenter i Operaen på Holmen.

dansk

Lisbon Floor by Vestergård, From (2022/2022), Directed by Natascha Metherell,, Conductor Robert Houssart, Operaen (Copenhagen Opera House), Copenhagen, Denmark

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble

Program, About & Synopsis

Reviews

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Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues