Company

Singer

Tenor

Wiktor Sundqvist

Thespis

Bass-baritone

Mattias Ermedahl

Jupiter

Mercure

Soprano

Ann-Kristin Jones

Junon

Mia Karlsson

Amour

Hannes Öberg

Momus

Carolina Sandgren

Thalie

Anders J Dahlin

Platée

Clarine

Kristian Lindroos

Un Satyre

Cithéron

Sofie Asplund

La Folie

Gothenburg

Sweden

GöteborgsOperan

Paul Agnew

Conductor

Stage director

Andreas Kriegenburg

Set designer

Harald W Thor

Costume designer

Tanja Hofmann

Lighting designer

Andreas Grüter

Operan

Stora scenen

The Göteborg Opera Chorus

Göteborg Opera Orchestra

French

Platée - Platea

Public

Opera

Platea

Swedish

English

Approved

Tragicomic baroque opera about beauty, love, ageing and the art of self-belief.

The god Jupiter wishes to cure his wife Juno of her jealousy by tricking her into believing that he intends to marry the ugly marsh-nymph Platée. A delighted Platée accepts Jupiter’s proposal, unaware that she is a pawn in a cruel deception. The gods and animals alike mock Platée, who learns the hard lesson that one should never get above one’s station.

The French baroque opera Platée is a tragicomedy that satirises the beauty ideal. German director Andreas Kriegenburg certainly has an eye for depicting human vulnerabilities in a way that arouses our empathy. In this melancholy and slightly surreal production, Platée is an eccentric older woman who lives alone in an enchanted greenhouse in a well-to-do area. Surely, it goes without saying that a powerful younger man could never fall in love with a simple old woman. Or does it? When ageing, people acquire a new kind of beauty, as more life is gathered in their bodies than in those of young people. Platée believes in herself and her ability to find love and intimacy.

The eponymous heroine is performed by Anders J Dahlin, distinguished in the unusual voice type haut-contre, a high tenor voice in French Baroque. He is joined by coloratura soprano Sofie Asplund as La Folie, madness itself.

As conductor, renowned French Baroque interpreter Paul Agnew, who played the title role himself earlier in his career, brings an extra lightness of touch to the music.

Platea by Jean-Philippe Rameau, From GöteborgsOperan (2024/2024), Directed by Andreas Kriegenburg,, Conductor Paul Agnew

Credits (Cast & Crew)

GöteborgsOperan

Paul Agnew

Andreas Kriegenburg

Cast

Wiktor Sundqvist

Mattias Ermedahl

Wiktor Sundqvist

Ann-Kristin Jones

Mia Karlsson

Hannes Öberg

Carolina Sandgren

Anders J Dahlin

Mia Karlsson

Kristian Lindroos

Kristian Lindroos

Sofie Asplund

Crew

Harald W Thor

Tanja Hofmann

Andreas Grüter

Ensemble

The Göteborg Opera Chorus

Göteborg Opera Orchestra

Program, About & Synopsis

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues 8