Organization

Singer

Oskar Bergström

Flipote

Conductor

Fredrik Burstedt

Stage director

Anne Barslev

Set designer

Stine Martinsen

Costume designer

Annsofi Nyberg

Lighting designer

Max Mitle

Mask designer

Angelica Ekeberg

Martin Lissel

Damis

Bass-baritone

Linus Börjesson

Tartuffe

Peter Kajlinger

Orgon

Susanna Levonen

Elmire

Amanda Liljefors

Mariane

Per Lindström

Valère

Tessan-Maria Lehmussaari

Doriane

Ulrika Tenstam

Mme Pernelle

NorrlandsOperan

Swedish

Skellefteå

Sweden

Sara Kulturhus

Härnösand

Teatern

Sundsvall

Luleå

Norrbottensteatern

Östersund

Storsjöteatern

Umeå

Stora scenen

Tartuffe Mechem

Public

Approved

Director Anne Barselev focuses here on the family's coincidence and lets it literally fall apart during the show. The concept mixes anachronistic present with French baroque, which becomes visible in Annsofie Nyberg's costumes and Stine Martinsen's scenography. Here, the family as a unit will be dissected and the singers' acting abilities will be used to a maximum.
In the American composer Kirke Mechem's opera Tartuffe from 1980, Molière's comedy is portrayed with a playful tone language that with singable melodies leans towards the play's witty drive and indispensable timeing. The libretto is written by the composer himself and gives the female roles more leeway, even if it follows Molièr's action very closely.
With Tartuffe , or the Deceiver ( Tartuffe, ou l'Imposteure ), Molière entered the absolute world drama. As the actor he was basically, he understood the power of how an audience can fill in the shape they see with a self-interpretation. In Molière's morality, an upper-class family is portrayed, which piece by piece is torn apart by the influence of a religious demagogue.
The contemporaries understood that that family was a metaphor for society and Tartuffe, the deceiver, a metaphor for the church. The play had such an impact that Ludwig XIV, under the influence of the archbishop, banned it shortly after its world premiere in Versailles. Molière made enemies within the church for the rest of his life and the play could not be played. Molière reworked the text and had the king appear at the end of the plot (a textbook example of Deus ex machina) to put everything right. That version was played under the title The Deceiver and was also banned by the king who, after all the fuss, continued to protect his favorite playwright. Thanks to this, Molière escaped being banned by the church and further revisions of the script were required in order for it to be performed again - then mostly in private contexts.
However, the play gained cult status and the name Tartuffe is forever associated with hypocrites who seemingly and excessively pretend to be virtuous. Sense morality is crystal clear: do not be fooled by dogmatists who want to use your faith for their own gain. Due to all the controversy surrounding Tartuffe, Molière mostly refrained from writing such politically incorrect plays as this one again.

English

Tartuffe by Mechem, From (2022/2022), Directed by Anne Barslev,, Conductor Fredrik Burstedt, NorrlandsOperan, Umeå, Sweden

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues