Anne Sofie von Otter at Sebastian Fagerlund’s opera Autumn Sonata in Helsinki
Anne Sofie von Otter to star in Sebastian Fagerlund’s opera Autumn Sonata in Helsinki
Anne Sofie von Otter to star in Sebastian Fagerlunds opera Autumn Sonata, with libretto by Gunilla Hemming,based on the eponymous film by Ingmar Bergman. Photo by Ewa-Marie Rundquist.
HELSINKI/FINLAND: The Finnish National Opera has commissioned a new opera from Finnish composer Sebastian Fagerlund, to be premiered in September 2017. The libretto for the new opera, Autumn Sonata, is by Gunilla Hemming, based on the eponymous film by Ingmar Bergman.
Premiered in 1978, the film tells the story of an encounter between a celebrated pianist and her adult daughter whom she neglected in childhood. Fagerlund’s Autumn Sonata will be the first full-length opera to be based on an Ingmar Bergman film
.
The production will be directed and its sets designed by Stéphane Braunschweig, and Anne Sofie von Otter has been engaged to create the principal role of Charlotte. The conductor will be John Storgårds. This will be Sebastian Fagerlund’s second opera, following the chamber opera Döbeln.
Works by Fagerlund have been commissioned and performed by numerous major orchestras and conductors all over the world. His output ranges from opera to chamber and solo works, the most significant pieces being his concertos and works for orchestra
. Performers of his works include the BBC Symphony Orchestra (Sakari Oramo), the Bergen Philhamonic Orchestra (Edward Gardner), the Finnish Radio Symphony Orchestra (Hannu Lintu), the Singapore Symphony Orchestra (Osmo Vänskä) and the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra (JoAnn Falletta). Fagerlund was described in BBC Music Magazine as displaying “boundless technical resource at the service of a considerable imagination”.
The repertoire of the Finnish National Opera and National Ballet features Finnish world premieres each year. In October 2015, the FNB will be premiering The Little Mermaid, a ballet by Artistic Director Kenneth Greve to music by Tuomas Kantelinen, well known for his film scores. January 2016 will see the premiere of a sci-fi opera named Indigo, created by Perttu Kivilaakso and Eicca Toppinen, members of the Apocalyptica heavy metal band.
Finnish National Opera / Communications Department
Communications Manager Heidi Almi 358 9 4030 2321
Researcher Juhani Koivisto 358 9 4030 2215
Communications Specialist Heli Rislakki 358 9 4030 2320
Communications Specialist Jussi Iltanen 358 9 4030 2223