Ingela Brimberg sings Wagner
Magical singing and orchestral music from Wagner’s epic operas
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DATE:August 29
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TIME:7 p.m.
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STAGE:Main stage
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RUNNING TIME:approx 1 hr 55 mins incl. interval
The Royal Swedish Orchestra’s 500th anniversary celebrations continue with a magnificent opening to the autumn concert season. With Ingela Brimberg as soloist and Alan Gilbert conducting, the orchestra presents a powerful programme with Wagner at its heart. Brimberg replaces Nina Stemme, who has been forced to withdraw from the concert due to illness.
Welcome to the final concert of the Royal Swedish Orchestra’s highly successful European tour. Throughout August, the Royal Swedish Opera’s 500-year-old orchestra has performed in concert halls in Germany, the Netherlands and Spain, receiving standing ovations and glowing reviews along the way.
Take your seat for Isolde’s “Liebestod” from Tristan und Isolde and the final scene from Götterdämmerung, with Ingela Brimberg’s blazing soprano, the anniversary-celebrating Royal Swedish Orchestra and Music Director and Royal Court Kapellmeister Alan Gilbert. Alongside Wagner, the programme features Wilhelm Stenhammar’s Serenade, a Swedish symphonic classic.
Soprano Nina Stemme was originally due to join the orchestra on tour but was forced to withdraw at the last minute due to illness. She was replaced by different singers during the tour – at the opening concert at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam by Ingela Brimberg, another internationally acclaimed Swedish soprano well known to Royal Swedish Opera audiences, most recently as Brünnhilde in Die Walküre.
This is what music critic Peter van der Lint wrote in the Dutch newspaper Trouw in his review of the concert in Amsterdam on 17 August:
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Read the review »
»Was Brimberg a worthy replacement? Absolutely. (…)
As Isolde, Brimberg had already captivated the enthusiastic audience. With enviable breath control and a clear, superbly projected voice, she had no difficulty soaring above the orchestra and reaching even the furthest seats in the main hall. Gilbert maintained a fine balance in the orchestra and gave her all the space she needed. Together they reached the famous, immense Wagnerian climax, often described as a musical orgasm.
As Brünnhilde, Brimberg opened the floodgates and threw herself wholeheartedly into the magnificent final scene in which Valhalla is ultimately consumed by flames. It was magnificent and deeply moving. Gilbert allowed the two great leitmotifs in the postlude to merge without separating them. The magical effect was palpable.
And what a magnificent orchestra. They excelled just as much in the orchestral Wagner excerpts, while Gilbert once again demonstrated his skill in shaping the music and balancing its dynamics. Naturally, the evening concluded with the famous Ride of the Valkyries.”
Programme
Richard Wagner (1813–1883)
Prelude and »Liebestod« from Tristan und Isolde
Wilhelm Stenhammar (1871–1927)
Serenade, op. 31
Interval
Richard Wagner
Tannhäuser overture
Richard Wagner
»Waldweben« from Siegfried
Richard Wagner
Siegfried’s Funeral March and final scene from Götterdämmerung
The Orchestra on Swedish public service TV
Hovkapellet - 500 years of music
It all started in 1526 when Gustav Vasa, as newly crowned king, wanted to mark his 'glorious elevation' by hiring 12 'pipers and trumpeters'. Today, around 100 musicians are needed to perform operas, ballets and concerts. At this specially recorded TV concert for the orchestra's 500th anniversary this year, the Royal Swedish Orchestra plays music from the 500 years the orchestra has existed. The Opera's music director and Royal Court Kapellmeister Alan Gilbert holding the baton for this festive concert.
The world's oldest orchestras
The world's five oldest orchestras that, several centuries after they were founded, continue to play today. SVT visits five European cities where music has always been at the center, where the greatest musicians of all time have sought out and many of history's most famous composers have been invited to premiere their works. One of these is Stockholm and the Royal Swedish Orchestra.
Celebrate the anniversary year with the Royal Orchestra
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Jubilee
Rite of Spring with the Orchestra
Hear enchanting works by Igor Stravinsky and Benjamin Britten, two of the 20th century’s greatest composers, in concert on the Opera House’s main stage. Music director and Royal Court Kapellmeister Alan Gilbert conducts.
Rite of Spring with the Orchestra -
Jubilee
Gershwin to Bernstein
As the grand finale to the Royal Swedish Orchestra’s 500th anniversary celebrations, the main stage will come alive with colourful, energetic orchestral music from the USA. Alan Gilbert conducts.
Gershwin to Bernstein -
Blue Hour
Welcome in, have a drink at the bar and tune in as some of our musicians play their personal favorites off stage.
Blue Hour
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Jubilee
Rite of Spring with the Orchestra
Hear enchanting works by Igor Stravinsky and Benjamin Britten, two of the 20th century’s greatest composers, in concert on the Opera House’s main stage. Music director and Royal Court Kapellmeister Alan Gilbert conducts.
Rite of Spring with the Orchestra -
Jubilee
Gershwin to Bernstein
As the grand finale to the Royal Swedish Orchestra’s 500th anniversary celebrations, the main stage will come alive with colourful, energetic orchestral music from the USA. Alan Gilbert conducts.
Gershwin to Bernstein -
Blue Hour
Welcome in, have a drink at the bar and tune in as some of our musicians play their personal favorites off stage.
Blue Hour
Your visit to the Opera
Frequently asked questions
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At what time do I have to be at the Opera before the performance?
We recommend that you arrive at least half an hour before the performance begins. If you can arrive earlier, it's even better: 45 minutes before the start of the performance, there is a free audience introduction in the Golden Foyer - an excellent way to approach the performance! Please note that once the performance has started, no one will be allowed into the hall until after the first intermission.
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It's my first time at the Opera - what do I do?
We have put together some useful tips for your visit. Otherwise, our best advice is to arrive on time - discover the Opera House, leave your coat in the cloakroom, eat or drink something. AND, ask our ushers - they'll be happy to help! Outerwear and bags should be left in the cloakroom for safety and evacuation reasons.
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Can my ticket be rebooked or cancelled if I or someone in my party is ill?
You can rebook tickets yourself on the website up to 24 hours before the start of the performance within the the current season. Tickets cannot be cancelled (read more in our general terms and conditions).
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Can you eat and drink at the Opera?
Of course you can! Our partner Restaurang Grodan is on the ground floor facing Strömgatan - take the opportunity to book a table ahead of your visit! Each floor also has a service with drinks and snacks, at the stalls' café there is a slightly larger selection. We advice you to pre-book the intermission service so it is ready and waiting for you during the interval!
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