This year’s main event for me has been the insane production that is “Fanny and Alexander”. It’s not every day you get a title role at La Monnaie when you’re only 15 – I sure as hell didn’t expect to be here a year ago, and I honestly still have trouble grasping the fact that I took a leave from school for two months to go sing in the main role with some of the most renowned names in the opera world in front of thousands. And yet, here I am.
The opera
“Fanny and Alexander” is a world premiere contemporary opera commissioned by La Monnaie. Composer Mikael Karlsson and librettist Royce Vavrek were working closely with us – the cast – and the stage directors throughout nearly the entire creative process, and were present almost every day of the six week long , full-time rehearsal period to answer our questions and make (far too many for comfort) last minute changes to the score. It was such a privilege to be able to ask the composer himself why a certain part was written a certain way, and I’m so happy that by the end of the production, I’d become quite close with both Royce and Mika!
The story itself is based on the 1982 film of the same name, by the great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman, which won four Academy Awards. It is a 3-hour film or a 5 1-hour-episode TV mini series (the director’s cut), and is a very popular Christmas watch in Sweden. I played Alexander, the lead role, who’s story is thought to represent Bergman´s childhood traumatic experiences – though he himself denies this. Bergman’s son, Ingmar Bergman Jr., was also very involved in the production of the opera. The stage director was Ivo van Hove, and the musical conductor, Ariane Matiakh. A full list of the cast can be found here.
The cast
Of course, this post wouldn’t be complete without a more thorough mention of the cast I worked with every day for a whole two months. From day one of rehearsals, I had immense admiration and respect for every one of my fellow singers – I’d never been in such close proximity to so many performers of such high calibre -, but it took a few more interactions for me to really realise just how much the relationships I would forge with everyone would mean to me, and just how much they would literally change my life: because even now that the show is over and that they’ve each gone back to their respective countries, I know I still have all those connections, and I know that I still have all those people who are there for me if I ever need them.
Beyond that though, the emotional bonds I’ve created with some of my fellow singers go beyond those of simple castmates, I’ve come to think of them as a second family. I like to use the example of Peter Tantsits, who played Oscar Ekdahl, Alexander’s father for this. Since the beginning of rehearsals, we got along amazingly, and as time went on, I found myself always gravitating to him when I felt anxious, and always feeling better from his reassurances, I ended up seeing him as a real father figure.
And to give a cute little anecdote: On the penultimate show, during the entr’acte, I was going around getting my programme signed by the cast, so I ask Peter, and he says he’ll bring it back to my dressing room when he’s done because he wants to write a note. So, I go back to my loge and a few minutes later, he knocks on my door to drop it off, I take it, and then, as he’s leaving says “oh, by the way! I signed as both Oscar and myself!”. Unclear on exactly what he meant, I gave a generic answer and brought the programme back into the dressing room to give it a read. I open it at the page he’d used to find a beautifully written and extremely sweet note, signed – and I tear up slightly whenever I recount this – “Your Dad”. So, of course, there I was then, with 5 minutes left of the entr’acte to get my hair done and get changed to go back on stage, crying at how Peter said he’d signed it as himself, which meant that he really considered me like a son. (And I know this all might sound silly to the outside reader, but that’s why it means so much to me)
The music
As in contemporary music often is the case, “Fanny and Alexander” is a technically quite complex piece. It took me months of preparatory rehearsing with the help of a coach to learn the score before even setting foot in the rehearsal room on the first day with the rest of the cast. There aren’t many real arias throughout the opera, and the vocal lines aren’t always particularly melodic. Added to that, the constant changes in time signature and the at times very dissonant orchestral accompaniment, make for overall, quite an enigma of a piece. Thankfully however, Mika provided us all with MIDI versions of the entire score, which – and I think I speak for the whole cast – massively aided us in deciphering and ultimately mastering each of our roles.
As for the musical structure of the composition in itself, the opera is divided into two acts, but Mikael Karlsson describes the music being rather split into three major sections: the first, most “classic” per se of the three, is the happy world of the Ekdahl family Christmas. The music is almost completely consonant and tonal, and the mood is generally joyful. Then comes the stark grey world of the Bishop’s home. The music here turns more minimal, modernistic, even reminiscent of Benjamin Britten’s works, and introduces more atonal elements into the soundscape. The third and final part is in the fantastical world of Uncle Isaak. Here, the electronic music that had been present in the first two sections, comes closer to the forefront. The overall tone emphasizes the magical elements of this world and mix in some modes often found in traditional music too.
The electronic music I just mentioned is quite interesting and a core aspect of the music of “Fanny and Alexander”. I will develop it in a dedicated post.
I am including here two videos of the production: the 1-minute trailer (see above) and the almost 3-hours complete opera (below, available online for a limited amount of time). I recommend watching it on a big screen and surround system, or at least with good headphones. More photos and videos on Instagram and YouTube.
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