Based on a Nobel Prize winner’s breakthrough novel

If anyone has a destiny, it is a man;
If someone is struck by fate, she is a woman.

Brigitte wants to be happy; Paula wants to be happy. Paula wants to be a seamstress; Brigitte already is one. She wants Heinz. Paula wants Erich. Both want children and financial stability. They use their wits, their charm, and their bodies to win the men’s favor. But all bodies age.

In this new opera by Jenny Wilson, based on Elfriede Jelinek’s breakthrough novel from 1975, a painful question is brought to a head: How can women find happiness in a world where their success depends on men and the money they earn?

The team behind the opera draws on Jelinek’s ice-cold perspective on patriarchy and capitalism, but also on her absurd humor.

Fans of Jenny Wilson will recognize her distinctive sound in the music, which is premiered here by the Norrlandsoperan Symphony Orchestra and eight versatile vocal soloists, under the musical direction of Norrlandsoperan’s new chief conductor, Eduardo Strausser. The production is directed by Franciska Éry, a London-based theater and opera director.

Just in time for the Norrlandsoperan’s 50th anniversary, they are setting out to bring this moving story to life using all the tools of opera.

—

Photo: Elin Berge

Concept art: AI-generated/Midjourney