Stuart Skelton, James Rutherford and Atalla Ayan highlight the Norwegian National Opera’s 2019-20 season

By Sebastien Turgeon

The Norwegian National Opera announced its plans for the 2019-20 season. Here is the lineup:

The season open with Donizetti’s “L’Elisir d’Amore” in a production by British director Oliver Mears. Operalia Competition winner Luis Gomes sings Nemorino opposite Andrea Carroll’s Adina. Baritone Andrei Kymach and Bass-baritone Günes Gürle will sing Belcore and Dulcamara, respectively. The conductor will be Daniel Smith.

Performance Dates: August 17 – September 1, 2019

American director Thaddeus Strassberger’s production of Mozart “Le Nozze di Figaro” gets a revival. The cast includes Roberto Lorenzi as Figaro, Mari Eriksmoen as Susanna, Marita Solberg as the countess, Audun Iversen as the Count and Ingeborg Gillebo as Cherubino. Israeli conductor Daniel Cohen will be in the pit.

Performance Dates: August 31 – September 28, 2019

Next will be a new production of Verdi’s “Rigoletto” by Ole Anders Tandberg, with Kerri-Lynn Wilson, and Carlo Rizzi conducting. The double cast will include Yngve Soberg and Fredrik Zetterström as Rigoletto, Lina Johnson and Sofie Asplund as Gilda, Mario Chang and Atalla Ayan as the Duke. Günes Gürle and Jens-Erik Aasbo will alternate as Sparafucile, while Tone Kummervold and Astrid Nordstad will sing Maddalena.

Performance Dates: October 5, 2019 – January 10, 2020

German conductor Dmitri Jurowski will conduct “Hansel and Gretel,” sung in Norwegian, in a production by Alexander Mork-Eidem. The cast will include Denise Beck, Adrian Angelico, Tone Kummervold, Johannes Weisser, David Hansen and Eli Kristin Hanssveen.

Performance Dates: November 22 – December 31, 2019

A single concert performance of Britten’s “Peter Grimes” will be presented by the Bergen National Opera, under the direction of Edward Gardner. Stuart Skelton will sing the title role, along with Erin Wall as Ellen Orford and Roderick Williams as Captain Balstrode. Susan Bickley, Catherine Wyn-Rogers, Hanna Husáhr, Vibeke Kristensen, Neal Davies, Marcus Farnsworth, Robert Murray, James Gilchrist and Barnaby Rea will round out the cast.

Performance Date: November 23, 2019

Madama Butterfly” returns with a new production from Stephen Landridge. Eilsabeth Teige will sing the title role, along with Henrik Engelsviken, Yngve Soberg and Désirée Baraula, under conductor Dalia Stasevska.

Performance Dates: January 11 – February 24, 2020

There will be a new production of “Eugene Onegin” by German director Christof Loy, conducted by Lothar Koenigs. Audun Iversen will sing the title role, with Svetlana Aksenova as Tatiana, Bogdan Volkov as Lenski and Robert Pomakov as Gremin.

Performance Dates: February 15 – March 8, 2020

Richard Jones’ production of “Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg” from the English National Opera will be presented with British Bass-baritone James Rutherford singing the role of Hans Sachs. The cast will also include Jens-Erik Aasbo, Tom Erik Lie, Thorbjorn Gulbrandsoy and Nina Gravrok. Erik Nielsen will conduct the performances.

Performance Dates: April 25 – May 23, 2020

A revival of Calixto Bieito’s production of “Carmen” will close the season. Ingerborg Gillebo and Alessandra Volpe will alternate as Carmen, Peter Wedd and Henrik Engelsviken will split duties as Don Jose, Marita Solberg and Lydia Hoen Tjore will sing Micaela while American bass-baritone Michael Sumuel will take on Escamillo. French conductor Ariane Matiakh will be in the pit.

Performance Dates: May 14 – June 20, 2020

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