Prelude
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3

• Year of composition: This work was entered into a competition in 1898 on what opera should inaugurate the new opera house in Stockholm, but it did not win
• Work category: Opera
• Text author: Selma Lagerlöf after an epic poem by Esaias Tegnér (1782-1846)
• Duration: Approx. 90-120 min

Instrumentation

3.2.2.2 / 4.3.3.1 / timp, perc, 2 hp / str

Solo voices/choir

Solo voices: 2 sopranos (Ingeborg, en kvinna [a Woman]), 3 mezzo-sopranos (svägerskan Guatemi, Helges drottning och 2 kvinnor [Sister-in-law Guatei, Helge's Queen, and 2 Women]), 1 alto (en gammal kvinna [an Old woman]), 1 tenor (Fritiof), 1 tenor-baritone (Kung Ring [King Ring/Bell]), 1 bass-baritone (Hilding), 2 basses (Kung Helge [King Helge], Björn)
4 spelmän [4 fiddlers]
Mixed choir, S.A.T.B. (Kvinnor, unga flickor, barn, åldringar, krigare, bönder, häxor, trollkarlar, präster, vikingar, trälar och husfolk [Women, Young girls, Old people, Warriors, Farmers, Witches, Sorecerers/Magics, Priests, Vikings, Thralls/Slaves, and Household/Servants])

Examples of printed editions

Book with 4 acts printed 1899 in Gothenburg can be found in the Elfrida Andrée collection, and at Kungliga Biblioteket [National Library of Sweden in Stockholm], location mark 81 Fb Br.

• Location autograph: Musik- och teaterbiblioteket
• Possible call no. and autograph comment: Scores and typed libretto for the 3 acts version can be found in the Elfrida Andrée collection.

Literature

Description of work

Förspel med 3 tablåer [Prelude and three tableaux]
Act 1
I Balders hage, utsikt åt en fjord, Balderstemplet till vänster. Forntid [In Baldur’s pasture, view of a fjord, the Temple of Baldur to the left. Ancient times]
Scene no. 1. Ingeborg
Scene no. 2. Första, andra och tredje kvinnan, gammal kvinna, ung kvinna, många kvinnor, Ingeborg [First, Second, and Third woman, an Old woman, a Young woman, many Women, Ingeborg]
Scene no. 3. Första, andra och tredje kvinnan, gammal kvinna, ung kvinna, många kvinnor, Ingeborg, Guatemi [First, Second, and Third woman, an Old woman, a young Woman, many Women, Ingeborg, Guatemie]
Scene no. 4. Hilding, kvinnorna [the Women], Ingeborg, Guatemi
Scene no. 5. Helge, Guatemi
Scene no. 6. Ring [King Ring/Bell], folket [the People/Crowd], Helge, Ingeborg, Guatemi

Act 2
I Balders tempel [In the Temple of Baldur]
Tablå 1. Guatemi, Helge, häxorna, kvinnor [Guatemi, Helge, the Witches, Women]
Scene no. 2. Fritiof [Frithiof], Helge, häxorna [the Witches], Guatemi
Tablå 2. Ingeborg, Hilding
Scene no. 2. Fritiof [Frithiof], Ingeborg, Björn
Scene no. 3. Hilding, Björn, Guatemi, Fritiof [Frithiof], folket [the People/Crowd], Helge

Act 3
I kungasalen [In the Royal Hall]
Scene no. 1. Ingeborg, Ring, kör bakom scenen [Ingeborg, King Ring/Bell, backstage choir]
Scene no. 2. Ring, folket, en träl, Ingeborg, trälarna, Guatemi, en kämpe, Fritiof [King Ring/Bell, the People/Crowd, a Thrall/Slave, Ingeborg, the Thralls/Slaves, Guatemi, a Warrior, Frithiof]
Scene no. 3. Fritiof, Guatemi, Ingeborg, Björn, en röst, en kämpe [Frithiof, Guatemi, Ingeborg, Björn, a Voice, a Warrior]

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Work comment

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Libretto/text