• Year of composition: The piece was created as a radio opera 1958. The composer made a few additions for the production at Stora Teatern in 1961
• Work category: Opera
• Text author: Bertil Malmberg after Selma Lagerlöf's novel
  
• First performed: 26 November 1959, Sveriges Radio, B Sönnerstedt, R Jacobson, Busk Margit Jonsson, B Forsell, L Ekman et. al., Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Styrbjörn Lindedal
• Duration: 95 min

Instrumentation

2*.2*.2*.2* / 2.2.3.0 / timp, perc, hp, pno, cel, såg / str
(picc, cor angl, bass clar, dbn)

Solo voices/choir

Solo voices: 3 sopranos (Elsalill, The foster sister, Choir soprano solo), 6 mezzo-sopranos/altos (Mr Arne's wife, The mother, The landlady at Branehög, The landlady at Marstrand, Two women), 4 tenors (Torarin, Guest II, Voice II, Sir Filip, A seaman), 2 baritones (The boatswain, Sir Archie), 6 baritones/basses (Mr Arne, Sir Reginald, Olof the horse groom, The sailor, Guest I, Voice I)
Choir: Mixed choir (Guests of the inn etc.), female choir (fish gutters etc.), male choir

Location for score and part material

Material for rent from Svensk Musik

Description of work

The story takes place in Bohuslän at the end of the 1600

The following regards the radio version from 1958:

Prelude: Female choir and orchestra, Lento E minor 4/4

Part I
Scene 1: The vicarage, Branehög, The fire. Elsalill, The foster sister, Torarin, Mr Arne, The wife, The landlady at Branehög, The landlord at Branehög, The Boatswain, Two guests, Two voices, Olof the horse groom, mixed choir
Scene 2: The fish dock, The mother, Two women, Elsalill, Sir Archie, female choir
Scene 3: The vicarage (The dream scene), The journey home Marstrand. Torarin, Olof the horse groom, Mr Arne, Elsallill, The foster sister, female choir

Part II
Scene 4: Torarin’s cottage. Marstrand. Elsalill, Sir Archie, The mother, The foster sister, female choir
Scene 5: The inn at Marstrand. Elsalill, Sir Archie, Sir Filip, Sir Reginald, The landlady, male choir
Scene 6: The walk over the ice. Only narrative text and orchestra
Scene 7: The ship. The sailor, Torarin, mixed choir with soprano solo
Finale: Mixed choir

At the stage performance of the opera it was divided in two acts, corresponding to the sections as described above