- Year of composition: 1865
- Work category: Incidental music
- Text author: Frans Hedberg (1828-1908)
- Dedication: (Frans Hedberg's dedication: To Mrs Elise Hwasser)
- First performed: At the Kgl. Stora Theatern [The Royal Theatre/Opera in Stockholm] on 1st April, 1865 (according to Hedberg’s libretto).
Performers: Georg Dahlquist (Birger Jarl), Fru Swartz (Metchild/Mechthild), Axel Elmlund (Bengt lagman), Gustav Kinmanson (Härved Boson), Mlle Sandberg (Magnild), N. W. Almöf (Knut), Mlle Bock (Ingrid), Elise Hwasser ([to whom Hedberg dedicated his text] Sigrid), Robert Broman (Botvid), Hr [Mr.] Hanson (Kol Tynneson), Elev. Hr Callmén [Mr. Callmén, a student] (Sune), Hr [Mr.] Svensson (Björn), Mlle Dahlquist (Inga), as well as more than 100 extras from the choir and ballet, a.o. (according to Freund’s C1 paper, 1985) - Duration: Approx. 120-180 min
- Detailed duration: Ca 180 min [incl. intervals] according to the Royal Opera's advertisement of the premiere. (Specified duration, according to several annotations in the parts material: Act I 45', Act II 20', Act III 30', information regarding Act IV is missing)
88' according to broadcast SR P1, 26 July, 1992
Instrumentation
2*.2.2.2 / 2.2.1*.0 / timp / str
(picc, bass tbn)
1 hn and 1 trp 'På Theatern; Efter No 4. Bröllopslek och Dans' [On the stage; after No. 4 Wedding game and Dance]
Solo voices/choir
All parts are speaking parts (there is, however, a song for a soprano [sung by Inga]). Mixed choir.
Birger Jarl, to Bjellbo (Bjälbo)
Metchild/Mechthild, his consort
Bengt Lagman, his brother
Härved Boson, the jarl's chieftain
Magnhild, his wife, the jarl’s sister
Knut Algotson, knight
Ingrid, his wife
Sigrid, their daughter
Botvid, prior at Wreta [Abbey]
Kol Tynneson, Bengt's equerry
Sune, Bengt's writer
Björn, Knut's old squire
Inga, his daughter
Knights, Bridesmaids, Esquires, Foot soldiers, Peasants
Mixed choir (S.A.T.B.)
Examples of printed editions
Visa (Ingas visa) [Song (inga's song)]: Abr. Lundquist, Abr. L. 4993 (with piano ackompaniment)
Bröllopsmarsch [Wedding march]: Elkan & Schildknecht, E.S. 287 (piano reduction)
Bröllopslek [Wedding game]: Elkan & Schildknecht, E. & S. 1223 (piano reduction)
Location for score and part material
Handwritten orchestral parts, as well as conductor’s material can be found in the collections of the Musik- och teaterbiblioteket. The ’Basso’ part does not mention vc, but both db and vc are specified in the score.
- Location autograph: Musik- och teaterbiblioteket
- Possible call no. and autograph comment: Kungl. Teatern [the Royal Opera], Operetter [Operettas] B 28
Literature
• Bröllopet på Ulfåsa. Skådespel i fyra akter. Svenskt original af F. Hedberg. Uppfördt på Kgl. Stora Theatern första gången d. 1 April 1865. Albert Bonniers Förlag (Högbergska boktryckeriet, Stockholm) 1865
• Freund, Susanna: Om Bröllopet på Ulfåsa på Kungliga Teatern 1865, Stockholms universitet, Institutionen för teater och filmvetenskap, bachelor's thesis 1985
• Jeanson, Gunnar: August Söderman. En svensk tondiktares liv och verk, 1926
Description of work
The play takes place in Östergötland [a province in Sweden], partly at Bjelbo [sic!], and partly at and around Ulfåsa. The year is 1261.
Links
The Bröllopet på Ulfåsa libretto can be found at the Litteraturbanken [Swedish Literature Bank]
Work comment
The main music segments are "Ingas visa" [Inga's song] (Act I, scene 6) for solo voice a cappella, "Bröllopsmarsch" [Wedding march] (Act II, scene 3), and "Bröllopslek" [Wedding game] (Act II, scenes 4 and 14).
Elise Hwasser and Axel Elmlund created the main characters for 14 years. On 1st April, 1879, which was the play's 100th performance, they performed their respective roles of Sigrid and Bengt for the last time (according to Freund's C1 paper, 1985). However, she also points out the fact that this work was performed more than 350 times in Stockholm (until and including Septeber, 1934), as well as several times in other places in Sweden, as well as in Copenhagen, Kristiania (Oslo), Helsinki, Mannheim, Königsberg, and Chicago.
A list of the performances in Stockholm can be found as an annotation in pencil in the parts material of ob I and (even more detailed) in hn II. In the score, there is an inscription in pencil stating that
- after Act I the orchestra played the Ulfåsa March from Dal Segno
- after Act II the overture of Marsk Stigs Döttrar [approx. The Daughters of Stig, Lord High Constable of Sweden], and
- after Act III a March by Söderman.
The parts material of No. 4, after Dal Segno states that it should be performed to trumpet blast(s) on the stage.
Libretto/text
Act I
[Scene no. 6] No. 1. Folkvisa [Folk song]: (Inga)
1. Och ungmön hon fick sig i fagraste lund
2. Och reser jag bort, allra kärestan min
3. Och ungersven föll uti hedningaland
4. Christ' give dem båda en lättare ro
[Scene no. 9] No. 2.: (Knut) Nu är herr priorn lurad [spoken line]
Walthorn (bakom Scenen) [French horn behind the stage]
Act II
[Scene no. 3] No, 3. Bröllopsmarsch [Wedding March, instrumental]: Allegro F major 2/4
[The same scene, according to the score, albeit Scene no. 4 according to the libretto] No. 3 1/2. (Priorn [The Prior]) Hell brud och brudgum! (All) Brud och brudgum hell!
[Scene no. 4] No. 4. BröllopsLek [Wedding game]: (Chorus)
Du ädela brudgum, en riddare god,
har vunnit sig jungrun, som fager der stod!
No. 4 1/2: Tromba [bakom Scenen (behind the stage)] (Wid denna signal afbrytes Musiken till Dansen [At this signal, the dance music stops])
[Scene no. 14] No. 5. Orchestern börjar med Ritournellen till föregående Bröllopslek [inskrivet med blyerts i partituret: "hvarunder Ridån faller."] [The orchestra begins by playing the ritornella of the recent Wedding game. There is also an annotation in pencil in the score stating: 'during which the curtain falls'.]
Act III
[-]
Act IV
[Scene no. 11] No. 6.: "Samma Walthornssignal som 2dra Akten" [The same signal from the French horn as in Act II]