Opera Scotland

Aniara En revy om manniskan i tid och rum; A revue of men in time and space

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Music

Karl-Birger Blomdahl (born Växjö, 19 October 1916; died Kungsängen, 14 June 1968)

Text

Erik Johan Lindegren

Source

Aniara, an epic poem (1956) by Harry Edmund Martinson

 

Premieres

First Performance: Stockholm (Royal Opera), 31 May 1959.

First Performance in UK: Edinburgh (King's Theatre), 3 Septamber 1959.

 

Background

Aniara was seen as an important work at the time of its premiere, perhaps as a foretaste of opera in the future. With hindsight that can be seen as something of an exaggeration, but it contains much of interest. It is perhaps unfortunate that it has not survived even on the fringes of the repertoire.