Malmö Opera

About

Malmö Opera (Swedish: Malmö opera) is an opera house in Malmö, Sweden. An opera company of the same name presents seasons of opera in this house. Built 1933-1944 by architect Sigurd Lewerentz and, until 1992, known as the Malmö City Theatre accommodating several different organizations, the Opera House is one of the largest auditoriums in Scandinavia with 1,511 seats, created in the form of an enclosed amphitheatre in order to allow for the greatest viewing possibility. It is used for opera, operetta, and musical performances.

Malmö's first major theater, Malmö Teater, was founded in 1808, but ceased to be used in 1938. In 1931, The Malmö City Theater Association was formed to construct a modern theater building and a city theater including spoken theater, opera, operetta and the like, ballet, pantomime and symphonic concerts. A powerful chairman and dominant municipal politician named Emil Olsson carried out the theater construction during World War II. The new theater building was designed by architects Sigurd Lewerentz, David Helldén and Erik Lallerstedt. Sigurd Lewerentz was commissioned in the 1920s to design a new theater in Malmö and proposed a building in a distinctly classical style.

However, Lewerentz's original proposal had to give way to new architectural trends in Sweden and the building was designed in the spirit of functionalism. The building was constructed from 1933 to 1944 and was inaugurated on September 23, 1944. The building was considered the most modern theater in Northern Europe. The theater building combines a functionalist division into several building volumes for different purposes with a monumental design language with classical features, in particular the grand entrance facade's marble-clad columns and large window areas. The main foyer is considered particularly beautiful, decorated with works of art by Carl Milles and Isaac Grünewald, among others.

The building includes the Main stage, Intiman ("The Intimate") (now part of the dramatic ensemble called Malmö City Theatre ) and recently also Verkstan ("The Workshop"), the home stage for the opera's children and youth activities, Operaverkstan. It also plans to introduce classic operas for its audience, and sometimes children participate in the productions. Adjacent is the theater restaurant's wing. From 1944 to the early 1990s, extensive and varied theatrical activities took place there (and on other detached stages, such as Nya Teatern ; now the private theater Nöjesteatern ) within the framework of the then Malmö City Theatre.

Malmö got its theater cheaply. 6 million SEK in 1944. Malmö City Theater, built in 1944, is a monument to the dream of the popular theater. Even after 80 years, it is still perceived as magnificent, modern and inviting. Since December 13, 1994, the theater is a listed building.

The main stage has one of the largest auditoriums in the Nordic countries. The auditorium can accommodate a maximum of 1 511 spectators, of which ten are wheelchair spaces and ten are companion spaces. The auditorium can be reduced to four different sizes by means of retractable walls. The stage itself is one of the largest in Europe. The proscenium can be raised and lowered and can be used either as an orchestra pit - capable of accommodating around 60 musicians - as part of the auditorium or as a direct continuation of the main stage. The main stage is 25 meters deep and 25 meters high. The stage area is 600 square meters. The height of the stage opening is seven meters and the width can be varied between 15 meters and 21 meters. Influenced by German director Max Reinhardt, a large (20 meters in diameter) revolving stage was constructed.

The piazza outside the building is adorned with Nils Sjögren 's Tragos. In the lower foyer is Bror Marklund's imposing bronze Thalia. The upper foyer contains a number of sculptures, including Carl Eldh 's Young Girl (marble) and a fountain figure (plaster), Anders Jönsson's Aphrodite (bronze), Clarence Blum 's The Dance Goes (bronze), Gunnar Nylund 's Cavalcade (chamotte), Isaac Grünewald's Commedia dell'arte, Wäinö Aaltonen 's Georg Schnéevoigt (bronze), Anders Olsson's Oscar Winge (bronze) and Carl Milles' Fanny and Selma (marble). The upper foyer is also decorated by two large oil paintings by Martin Emond with motifs taken from plays by Shakespeare.

Many well-known performing artists and directors have worked there over the years, such as Ingmar Bergman and his famous actors ( Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Ingrid Thulin, Jarl Kulle, Jan Malmsjö, Lars Passgård and others), Birgit Nilsson, Sixten Ehrling, Bo Widerberg, Ernst-Hugo Järegård, Nils Poppe, Tommy Körberg, Bengt Krantz, Rickard Söderberg, Marianne Mörck, Lars Humble, Göran Stangertz, Nina Gunke, Birgitta Smiding, Karin Mang-Habashi, Philip Zandén, Lars Rudolfsson, Staffan Valdemar Holm, Peter Oskarson, Peter Stein, a host of operetta and musical artists such as Ing-Britt Stiber, Lars Ekman, Maj Lindström, Tommy Juth, Nina Pressing (including guests such as Charlotte Perelli, Sanna Nielsen, Peter Jöback, Sven-Bertil Taube, Nanne Grönvall, Petra Nielsen, Linda Olsson, Andreas Weise ), dancers and opera singers from all over the world.

Until the opening of Malmö Concert Hall in 1985, the main stage also served as a concert hall once a week for the Malmö Symphony Orchestra with classical concerts, in addition to the orchestra also serving as the city theater's theater orchestra for opera, operetta, musical and ballet. On the main stage, Swedish Television has also organized events such as the 1988, 1991 1995, 1998 and 2001 Melodifestivalen.

Already from the theater's opening in 1944, there was its own ballet company, Malmöbaletten, as part of the business with Carl-Gustaf Kruuse af Verchou as its first director and ballet master, including his wife Inga Berggren as a soloist mixed with trained dancers and former entertainment dancers from Hippodromen. An internal ballet school was therefore started to raise the quality and in 1961 it was supplemented with Malmö City Theatre's Ballet School for children and young aspiring dancers, who often also came to participate in the theater's performances.

Gradually, the ballet took its place as a quality ballet ensemble, performing annually well-known classical ballets as well as original works (including Skymningslekar, 1954, created by Kruuse and Ingmar Bergman, with music by Ingvar Wieslander; Simson och Delila, 1964, by Rune Lindström and Erland von Koch ; Elvira Madigan, 1977, by Conny Borg and Michael Smith; and Johannesnatten, 1981, by Gunnar de Frumerie, with new choreography by Elsa-Marianne von Rosen ) and works in the direction of modern dance. In addition, dancers often participated in other theater productions, opera, operetta, musicals and exceptionally some spoken theater productions. In the major restructuring of the theater, the ballet was closed down and replaced by the independent Skånes dansteater with only modern dance in 1995.

Directors (and often choreographers and dancers) of the Malmö Ballet were Carl-Gustaf Kruuse af Verchou (1944-1962), Holger Reenberg (1962-1967), Teddy Rhodin (1967-1970), Stella Claire (acting 1970-1971), Conny Borg (1971-1980), Elsa-Marianne von Rosen (1980-1987) and Jonas Kåge (1987-1995).

The building includes the Main stage, Intiman ("The Intimate") (now part of the dramatic ensemble called Malmö City Theatre ) and recently also Verkstan ("The Workshop"), the home stage for the opera's children and youth activities, Operaverkstan. It also plans to introduce classic operas for its audience, and sometimes children participate in the productions. Adjacent is the theater restaurant's wing. From 1944 to the early 1990s, extensive and varied theatrical activities took place there (and on other detached stages, such as Nya Teatern ; now the private theater Nöjesteatern ) within the framework of the then Malmö City Theatre.

Malmö got its theater cheaply. 6 million SEK in 1944. Malmö City Theater, built in 1944, is a monument to the dream of the popular theater. Even after 80 years, it is still perceived as magnificent, modern and inviting. Since December 13, 1994, the theater is a listed building.

The main stage has one of the largest auditoriums in the Nordic countries. The auditorium can accommodate a maximum of 1 511 spectators, of which ten are wheelchair spaces and ten are companion spaces. The auditorium can be reduced to four different sizes by means of retractable walls. The stage itself is one of the largest in Europe. The proscenium can be raised and lowered and can be used either as an orchestra pit - capable of accommodating around 60 musicians - as part of the auditorium or as a direct continuation of the main stage. The main stage is 25 meters deep and 25 meters high. The stage area is 600 square meters. The height of the stage opening is seven meters and the width can be varied between 15 meters and 21 meters. Influenced by German director Max Reinhardt, a large (20 meters in diameter) revolving stage was constructed.

The piazza outside the building is adorned with Nils Sjögren 's Tragos. In the lower foyer is Bror Marklund's imposing bronze Thalia. The upper foyer contains a number of sculptures, including Carl Eldh 's Young Girl (marble) and a fountain figure (plaster), Anders Jönsson's Aphrodite (bronze), Clarence Blum 's The Dance Goes (bronze), Gunnar Nylund 's Cavalcade (chamotte), Isaac Grünewald's Commedia dell'arte, Wäinö Aaltonen 's Georg Schnéevoigt (bronze), Anders Olsson's Oscar Winge (bronze) and Carl Milles' Fanny and Selma (marble). The upper foyer is also decorated by two large oil paintings by Martin Emond with motifs taken from plays by Shakespeare.

Many well-known performing artists and directors have worked there over the years, such as Ingmar Bergman and his famous actors ( Max von Sydow, Bibi Andersson, Harriet Andersson, Gunnel Lindblom, Ingrid Thulin, Jarl Kulle, Jan Malmsjö, Lars Passgård and others), Birgit Nilsson, Sixten Ehrling, Bo Widerberg, Ernst-Hugo Järegård, Nils Poppe, Tommy Körberg, Bengt Krantz, Rickard Söderberg, Marianne Mörck, Lars Humble, Göran Stangertz, Nina Gunke, Birgitta Smiding, Karin Mang-Habashi, Philip Zandén, Lars Rudolfsson, Staffan Valdemar Holm, Peter Oskarson, Peter Stein, a host of operetta and musical artists such as Ing-Britt Stiber, Lars Ekman, Maj Lindström, Tommy Juth, Nina Pressing (including guests such as Charlotte Perelli, Sanna Nielsen, Peter Jöback, Sven-Bertil Taube, Nanne Grönvall, Petra Nielsen, Linda Olsson, Andreas Weise ), dancers and opera singers from all over the world.

Until the opening of Malmö Concert Hall in 1985, the main stage also served as a concert hall once a week for the Malmö Symphony Orchestra with classical concerts, in addition to the orchestra also serving as the city theater's theater orchestra for opera, operetta, musical and ballet. On the main stage, Swedish Television has also organized events such as the 1988, 1991 1995, 1998 and 2001 Melodifestivalen.

Already from the theater's opening in 1944, there was its own ballet company, Malmöbaletten, as part of the business with Carl-Gustaf Kruuse af Verchou as its first director and ballet master, including his wife Inga Berggren as a soloist mixed with trained dancers and former entertainment dancers from Hippodromen. An internal ballet school was therefore started to raise the quality and in 1961 it was supplemented with Malmö City Theatre's Ballet School for children and young aspiring dancers, who often also came to participate in the theater's performances.

Gradually, the ballet took its place as a quality ballet ensemble, performing annually well-known classical ballets as well as original works (including Skymningslekar, 1954, created by Kruuse and Ingmar Bergman, with music by Ingvar Wieslander; Simson och Delila, 1964, by Rune Lindström and Erland von Koch ; Elvira Madigan, 1977, by Conny Borg and Michael Smith; and Johannesnatten, 1981, by Gunnar de Frumerie, with new choreography by Elsa-Marianne von Rosen ) and works in the direction of modern dance. In addition, dancers often participated in other theater productions, opera, operetta, musicals and exceptionally some spoken theater productions. In the major restructuring of the theater, the ballet was closed down and replaced by the independent Skånes dansteater with only modern dance in 1995.