Operation Opera #
Since 2011 i have had a collaboration with the independent opera company Operation Opera and its founder Hedvig Jalhed. Within this collaboration we have developed and performed immersive, interactive, and site-specific opera performances. In our performances, both the narrative and the music can be subject for change, depending on certain actions taken by the visiting audience.
Chronos’ Bank of Memories #
Chronos’ Bank of Memories (Chronos Minnesbank in Swedish) is an interactive opera performance that takes the shape of an immersive, mystical puzzle. It was set in an abandoned shop in Halmstad, as a pawn shop for memories, a bank, in which the customers could get rid of bad memories by swapping them with each other. As a visitor you can choose between buying just a brief relief from something that is bothering you, to a full memory reset. But sometimes embodied memories shows up in the bank, trying to tell us something important…
Epilogue and Prologue #
The music for this opera was written by me, Daniel Hjorth, and Qarin Wikström. I had the overall musical responsibility, and wrote the overture and epilogue (the film above), the first fixed act, the second act, variable in form, and one of the three third-acts that was played depending on the visitor’s actions and requests. The two other third-acts were written by Hjorth and Wikström respectively.
Excerpts from the performances, October 16, 2022 #
Info #
Years of production: 2019–2022 (the first part was interupted by the Covid19 pandemic)
Duration: Flexible
Language: Swedish
Premiere, first part: November 16, 2019
Premiere, full version: Oktober 8, 2022
Singers: David Hornwall, bass baritone, John Kinell, baritone, Anna Thunström, soprano
Music: Mattias Petersson, Daniel Hjorth and Qarin Wikström
Concept, libretto, director and playmaster: Hedvig Jalhed
Set design and video: Mattias Rylander
Subsidized by: Statens Kulturråd, Kultur i Halland and Kulturförvaltningen i Halmstad
Reich of Rán #
Reich of Rán is a conceptual micro opera for one interacting visitor at a time in a private and playful encounter with a fictional opera character. You enter into an immersive underwater world where you meet Ran, the goddess of the sea. She demands a tribute in order to give you fish. Do you have what it takes to make her content? The opera is performed in a gibberish norse-germanic language by one singer and a live-electronic musician after a short introduction. In 2018, Reich of Ran became the worlds shortest opera.
Reich of Rán – Close-up #
Info #
Concept and libretto: Hedvig Jalhed
Music: Mattias Petersson
Video projections: Anna W. Thorbjörnsson and Marko T. Wramén
Costume: Petra Hjortsberg
Subsidized by: Statens Kulturråd, Kultur i Halland, Kulturförvaltningen i Halmstad, HFAB
Participants: Hedvig Jalhed (Rán), Agnes Wästfelt (Doris), Mattias Petersson (the Captain)
The Anfasia Chronicle #
The Anfasia Chronicle comprises four opera performances (outlined below). Initiated by Hedvig Jalhed in 2011 as a collaborative project between Operation Opera and the electric guitar collective KROCK, these operas are all part of the project Operation LARP-opera, which entails that they are interactive and based on concepts from Live Action Role Play (LARP). In practice this means that the visiting participants can affect both the dramaturgy and the musical structure in different ways.
As most productions by Operation Opera, the performances are site-specific and set in unconventional ways. For example, multiple scenes can take place at the same time in different room, which makes it impossible to experience the drama in a linear fashion. As a visitor you are invited to create your own narrative.
Anfasia – Välkommen in i värmen #
Anfasia – Välkommen in i värmen was the pilot production for the Operation LARP-opera project. It was set in an underground bunker at Galgberget and in abandoned indudstrial areas in Halmstad and Varberg, and the audience was guided to the site from an agreed-upon meeting point.
Both the libretto and the score for this pilot was written in just a few weeks, followed by intense workshops and rehearsals. Although, the musical material and motifs composed during these weeks became the foundation for the other operas in the chronicle.
The aria above was the very first composition I made for the Anfasia project. Most of the music in all the other Anfasia operas is derived from this piece. Here, it was simply called The woman’s aria, sung by Hedvig Jalhed. Only later in the chronicle we learned that her name was Margreth.
Anfasia is a country where the citizens doesn’t have to deal with difficult decisions. The Mistress have solved everything by entering into the DNA of everything and improved and refined the humans in the country. The only issue is that you need to take part in the medecine ritual regularly – lead by Anfasia’s own nurse. It’s also good to eat Ambrosia cake. Because it’s not clear what happens if you don’t.
Info
Year of Production: 2011
Duration: 50 minutes
Language: Swedish
Subsidized by: Kulturbryggan, Kultur i Halland, Kulturförvaltningen i Halmstad, Studiefrämjandet, Tylösands Sound
Artistic collaborator: The electric guitar collective KROCK
Music: Mattias Petersson
Director, libretto, and dramaturgy: Helena Röhr
Projekt manager and conceptual design: Hedvig Jalhed
Participants: Agnes Wästfelt (The Nurse), Hedvig Jalhed (Margreth), John Kinell (Johan), Helena Röhr (The Mistress), Rickard Stierna (The Guide), Mattias Petersson (live electronics), Pascal Jardry (electric guitar), John Viklund (electric guitar)
Premiere: November 12, 2011 in the bunker at Galgberget in Halmstad
Välkommen åter till Anfasia #
Välkommen åter till Anfasia is the second part of the Operation LARP-opera project, and the follow-up to the pilot. Here, musical material from the first performance was refined and interfoliated with new music.
In Anfasia, the struggle for eternal youth and refinement starts to get more and more difficult. The situation is tense, and the society’s intolerance against unapproved methods to achieve beauty increases. You need to take part in the Anfasian mededine ritual though. There are side effects if you don’t. The most dreaded one is Grågång, which leads to loss of memory and speech difficulties. The Mistress has developed a possible cure. If it works depends. But there is Ambrosia cake and Anfasian Entertainment!
The musical contributions are of high quality, and very well rehearsed considering that musicians and singers are sometimes in different rooms. Mattias Petersson is responsible for the composition. Its electronica – ranging from ambient harmonies to industrial, militaristic black noise – both contrast and harmonize unexpectedly with singing in traditional opera style. Agnes Wästfelt in particular as the nurse is very audible.
Björn Gunnarsson, Nummer.se
Info
Year of Production: 2012
Duration: 90 minutes
Language: Swedish
Subsidized by: Kulturbryggan, Statens Kulturåd, Kultur i Halland, Studiefrämjandet, Länsförsäkringar Halland, Tylösands Sound
Artistic Collaborator: Elgitarrkollektivet KROCK
Music: Mattias Petersson
Directed by: David Hornwall and Hedvig Jalhed
Project manager, conceptual design, and libretto: Hedvig Jalhed
Set design: Mattias Rylander
Light design: Kristofer Langerbeck
Production Assistan: Sara Malm
Participants: Agnes Wästfelt (The Nurse), Karin Andersson (The Colonel), Hedvig Jalhed (Margreth), John Kinell (Johan), David Hornwall (The Receptionist), Rickard Stierna (The Guide), Helena Röhr (The voice of the Mistress), Mattias Petersson (live electronics), Pascal Jardry (electric guitar), John Viklund (electric guitar)
Premiere: September 1, 2012 at the defunct Stockenberg school in Halmstad
Anfasisk underhållning #
In Anfasia, everyone is a winner. The only thing you need to do is to play – and play along. New and old citizens are welcomed to yet another evening of participation, community, and friendly gestures. But does Johan have to recruit new citizens? Who is the Watchdog? And what is the Management trying to hide? Maybe it is your conspiracy theory about the country where everything just gets better and better that is coming true.
In Welcome Back to Anfasia, things went badly for the characters Johan and Margreth. Anfasisk Underhållning takes place before that, during a completely ordinary evening in Anfasia, as a kind of prequel. New visitors are invited to become citizens of the country through a playful workshop.
This performance was stage 3 of the long-term development project Operation LARP-opera. The performance was developed as RANK’s Artist in Motion project in 2013. It was designed to be mobile and adapted for conventional performance venues (such as black boxes) and therefore suitable as a touring performance.
Info
Year of production: 2013
Duration including introductory workshop: 110 minutes
Language: Swedish
Subsidized by: Statens Kulturråd, RANK, Kultur i Halland, Kulturförvaltningen i Halmstad, Länsförsäkringar Halland, Musikalen
Artistic Collaborator: Elgitarrkollektivet KROCK
Music: Mattias Petersson
Directed by: David Hornwall
Project Manager: Hedvig Jalhed
Set Design and Artwork: Mattias Rylander
Light Design: Kristofer Langerbeck
Produktion Assistant: Sara Malm
Participants: Agnes Wästfelt (The Nurse), Karin Andersson (The Colonel), Hedvig Jalhed (Margreth), John Kinell (Johan), David Hornwall (The Receptionist), Rickard Stierna (The Guide), Mattias Petersson (live electronics), Pascal Jardry (electric guitar), John Viklund (electric guitar)
Premiere: April 22, 2013 at Inter Arts Center in Malmö (C-Y Contemporary)
Den Tilltalade #
Den Tilltalade is the last part of the Anfasia Chronicle, and the opera performance where we finally get a chance to understand what this has been all about.
Something terrible has happened. The world fell apart. But when the darkness was at its darkest, Johan Hallberg-Lütz saw the light. He closed his eyes and followed it, inward and backward. There he found Anfasia, a land where everything was as it should be, where everything was safe, uniform and recognizable. Ok, it had been better before, but not as good as in Anfasia.
Selected Scenes
In this performance you enter Johan’s mental refuge and become part of the place he flees to and closes the door so that nothing can disturb the order. Together we are in Johan’s head and influence him from the inside. It is time to judge the defendant so that Johan can be free to take the final step towards becoming an Anfasian forever and never return to the Outside World.
The nation of Anfasia has called you as a Judge with a duty of confidentiality in the trial of The Defendant. As a visitor, you can choose between being an easy-going and obedient citizen or trying to become an obstinate whistleblower. You must decide who really needs your help. Before the trial begins, you have the opportunity to follow plaintiff Johan Hallberg-Lütz’s trail on the road to Anfasia. Pay attention to the clues you find. There are several ways to change the course of events - if that’s what you want to do…
A live recording of scene three in which the new visitors of Anfasia are welcomed
The performance was set at a secret location in Halmstad, and the visitors got instructions to assemble at a meeting point, where they received a map. There were notes, photos, and other clues to be found along the way. And presenting the right clue to the right character could change the course of the dramaturgy.
Info
Year of Production: 2017
Duration: 90 minutes
Language: Swedish
Subsidized by: Statens Kulturråd, Kultur i Halland, Kulturförvaltningen i Halmstad, Helge Ax:sons Stiftelse, Göteborgs universitet
Artistic Collaborator: Elgitarrkollektivet KROCK
Libretto: John Kinell
Music: Mattias Petersson
Directed by: David Hornwall
Project management, conceptual design, and dramaturgy: Hedvig Jalhed
Set Design: Mattias Rylander
Light Design: Kristofer Langerbeck
Production Assistant: Sara Malm
Participants: Agnes Wästfelt (The Nurse), Hedvig Jalhed (Margreth), John Kinell (Johan), David Hornwall (The Receptionist), Rickard Stierna (The Guide), Mattias Petersson (Buchla synthesizer and live electronics), Pascal Jardry (electric guitar)
Premiere: Mars 25, at a secret location in Halmstad.
Ingjutet i mitt hjärta #
Ingjutet i mitt hjärta is an opera based upon the life of Antonia Bembo and a libretto by Emma Broström. The score for the performance is a mixture of the baroque music written by Bembo and Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre, and newly composed parts by me.
The excerpts below are all my music. In the performance these pieces where intertwined with selected songs by Bembo and music by de la Guerre. Everything was performed by Operabyrån, whom also commissioned my part of the opera. The recordings were made in Helsingborgs Konserthus in 2016.
Mattias Petersson’s newly written music effectively combines [Bembo’s] arias with the violin sonatas and modern sounds of her 17th-century French colleague Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre. He follows the melancholic tone of Bembo’s music, but also does not shy away from messing up the accompaniment with noisier beats and electronically processed baby cries.
Johanna Paulsson, Dagens Nyheter
Petersson’s newly written music – on the one hand spherical and neo-romantic, on the other hand electro-heavy
Hanna Höglund, Expressen
newly written electroacoustic music by Mattias Petersson. It is included, not to take over but to strengthen and fill in. The idea works without further ado, baroque music gets a contemporary commentary…
Carl-Håcan Larsén, Sydsvenskan
Info
Musicians:
Christina Larsson-Malmberg, soprano
Martin Vanberg, tenor
Catalina Langborn, baroque violin
Kate Hearne, baroque cello
Jonas Nordberg, arch lute and baroque guitar
Music:
Antonia Bembo
Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre
Mattias Petersson
Libretto: Emma Broström
Stage direction, text editing and prologue: Helena Röhr
Costume and set design - Bente Rolandsdotter
Production assistant and communicator: Rebecka Pershagen
