Kent Nagano conducts Abrahamsen’s The Snow Queen

Kent Nagano conducts Hans Abrahamsen’s only opera to date: The Snow Queen, after Hans Christian Andersen.

Seemingly classic story

In 2019 in Munich, Abrahamsen’s The Snow Queen had its premiere, an opera based on Andersen’s fairytale about the children Kay and Gerda, who are separated by the evil snow queen but will eventually find each other again. It seems to be a classic story about the eternal battle between good and evil. The queen kidnaps Kay, after the splinters of a devil’s mirror have made him cold and indifferent. Gerda eventually delivers him from evil.

Snow Queen in a new light

Abrahamsen, however, places the story in a different light. For him, the Snow Queen is closer to Sarastro from Mozart’s Zauberflöte, the priest who leads Tamino and Pamina to their purification through an initiation ritual. She is also a formative force, and it is no coincidence that he has a bass-baritone sing her role. Thus, this complex fairy tale becomes a story about love, the loss of innocence and the road to maturity.

Musicians

• Radio Filharmonisch Orkest
• Groot Omroepkoor
• Kent Nagano conductor
• Benjamin Goodson choir leader
• Mari Eriksmoen soprano, Gerda
• Seth Carico bass-baritone, Snow queen/Reindeer/Clock
• Helena Rasker alto, Grandmother/Old lady/Finn woman
• Owen Willetts countertenor, Castle crow
• Paul Curievici tenor, Forest crow
• Rainelle Krause soprano, Princess
• Lucas van Lierop tenor, Prince
• Rachael Wilson mezzo-soprano, Kay

Works