They are indeed, and I’m thrilled that they are in fact rather good. Sweden’s two major newspapers both reviewed Short Stories V after the premiere last Thursday and both had positive opinions about my contribution, The Loving Mother.
Writing for Svenska Dagbladet, Bo Löfvendahl writes that, having watched all five editions of Short Stories, “this might be one of the best, with high and even quality”. Early on in his review, he credits the director (and deservedly so!) for creating and maintaining a sense of unity throughout the show in spite of the three short story operas being rather different from each other in music and theme.
To my great delight, Löfvendahl talks about The Loving Mother’s “beautiful, melodious lines” and how the story unfolds through “well-realised duets and ensembles”. I’m also amused by the fact that, a few times, he appears to unconsciously quote Tora von Platen’s libretto, for example in using the specific phrase “oro och ångest” (worry and anxiety) which occurs more than once in the opera.
In her review for Dagens Nyheter, Anna Bjermqvist singles out only one of the singers out of all three operas: Lisa Thor, who plays the Mother – in The Loving Mother. Bjermqvist writes: “Soprano Lisa Thor performs brilliantly in music that is melodic if a little sprawling.”
Bjermqvist also describes an authenticity to the depiction of the mother’s situation. “Spot on, that’s what being a woman is like,” she writes, “but then you realise that something is actually very wrong.”
Personally (though I am of course biased), I agree with Bo Löfvendahl about the high standard of this year’s triptych of short story operas. I missed the first two productions, from 2016 and 2020 respectively, but at least compared to the two previous years I felt like this year’s three operas made up the best combination, the best whole.
I truly hope that Katarina Aronsson, dramaturge at the Royal Swedish Opera and originator of the Short Stories project at the Opera, will be able to keep this wonderful concept going through budget cuts, relocations and arts politicking.
Aronsson interviewed all six of us authors of the three operas before the premiere last Thursday. She asked me about what I thought was different in writing music for an opera compared to, for instance, a bassoon sonata. The most important difference, in my opinion, is that the music doesn’t stand on its own. It cannot, should not, nor does it have to do so.
Something like an opera, which has the possibility of the whole being greater than the sum of its parts, is very exciting to work on. It is something different than a pure musical work. It has more in common, in my mind at least, with film or game music in the sense that the music plays (or can play) an important role but that it needs to play a role instead of the principal role.
In the case of The Loving Mother, I genuinely think that the whole ended up much greater than the sum of its parts – my music, Tora’s text, Jonas’ direction, and perhaps most of all, the amazing performances by our brilliant cast: Lisa, Annica, Kristina and Wei.
(Also, the orchestra, conductor, costume designer and the stage, technical and production staff, of course. So many effectively invisible roles are nevertheless vital to the success of a production like this.)
There are still three performances left – Wednesday 6/4, Sunday 6/8 and Tuesday 6/10 – with tickets still currently available to all three from the Royal Swedish Opera’s website. Get them while you can, if you’ve been holding out!
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