Abrahamsen: The Snow Queen (Blu-Ray) – World Premiere Recording

Composer: Hans Abrahamsen
Artists: Barbara Hannigan, Rachael Wilson, Katarina Dalayman, Peter Rose, Caroline Wettergreen, Dean Power, Kevin Conners, Owen Willetts, Bayerisches Staatsorchester, Bayerischer Staatsopernchor, Opera Ballet of Bayerische Staatsoper
Conductor: Cornelius Meister
Director: Andreas Kriegenburg
Video Format: HD 16:9
Sound Format: PCM Stereo / DTS MA 5.1
Language: English
Subtitles: English, German, Danish, French, Japanese, Korean
Region: All Regions
Number of Discs: 1
Studio: Bayerische Staatsoper
Blu-Ray Release Date: January 14, 2022
Run Time: 116 minutes

The Snow Queen is Hans Abrahamsen’s first opera, composed to a self-penned libretto, based on Hans Christian Andersen’s eponymous fairy tale. Following an in-depth study of the topic of snow and a life-long obsession with Andersen’s fairy tales, Abrahamsen composed the opera between 2014 and 2018.

Hans Abrahamsen’s music, with its smooth transitions and subtly modified repeats, lends the lyrics both depth and lightness. He is keen to point out the range of avenues for interpretation available: “It’s possible to read the fairy tale in a variety of ways. It contains many mysteries which are open to numerous interpretations.” 

Accompanying Barbara Hannigan is a top-class ensemble of singers, including Peter Rose, Katarina Dalayman and Rachael Wilson. Director Andreas Kriegenburg’s production of The Snow Queen is a touching story by adults, for an adult audience, offering a journey into the innermost regions of the human soul. Recorded during the premiere run in the presence of the composer and in close collaboration with him, this release captures an important work of new musical theatre.

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