I am happy to announce that in January I received a grant from FÍH (Icelandic Society of Musicians) (Starfsmenntunarsjóði FÍH) to conduct formal research on the first Icelandic operatic work Í álögum or Spellbound from 1944. This project is groundbreaking because no document seems to exists which discusses the work’s music, its libretto or its origin. I will be posting updates about this project here on my website, mostly in Icelandic, but sometimes in English as well: http://helgiingvarsson.com/ialogumrannsokn Once the Icelandic article has been published, hopefully not later than March 2022, I will translate the whole work into English and seek out further publishing opportunities.
Operatic culture in Iceland is young, but nevertheless rich in original works. This first Icelandic operatic work was premiered in Iðnó hall (Ithno) Reykjavík, in 1944, the same year the nation became an independent republic from Denmark. Perhaps due to this timing, the work is full of interesting, and in terms of the genre, unique Icelandic themes, both political and mythological; Danish trade representatives and mystical elf royalty play antagonistic roles. Initial research seems to suggest that Í álögum is on par with early operas of other nations, as it is nationalistic and draws from the nation’s history, culture and/or folk lore and portrays it in a favourable, patriotic way.
I am very excited to get the opportunity to look into and spread the word about this interesting piece.
More updates will come as the project progresses.