Ingjutet i mitt hjärta Bembo/de la Guerre/Petersson (2016)
Antonia Bembo (1640-1720) is one of the most fascinating composers in the history of music. And she’s forgotten. She fought for her rights and left a violent and unfaithful husband to pursue a career as a composer in France, at the court of the Sun King. But what did she sacrifice on her way there? What is one willing to do for the greatest love?
Drawing inspiration from Bembo’s music and life Operabyrån has created a new striking opera about passion. The passion for another human but also the passion for life and music. The music that never may be silenced. Bembo’s arias and music by Jacquet de la Guerre are brought together with new electro acoustic music by Mattias Petersson and a libretto by Emma Broström.
| Music Bembo, de la Guerre & Petersson | Direction Helena Röhr | Libretto Emma Broström | Costume & set design Bente Rolandsdotter | Musicians & performers Christina Larsson Malmberg, soprano Martin Vanberg, tenor Kate Hearne, baroque cello Catalina Langborn, baroque violin Jonas Nordberg, archlute & baroque guitar |
DOUBLEtake (2014)/ TAPE (2015) K. Kvarnström
DOUBLEtake is a collaboration effort between three big Swedish institutions, Kulturhuset Stadsteatern, Skånes Dansteater and Malmö Opera. The piece is in two acts, Jonas performing all the music solo in act 1 together with K. Kvarnström & Co, and Malmö Opera orchestra performing the music in act two together with Skånes Dansteater. Jonas is the musical curator for the whole evening and has created various connections between the two acts. TAPE is a development of act one of DOUBLEtake into a full evening show. Duct tape and some singing was added.
| Choreography & set design Kenneth Kvarnström | Light design Jens Sethzman | Costume design Astrid Olsson | Music act 1 Weiss, Bach, de Visée, Poulenc, Couperin| Music act 2 Mozart, Beethoven, Ravel, Lindberg | Dancers act 1 Pär Andersson, Sophie Augot, Richard Cilli, Jyrki Kasper, Misa Lommi, Robert Malmborg | Dancers act 2 Skånes Dansteater | Musicians first performance Jonas Nordberg, baroque lute, theorbo & romantic guitar Andrea Quinn, conductor Francisca Skoogh, piano Malmö Opera Orchestra | Photo Mats Bäcker
| Dancers TAPE Pär Andersson, Sophie Augot, Matthew Branham, Robert Malmborg, Erik Nyberg & Cecilia Olsen |
Valerie’s Voice C. Elgh (2015)
Valerie’s voice is based on the SCUM manifesto by Valerie Solanas! Valerie Solana’s texts are often met by aversion and suspicion. “Valerie’s Voice” focus on music as a universal vehicle to create preconditions to receive the texts on an emotional level as well as to complement and deepen the intellectual interpretation of the work.
| Music Christofer Elgh | Direction Helena Röhr | Costume design Åsa Gjerstad | Musicians & performers Mira Pyne, soprano/Valerie KROCK (Pascal Jardry, Daniel Röhr, Jesper Nielsen & Jonas Nordberg electric guitars |
All that dans K. Kvarnström (2014)
K. Kvarnström & Co meet actor Etienne Glaser on a journey to discover what dance is. Jonas plays a small role in performing some music by de Visée and Piccinini, as well as having a short conversation with Mr. Glaser.
| Choreography & set design Kenneth Kvarnström | Dancers Pär Andersson, Sophie Augot, Richard Cilli, Jyrki Kasper, Robert Malmborg Photo Petra Hellberg |
Heroines K. Kvarnström (2014)
The idea behind Heroines first came from Jonas and a wish to collaborate with two great colleagues, soprano Ruby Hughes and choreographer Kenneth Kvarnström. After an initial musical try out of part of the material at Kammermusik Lockenhaus research was done into finding brilliant music by forgotten female 17th century composers, our Heroines. Some male composers made it to the program too, depicting fictive Heroines in their lyrics. Together with K. Kvarnström & Co an evening combining concertized performance and contemporary dance was created.
| Choreography & set design Kenneth Kvarnström | Light design Markus Granqvist | Costume design Bente Rolandsdotter | Music Strozzi, Vizzana, Sessa, Marais, Dowland, Purcell | Dancers Pär Andersson, Sophie Augot, Richard Cilli, Jyrki Kasper, Misa Lommi, Robert Malmborg Musicians Ruby Hughes, soprano Jonas Nordberg, theorbo & archlute Christoph Urbanetz, viola da gamba | Photo Petra Hellberg |
Love and the Courtesan Strozzi (2013)
A poetic and colourful production by Operabyrån in collaboration with Vadstena Academy, inspired by the music, lyrics, and fate of Barbara Strozzi, but also by female artists throughout history who have been degraded and forgotten. Love and the Courtesan focuses on the Italian repertoire of the early 17th-century, where solo pieces and improvisations – from intimate, lamenting passacaglias to passionate dances – are blended together and contrasted with each other, incorporating music by composers such as Barbara Strozzi, Francesca Caccini, Isabella Leonarda, and Pandolfo Mealli.
It was said that Barbara Strozzi was a courtesan. Perhaps she was; perhaps not. Perhaps the idea of a professional female musician and composer was simply so provocative that it was assumed that she was of ‘ill repute’. A certain degree of musicality elevated a woman’s status in baroque Italy. If a woman was too successful, however, she ran the risk of being classed a prostitute. Throughout time, labelling a woman as a prostitute has been a convenient way of removing a talented individual from the establishment.
| Music Strozzi, Caccini, Leonarda, Mealli & Kapsberger | Script Sigrid Herrault | Costume & set design Bente Rolandsdotter | Concept, choreography & dancer Karin Modigh | Concept, musicians & performers | Christina Larsson Malmberg, soprano Catalina Langborn, baroque violin Jonas Nordberg, theorbo & baroque guitar | Stage direction consultant Nils Spangenberg, Helena Röhr | Photo Carl Thorborg, Markus Gårder |
sofa(r) K. Kvarnström (2013)
Developed during a residency on the Swedish west coast, sofa(r) is a critically acclaimed duet with and by Kenneth Kvarnström and Jonas Nordberg. The two share stage dancing, playing music and having coffee table discussions on various casual aspects of death. The work takes inspiration from a set of Tombeaux, French baroque pieces for lute and theorbo that were written to commemorate lost fellow artists and composers. Music by Dufaut, Mouton, Weiss & de Visée, and when Jonas is dancing with Kenneth and alone, Murcof and Biosphere.
| Choreography, light, set design, concept & dance Kenneth Kvarnström | Concept, dance & music Jonas Nordberg, baroque lute & theorbo |
come back (to me) K. Kvarnström (2012)
Three dancers and two musicians meeting in a work ranging from deepest intimacy to raging frustration. Jonas joined forces with composer and guitarist Ola Hjelmberg switching between theorbo, baroque guitar, electric guitar and electric bass. Small steps out of the performers comfort zones involved Jonas first steps as a dancer. Baroque music by Piccinini, de Visée, Caccini & Sanz crashed and collided with the punk inspired grooves and soundscapes of Ola Hjelmberg where the two musicians got carried away in lengthy improvisations over eternal loops.
| Choreography Kenneth Kvarnström | Light, set design & photo Jens Sethzman | Music Hjelmberg, Piccinini, de Visée, Caccini & Sanz Dancers Kenneth Bruun Carlson, Janne Marja-aho, Cecilia Olsen | Musicians Ola Hjelmberg, electric guitar Jonas Nordberg, theorbo, electric guitar, bass & baroque guitar |
(play) K. Kvarnström (2011)
(play) is the first collaboration between Jonas and choreographer Kenneth Kvarnström. A large scale collaboration work involving 7 dancers, a string quartet from NorrlandsOperan, 3 costume designers & two soloists, me on the theorbo and pianist Asuka Nakamura. Discovering playfulness in various ways it involved Jonas performing solo music by B. Castaldi, Robert de Visée, G.G Kapsberger and a cello sonata by A. Vivaldi with Pelle Hansen.
| Choreography Kenneth Kvarnström |Light and set design Jens Sethzman | Costume design Martin Bergström, Helena Hörstedt, Erika Turunen | Dancers Kenneth Bruun Carlson, Sofia Karlsson, Kai Lähdesmäki, Janne Marja-aho, Cecilia Olsen, Valtteri Raekallio, Terhi Vaimala | Musicians Karin Eriksson violin, Pontus Björk violin, Pär Lindqvist viola, PelleHansen cello, Asuka Nakamura piano, Jonas Nordberg theorbo | Photo Sakari Viika |