The Opera Comique was Norway's first permanent opera company. The company operated at Stortingsgata ('Parliament Street') no. 16 and existed from 1918 to 1921. [1]
Its first major production was Tannhäuser with tenor Erling Krogh in the starring role. Altogether, the company staged 26 operas, including the Norwegian opera Bruderovet (The Kidnapped Bride) by Gerhard Schjelderup. [2]
By 1918, entertainment venues were already operating on and just off of Stortingsgata. These included the Brødrene Hals concert hall at Stortingsgata 22–24 (established in 1880), the Tivoli entertainment center (Stortingsgata 20, 1890), the National Theater (Stortingsgata 15, 1899), the Theater Café (Stortingsgata 24, 1900), the Chat Noir cabaret (Klingenberggata 5, 1912), and cinemas: Kinematograf-Teatret (Stortingsgata 12, 1904), Bio-Kino (Stortingsgata 14, 1911), Kosmorama (Stortingsgata 4, 1910), and Boulevard (Stortingsgata 10).
Construction on the building at Stortingsgata 16 started in 1917 to create a business venue with a stage. After much discussion, it was decided that the venue would be used for an opera because there was no opera yet in Oslo. The building, designed by Henry Coll, was completed in 1918. [3]
The opening performance at the opera took place on November 30, 1918. Benno Singer, the director at Tivoli, established and managed the opera after the decision was made on the venue's use. [4] The establishment of a permanent opera in Oslo offered Norwegian opera singers an opportunity to develop in their home environment; among those that appeared at the Opera Comique was Kirsten Flagstad. During these three years, the Hungarian tenor Alexander Varnay (1889–1924), the father of Astrid Varnay, was the opera's artistic director. [5] His wife, the coloratura soprano, Maria Yavor (1889–1976), also appeared at the opera.
Kirsten Malfrid Flagstad was a Norwegian opera singer, who was the outstanding Wagnerian soprano of her era. Her triumphant debut in New York on 2 February 1935 is one of the legends of opera. Giulio Gatti-Casazza, the longstanding General Manager of the Metropolitan Opera said, “I have given America two great gifts — Caruso and Flagstad.”
Ibolyka Astrid Maria Varnay was a Swedish-born American dramatic soprano of Hungarian descent. She spent most of her career in the United States and Germany. She was one of the leading Wagnerian heroic sopranos of her generation.
Trøndelag Teater is a large theater in the city of Trondheim, in Trøndelag county, Norway.
Oslo Nye Teater is a theater located in Oslo, Norway. The theater has its main stage in its own theater house at Rosenkrantz' gate 10. It is one of Norway's most visited theatres. Oslo Nye Teater AS is wholly owned by Oslo Municipality.
The National Theatre in Oslo is one of Norway's largest and most prominent venues for performance of dramatic arts.
Bjørn Talén was a Norwegian opera singer (tenor).
Events in the year 1963 in Norway.
Events in the year 1968 in Norway.
Olefine Louise Margarethe Moe was a Norwegian opera singer, actress, opera director and singing teacher.
Per Schwab was a Swedish-born Norwegian painter, scenographer, and theatre director.
Folketeateret is a theatre in Oslo, Norway. The building has been used as a movie theatre and as an opera house. The theatre has 1,400 seats.
Sossen Krohg was a Norwegian playwright and stage and film actress.
Lucie Wolf was a Norwegian stage actress.
Bernhard Henry "Benno" Singer was a Hungarian-born British entertainment administrator.
Marie "Maja" Flagstad was a Norwegian pianist, choral conductor, and répétiteur.
Erling Krogh was a Norwegian operatic tenor.
Leif Fritjof Halvorsen was a Norwegian violinist, conductor, and composer.
Haldis Halvorsen was a Norwegian mezzo-soprano opera singer.
Conrad Arnesen was a Norwegian actor and opera singer.
