“A chilling and thrilling world premiere.” (Seen & Heard International)
“It is a joy to experience music performed by the singers it was written for when it shows off their strengths like this.” (Seen & Heard International)
“The uncompromising score was superbly performed by Andreas Hanson and the Gothenburg Opera Orchestra.” (Seen & Heard International)
Francis is a surgeon who has achieved celebrity status with his groundbreaking research. He is also attending couples therapy with his wife and having an affair with the therapist. But Francis’ life is a castle in the air. His research is a bluff. His patients are dying.
The manipulative Francis is performed by tenor Joachim Bäckström and his wife Rita by mezzo-soprano Ann-Kristin Jones. Soprano Kerstin Avemo interprets the real protagonist of the tale, the therapist Nelly. Torn between the truth and the lies, Nelly struggles to make people understand that the revered surgeon is a mythomaniac.
Mythomania is a new opera by Gothenburg-based composer Paula af Malmborg Ward and librettist Kerstin Perski, in which the music explores every nook and cranny of the drama. Director Clara Svärd and her artistic team get to grips with the thriller-like aspect of the work. Conductor Andreas Hanson has conducted a number of premieres, including Malmborg Ward’s Triumph and Tragedy at the Royal Swedish Opera.
