''The Witches'' is a children's

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

composed by

Marcus Paus Marcus Nicolay Paus (; born 14 October 1979) is a Norwegian composer and one of the most performed contemporary Scandinavian composers. As a classical contemporary composer he is noted as a representative of a reorientation toward tradition, tonal ...

to a Norwegian-language libretto by

Ole Paus Ole Paus (born 9 February 1947; full name ''Ole Christian Paus'') is a Norwegian singer, songwriter, poet and author, who is widely regarded as the foremost troubadour of the contemporary Norwegian ballad tradition ( no, visebølgen). During th ...

, and based on the 1983 novel of the same name by Roald Dahl. It was written for Gloppen Musikkfest, and was first performed in 2008 with

Tora Augestad Tora Karen Elisabeth Augestad (born 10 December 1979) is a Norwegian mezzosoprano, musical conductor and actor. One of Norway's most established classical singers, she focuses on jazz, musical theater, contemporary music, and cabaret. Her stag ...

as the eponymous

Grand High Witch The Grand High Witch of All the World or just The Grand High Witch, known as Eva Ernst and Lilith, is a fictional character and the main antagonist in the 1983 children's dark fantasy novel '' The Witches'' by Roald Dahl, as well as the graphic no ...

. The opera was written especially with Augestad in mind.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Witches, The Compositions by Marcus Paus 2008 operas Children's operas Operas set in Norway Operas set in England Norwegian-language operas Operas based on novels Operas Musicals based on works by Roald Dahl Fiction about witchcraft