''Lycksalighetens ö'' (The Isle of Bliss) is a Swedish-language opera in four acts by

Hilding Rosenberg Hilding Constantin Rosenberg (June 21, 1892 – May 18, 1985)Lyne Peter H. Rosenberg, Hilding (Constantin). In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera''. Macmillan, London & New York, 1997. was a Swedish composer and conductor. He is commonly re ...

; the

libretto A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by the composer, is based on the 1823 play of the same name by

Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom Per Daniel Amadeus Atterbom (19 January 1790 in Åsbo, Östergötland – 21 July 1855) was a Swedish romantic poet, and a member of the Swedish Academy. Life He was the son of a country parson, born in the province of Ostergotland on 19 Janu ...

. Atterbom's work – his most extensive piece of writing – is based on the 1690 fairy tale "" by

Madame d'Aulnoy Marie-Catherine Le Jumel de Barneville, Baroness d'Aulnoy (September 1652 – 14 January 1705), also known as Countess d'Aulnoy, was a French author known for her literary fairy tales. Her 1697 collection ''Les Contes des Fées'' (Fairy Tales) ...

which Atterbom follows closely, but added his own layer of allegory on enjoying bliss for its own sake. Poetry which only touches the senses, cannot satisfy nobler souls yearning for eternal life and happiness (such as King Astolf). Written during the Second World War, it was first performed at the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera () is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the centre of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, in the borough of Norrmalm (borough), Norrmalm, on the eastern si ...

, Stockholm, on 1 February 1945 and was revived several times in the following years. In 2002 Norrlands Opera presented a production of a slightly abridged version of the score in

Umeå Umeå ( , , , locally ; ; ; ; ) is a city in northeast Sweden. It is the seat of Umeå Municipality and the capital of Västerbotten County. Situated on the Ume River, Umeå is the largest Urban areas in Sweden, locality in Norrland and the t ...

conducted by

Kristjan Järvi Kristjan Järvi (, alternate (U.S.) spelling: Kristian Järvi) (born 13 June 1972) is an Estonian conductor, composer and producer. Born in Tallinn, Estonia, he is the younger son of the conductor Neeme Järvi and brother of conductor Paavo Jär ...

, of which recorded performances were issued by .Sofia Nyblom. Notes accompanying Musica Sveciae PSCD 722 (1–2), 2002.

Roles

Synopsis

The first and fourth acts are set in the land of the

Hyperborea In Greek mythology, the Hyperboreans (, ; ) were a mythical people who lived in the far northern part of the Ecumene, known world. Their name appears to derive from the Greek , "beyond Boreas (god), Boreas" (the God of the north wind). Some schol ...

ns, the second and third acts on the Isle of Bliss. In a cold forest, Astolf, king of the Hyperboreans loses his way while out hunting, and his courtiers accuse the bard Florio of leading him astray with tales of warmer lands. Astolf finds himself in the Cave of the Winds where he encounters Anemotis. As the winds return home to their mother,

Zephyr In European tradition, a zephyr is a light wind or a west wind, named after Zephyrus, the Greek god or personification of the west wind. Zephyr may also refer to: Arts and media Fictional characters * Zephyr (comics), in the Marvel Comics univers ...

, the

west wind A west wind is a wind that originates in the west and blows in an eastward direction. Mythology and literature In European tradition, it has usually been considered the mildest and most favorable of the directional winds. In ancient Greek ...

sings about the Isle of Bliss. Astolf is entranced and asks Zephyr to carry him there in a

cloak of invisibility A cloak of invisibility is an item that prevents the wearer from being seen. In folklore, mythology and fairy tales, a cloak of invisibility appears either as a magical item used by duplicitous characters or an item worn by a hero to fulfill a q ...

. At the Isle of Bliss

nymph A nymph (; ; sometimes spelled nymphe) is a minor female nature deity in ancient Greek folklore. Distinct from other Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature; they are typically tied to a specific place, land ...

s take their breakfast at the

Fountain of Youth The Fountain of Youth is a mythical Spring (hydrology), spring which supposedly restores the youth of anyone who drinks or bathes in its waters. Tales of such a fountain have been recounted around the world for thousands of years, appearing in t ...

. Astolf meets Felicia, their queen. Over-hearing a discussion about a threat to Bliss from a neighbouring kingdom, Astolf reveals himself and offers his help. Felicia and Astolf fall in love and wed, and they drink from the Fountain of Youth. Sometime later, after several nightmares, one of which has Time reminding him of his royal responsibilities, Felicia calms Astolf and he goes back to sleep. When he asks how long he has been on the island, she tells him three centuries. She prevents him leaving by making a nightingale sing to him.

Nyx In Greek mythology, Nyx (; ) is the goddess and personification of the night. In Hesiod's ''Theogony'', she is the offspring of Chaos, and the mother of Aether and Hemera (Day) by Erebus (Darkness). By herself, she produces a brood of children ...

chides Felicia for preventing Astolf from going back to his kingdom. She says farewell and the winged horse

Pegasus Pegasus (; ) is a winged horse in Greek mythology, usually depicted as a white stallion. He was sired by Poseidon, in his role as horse-god, and foaled by the Gorgon Medusa. Pegasus was the brother of Chrysaor, both born from Medusa's blood w ...

takes him back to the Hyperboreans. Back in Hyperborea it is autumn; Astolf meets a descendant of Florio who sings a ballad about Astolf held prisoner by a witch. He next stands by his own tomb in the cathedral and his guide, spotting the resemblance flees in terror. Coming upon a feast Astolf sees that the land has sunk into decadence. As Astolf vows to return to Bliss, Zephyr arrives to lead Astolf away to the idyllic isle. When Astolf helps an old man at the wayside, Time as Death takes the desperate Astolf. Astolf's horse Pegasus flies off to the isle while he lies alone.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lycksalighetens ö Swedish-language operas Operas 1945 operas Operas based on plays Operas set in mythological places Operas set on fictional islands