Sova vaken (Sleep awake) - Unga Operan
The jury’s motivation
Big emotions and charged musical drama in a handy format. The tour-friendly children's opera Sova vaken(Sleep awake) is about the dilemmas and existential concerns of a child of divorce. The child's cat also has a leading role as comfort and tease. Daniel Nelson's imaginative music is wonderfully flowing, atmospheric and easy to listen to. Two expressive opera singers sing out about loss, longing and love.
Gun's mum and dad are constantly fighting and are getting divorced. Gun feels lonely. Then her cat, Maize, suddenly starts talking to her. A new friendship develops, a relationship that becomes increasingly important in Gun's precarious existence. But who wakes her up when she goes to sleep? A grand opera performance in a small format, with orchestral music that sounds like a cross between Tchaikovsky and Tom & Jerry. A musical experience with a story that everyone can relate to - being afraid of the unknown and finding comfort where you least expect it.
Credits
Music: Daniel Nelson
Text: Irena Kraus
Director: Gustav Englund
Scenography and costume: Johanna Mårtensson
Cast: Jessica Elevent, Ulrika Skarby
The music is recorded with Kungliga Hovkapellet (the Royal Court Chapel) and the choir of the Royal Opera.
Conductor: David Björkman
Music producer: Thore Brinkmann
Sound design and recording: Lars-Göran Ehn
From 6 to 9 years
Time and place
Play time: 35 minutes