Presscuts

“Carl Unander-Scharin makes me believe in the future of contemporary opera. He builds musical tension and resolution with equal parts of black humour – a sort of neo-romantic with a twist. But above all he has feeling for phrasing, a gift for any singer.”

“Unander-Scharin’s music is traditio- nal in structure in the form of arias, duets and ensembles. If his music is always singable, it is because he is a singer... the music is at times staggeringly beautiful, especially when it blossoms in the pure or- chestral sections.”

”The members of the small ensemble are all very talented actors, Mats Persson, for example, really makes the manager Tom Barker come to life. And also from a visual point of view The Elephant Man is scenically impressive.”

”Hakan Starkenberg gives a very vivid performance using his whole body - his face grimaces in frustra- tion as he tries to make himself understood...” ”The era is beautifully captured throughout the opera in both refe- rences to contemporary medical science and in the music hall genre.

”NorrlandsOperan’s commissioned ’The Elephant Man’ stems from some kind of timelessness: the idea of inner and outer beauty, goodness and evil, Dr.

”It was a great opera experience, well worth the long train journey and a few days in the City of Birches, Umeå.”

”As a Hollywood action movie it all comes down to a male duel and the magnificent choir finale is a truly heartbreaking prayer for a more peaceful world.”