“It can never be a disadvantage that an opera composer knows how a vocal part should be written in order to bring out all the nuances of a well-schooled voice.
“Opera power, with or without a raised fist, is what it’s about.”
“The music is theatrically effective and flows through ten distinct scenes and two intermezzos of fleeting references to styles and genres ranging from lofty polyphonic hymns and musical expressionism like Alban Berg’s Wozzeck to musicals and popular music. There are also achingly beautiful moments in short arias or dense tones that hover in the sound space.
“Unander-Scharin’s music – taken good care of by Jonas Dominique and a handful of musicians from Stockholm’s New Chamber Orchestra – is austere and based on small cells which are repeated with increasing intensity.
“Composer Carl Unander-Scharin has heard Lindgren’s language perfectly and succeeded in reshaping it into hair-raising and completely congenial music. Scharin’s music is intelligent and singable; it is written by an active singer who knows how to make use of all the subtleties of the art of opera. His tonal world is deeply personal and every note carries meaning.
“Hummelhonung, which has been handled with great feeling by everyone involved, is an opera which moves about in the deserts of human existence, an opera which nails the listener to the spot. Carl Unander-Scharin has created a masterpiece which with uncanny sensitivity agrees with the moods in Torgny Lindgren’s novel.”
“Here the music builds bridges across time and creates resonances which grow stronger after every time it is heard. Hummelhonung has become a densely woven opera, and like the original novel it is filled with symbols, references and secret knowledge – all presented with elegance, lightness and exactness.
“Hummelhonung is also populated by people on the social margins, in this case so far out on the periphery that they have not previously been seen on an opera stage.
“For this is musical drama which is closer to theatre than to opera, and the concept of ‘anti-opera’ lies close at hand. It demands special talents from those involved.
Carl Unander-Scharin’s Hummelhonung has a honey-like scent and liquidity
Rolf Haglund met the musical future when Byrgitta had its première in Vadstena.