The Opera
Bergman’s only opera libretto, written in verse.
“Näcken: I shall dance with Karin ‘till the break of dawn.”
About the text
The opera – never composed, let alone performed – takes place in a forest inhabited by creatures out of Scandinavian folklore, including the Näcken, a water spirit known for trickery, and a huldra, a seductive female forest nymph.
The 49-page long libretto can be found in [Workbook No. 5].
Sources
- Maaret Koskinen, I begynnelsen var ordet: Ingmar Bergman och hans tidiga författarskap, Stockholm: Wahlström & Widstrand, 2002, pp. 59; 159.
F:098
[98] p. ; 21 x 17 cm + Supplements
Black notebook. Two scripts: "The Opera", 49 p, "The Lonely", 49 p. Dated: Duvnäs August 9th 1942. Loose pages. Supplement 1: Typewritten draft of "The Lonely", carbon copies, paginated p.15 - 39, 29 x 23 cm.