RAMA Opera: The Consul by Gian-Carlo Menotti
Go to ticket link here.
RAMA students perform an opera on an eternally relevant theme
Throughout history, people have been forced to flee—typically from war or oppression. And all of them have encountered violent and often insurmountable obstacles along the way.
Gian-Carlo Menotti’s opera The Consul from 1950 paints a bleak portrait of a family’s impossible struggle to escape oppression. This rarely performed opera will be staged by students from the Royal Academy of Music in four performances at Teatret Svalegangen in Aarhus from January 15 to January 19, 2026.
An eternally relevant theme
In Europe, refugee flows were enormous at the end of World War II and in the years immediately afterward, as the outlines of the new, divided Europe began to take shape.
The Consul by the Italian-American Menotti (1911–2007) is set in an unspecified European country under a totalitarian regime in the postwar period. A political dissident must flee to a neighboring country, and his wife subsequently visits that country’s consulate to obtain visas for herself, their little child, and the grandmother. At the consulate, we encounter several individuals, each with their own background, seeking permission to travel to the neighboring country. Again and again, however, they are met with heavy, bureaucratic obstacles. The situation intensifies and develops dramatically.
Powerful music
Menotti’s music reinforces the onstage drama. It combines the late-Romantic operatic tradition with elements of modernism. The music is dramatic, almost cinematic, with a powerful expression and melodic lines inspired by both Wagner and musical theatre.
Although the music is forceful, it is written for a relatively small orchestra. In RAMA’s version, the orchestra is further reduced to approximately 15 musicians, which suits both the relatively small theatre space and the young voices.
Menotti himself was an Italian refugee in the United States during the war. He referred to the work as a “music drama,” not an opera, and insisted that it be performed in a theatre rather than a traditional opera house. The Consul ran for nearly eight months on Broadway, and Menotti received a Pulitzer Prize for the work—the first time the prize was awarded to an opera.
Student project in a professional setting
Every other year, the Academy in Aarhus has a tradition of producing a fully staged opera, with students on stage and in the orchestra pit. Scenography, direction, conducting, and more are handled by seasoned professionals.
These productions are an important part of the classical students’ education, giving both singers and instrumentalists insight into the large machinery behind a music-dramatic production in a professional setting.
The production is led by opera singer Jens Krogsgaard, who teaches singing and music drama at the Academy. In addition to an extensive freelance career, Krogsgaard has been a permanent member of the soloist ensemble at Den Jyske Opera.
Performance dates and tickets
- Thursday, January 15 at 7:30 pm
- Friday, January 16 at 7:30 pm
- Sunday, January 18 at 7:30 pm
- Monday, January 19 at 7:30 pm
Teatret Svalegangen, Rosenkrantzgade 21, Aarhus
The performance lasts approximately 2 hours plus an intermission.
Tickets: DKK 90 incl. fees (DKK 50 for students) via Svalegangen’s ticket link:
https://svalegangen.billetten.dk/
Roles
Magda Sorel: Emilie Haaning Christensen
John Sorel: Andreas Gade
Mother: Freja Driesig Sørensen
Secret Police Agent: Hans Christian Brun-Jensen / Bartlomiej Imach
The Secretary: Daniella Flórez
Mr. Kofner: Bartlomiej Imach / Hans Christian Brun-Jensen
The Foreign Woman: Julia Jacobson / Cæcilie Dahl Frederiksen
Anna Gomez: Ylva Ek / Nana Schmidt Olsen
Vera Boronel: Emma Tingager Jacobsen
The Magician: Rasmus Beyer / Clemente Prudencio
Assan: Martin Brejl Borup
Orchestra: Students at Det Jyske Musikkonservatorium
Conductor: Mathias Skaarup
Makup artist: Nana Schmidt Olsen
Instruktion: Jens Krogsgaard