Writings, 1942

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.