Regin Smiður (2023)
(Regin der Schmied)

This opera-ballet tells a story of love, revenge, loss, murder, power, birth, life, death, and sorrow. Regin Smiður is based on a medieval Faroese ballad of the same name, which belongs to the Nibelungenlied tradition—also famously used by Wagner in his operatic cycle Der Ring des Nibelungen.

The work is performed by a single bass singer, who narrates the story. As the melodic material, I use the "Kvad" (Sjúrðarkvæðini)—melodies that have been sung in the Faroe Islands for 800 to 900 years. There are about 20 different versions of these melodies, which I use as leitmotifs, much like Wagner’s technique.

This is a piece of theatrical art that combines modern music, contemporary dance, and electronic sounds with Faroese folk melodies that are still sung today. It is a meeting of folklore and modernity.

The piece is in nine parts. Each part begins with a choral excerpt from Regin Smiður and ends with a lyrical abstraction of the story. I imagine the scenography consisting mostly of widescreen monitors, creating a visually immersive experience.

— Sunleif Rasmussen, 2024