Masquerade

Carl Nielsen’s Maskarade dives straight into the generational divide, as the propriety of the older generation is challenged by youthful determination to do things differently and question authority.

Often referred to as Denmark’s national opera, Nielsen’s Maskarade (1906) is based on Ludvig Holberg’s comedy from 1724. While the battleground has shifted over the past 300 years – from the right to choose one’s beloved without parental interference to contemporary debates surrounding identity, gender and culture – the underlying themes remain the same: there will always be a gap between generations, and youth will always insist on shaping its own destiny.

Nielsen explores these themes with wit and elegance in the story of the young Leander, who falls in love with an unknown young woman at a masked ball. His father, Jeronimus, is far from pleased: he has promised his son in marriage to Leonora, the daughter of his friend Leonard, and insists that the match must go ahead. Yet in the spirit of comedy of intrigue, the solution is often closer than it seems. And although the young lovers must endure more than a few trials along the way, we can safely promise that love ultimately triumphs – naturally, with the help of Carl Nielsen’s radiant music.

Recommended from 8 years old