Kristina from Duvemåla

Kristina från Duvemåla (" Kristina from Duvemåla ") is the title of a musical by the Swedish musicians Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus . After Chess , it is the second great musical success of the two former ABBA members. The classically composed piece is based on four novels by Vilhelm Moberg , tells the Swedish national history based on the fate of Kristina from Duvemåla, who emigrated to America, and was premiered on October 7, 1995 in Malmö .

content

After her marriage to Karl-Oscar, Kristina lived happily on the Korpamoen farm as the mother of four children. But crop failures, the fire in a barn and the death of the eldest daughter Anna, who dies from swollen porridge in her stomach, finally cause Kristina to give in to the dream of her husband and his brother Robert of the land of opportunity America. During the crossing, Kristina fell ill with scurvy, but the emigrants finally reached New York. But also in the New World there are many problems to be solved and only after a long journey and a lot of hardship do they find a new home in the city of Taylor's Falls. Robert does not want to become a farmer and, against Karl-Oscar's advice, decides to make his fortune as a gold prospector in California. Kristina gives birth to her first American child, but she longs for her home in Sweden. Karl-Oscar has the seeds of the Astrakan apple sent from Duvemala as a souvenir, so that Kristina can grow a local apple tree of the same type as the one under which the two once met. In the winter, the terminally ill and broken Robert returns. The brothers fight over counterfeit money, so that Robert dies completely exhausted and lonely. After a miscarriage, Kristina is no longer allowed to have children and is therefore no longer allowed to sleep with her husband, which causes her to doubt God's existence for the first time. However, Kristina soon regrets her blasphemy and puts her life in God's hands because she wants to get pregnant again. During an Indian revolt in which the Swedish settlers are driven from their illegally acquired land, Karl-Oscar remains behind with his terminally ill, pregnant wife. With the first harvested apple from the astrakan tree in her hand, Kristina's fate is fulfilled in her husband's arms.

music

The dramatic story was set to music with a lot of feeling as a musical epic. The more operatic style of the musical clearly distinguishes it from the rocky debut Chess.

In addition to the original Swedish version, an English version has been in preparation for a long time.

A concert version of the English version was performed in Carnegie Hall in New York on September 23, 2009 and in April 2010 in the Royal Albert Hall in London.

On February 29, 2012, a new production premiered at the Swedish Theater in Helsingfors (Helsinki).

Web links

• Kristina från Duvemåla - Briggen Theaterproduktion offers pictures, background information and merchandising articles on the musical. (Swedish, English)