A devilishly charming Maestro and a former child prodigy: an award-winning drama about ambition, obsession, and the ultimate price of freedom.
A devilishly charming Maestro and a former child prodigy: an award-winning drama about ambition, obsession, and the ultimate price of freedom.
A young gifted musician, Hildur, has been taught by the Maestro since she was six. Now on the brink of her international breakthrough, she wishes to distance herself from the Maestro's overpowering influence. Her break from him is complicated by the huge sexual attraction which can exist between pupil and master. Hildur currently lives with Thor, a young, less talented musician, whom the Maestro, not surprisingly, scorns. Hildur's attempt to resolve the many conflicting feelings and desires in her life results in meetings between the characters where the relationship between art and life is confronted. Ultimately, Hildur is unable to reconcile her life with her art and rejects both men and her career in a destructive attempt to wipe the slate clean. But in Hildur’s eyes it is her only chance to rebuild her life.
A young gifted musician, Hildur, has been taught by the Maestro since she was six. Now on the brink of her international breakthrough, she wishes to distance herself from the Maestro's overpowering influence. Her break from him is complicated by the huge sexual attraction which can exist between pupil and master. Hildur currently lives with Thor, a young, less talented musician, whom the Maestro, not surprisingly, scorns. Hildur's attempt to resolve the many conflicting feelings and desires in her life results in meetings between the characters where the relationship between art and life is confronted. Ultimately, Hildur is unable to reconcile her life with her art and rejects both men and her career in a destructive attempt to wipe the slate clean. But in Hildur’s eyes it is her only chance to rebuild her life.
The play, which premiered at the Reykjavik City Theatre in 1990, received the Icelandic Critics Award in 1991 and The Nordic Theatre Prize a year later. It has was performed at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in London 1991, The City Theatre in Gdansk, Poland 1995, the Nordic Theatre Festival in New York in September 1995, the Ljubljana City Theatre in Slovenia 1995, in Sydney Australia 1999, Odense Teater, Denmark 1996, Waasa Teater Finland 1998, Teatro della Tosse, Genova/Rome Italy 2004, the Theatre de Chêne Noir, Festival off Avignon, France 2008. The play is translated into English, German, French, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Slovenian and Polish.
The play, which premiered at the Reykjavik City Theatre in 1990, received the Icelandic Critics Award in 1991 and The Nordic Theatre Prize a year later. It has was performed at the Lyric Theatre Hammersmith in London 1991, The City Theatre in Gdansk, Poland 1995, the Nordic Theatre Festival in New York in September 1995, the Ljubljana City Theatre in Slovenia 1995, in Sydney Australia 1999, Odense Teater, Denmark 1996, Waasa Teater Finland 1998, Teatro della Tosse, Genova/Rome Italy 2004, the Theatre de Chêne Noir, Festival off Avignon, France 2008. The play is translated into English, German, French, Italian, Swedish, Danish, Slovenian and Polish.
Original Play
Performed at
Reykjavik City Theatre
Premiered
1990
