EVA SOMMESTAD HOLTEN

Stage designer & librettist I Sweden 

Swedish stage designer and librettist, and since 1990 living in Copenhagen. She is educated from University Collage of Film, Radio, Television and Theatre, Stockholm/ Dramatiska Institutet.

Holten's theatrical work spans stage design, costumes, puppets, dramaturgy and often light design for drama, musical and opera - more than 50 productions. As a librettist her work list includes six operas, including Gesualdo - Shadows and The Visit of The Royal Physician at Royal Opera Copenhagen and Schlagt sie tot! at Malmö Opera. She has aslo written a musical drama on Alma Mahler, and as dramaturg been responsible for text and images in a series of concept - based theatre concerts. Her libretti are highly indebted to her deep insight in performance practice, and are characterized by a focus on flow and dramatic possibilities, fusing several levels of meaning. With a broad interest in history and society, she has also in several of her libretti shown her ability to make historical facts and outlooks fuse with and shed light on the drama itself. Holten writes in Swedish, Danish as well as English.

In Rome focus is placed on the baroque period and the importance of theatre at all levels. This includes the counter reformation concept of reaching out to persuade, the setting of art in the environment and the staging of power in huge events. On the opposite side theatre and satire was a tool of protest. Focus is on Gian Lorenzo Bernini, himself staging satirical comedy, but also on Handel and how the Roman experiences of staging an ideal reality (i.e. the Accademia Arcadia) might have influenced him.

Sites

Overview: www.evaholten.dk 

Libretti: evaholten.dk/LIBRETTI/Start.html 

Stage design: scenograf.dk/medlem/eva