Maybe they had been attracted to Disney's Frost, which, however, does not have the plot in common with HC Andersen's model.
Personally, I loved his story about the brave girl Gerda who defies so many dangers to free the little Kaj out of the Snow Queen's icy grip.
Like another childhood favorite, "Prince Hat Under the Earth", it is for once the girl who goes out into the world to fight the trolls.
Anelia Kadieva Jonsson, who is making her debut
as an opera
librettist here
, came up with the idea.
In her rhyming texts, the Snow Queen and Kaj have been given more space than at HCA.
And given the opportunity for the similarly debuting composer Benjamin Staern to paint with a large brush in icy colors.
Their opera premiered five years ago at Malmö Opera, and the Royal Opera in Stockholm uses the luxurious production more or less straightforwardly - including the three main roles.
Most of all, I attach myself to Gerda in the Åland soprano Frida Johansson's warm and witty performance.
With Wiktor Sundqvist's bright tenoral Kaj, it becomes a child couple that convinces.
Susanna Stern (not related to Benjamin Staern) makes a pompous and dangerous Snow Queen.
The music is as colorful and imaginative
as the both suggestive and playful scenography.
Staern highlights a number of references from Renaissance madrigal to hard rock as inspiration, but the result feels well thought out and personal.
Jonsson's text is ambitiously rhyming but linguistically skews between archaic and modern word choices.
Also lacks an ounce of humor.
The third opera debutant in this context is the conductor Cathrine Winnes, who holds Staern's rich score in a firm, but somewhat harsh grip.