The Danish Première of Alban Berg’s Three-Act Lulu A Contextualized Oral History of a European Capital of Culture Event in 1996

Abstract

In 1996, Copenhagen was awarded the title European Capital of Culture. Amongst its most publicized events was the Danish and Scandinavian première of the complete version of Alban Berg’s opera Lulu. In this study, an oral history methodology is applied to draw conclusions regarding the significance, reception, and legacy of Lulu in Copenhagen from the perspectives of four Danish administrative leaders involved in this production, who, through interviews, reflected on this project within the context of Copenhagen’s cultural landscape. Their testimonies depict a narrative of how this production established a new perspective of opera in Copenhagen, as well as the innovation of performing opera at unique venues not usually associated with this genre. This phenomenon contributed to attracting a wider audience demographic, who would be less receptive to more traditional methods of opera staging. Furthermore, it was established by the Lulu project instigators that the production depicted Danish cultural identity, while simultaneously promoting an international cooperation and an international standard of artistic execution.