Like his age-mate Anton Bruckner, Ölander was born into a musical school-master’s home. In addition, both fathers were also organists in the local church. Ölander’s father gave him a thorough tutelage in music. Even though Ölanders main instrument was destined to be the violin (which his father also mastered) the heritage from the church music of his childhood can be traced in his later production When Ölander, in the 1860s, began a career as serious composer, it was after a nearly undisrupted and lifelong musical education with almost daily practice to draw inspiration from – qualifications which might well stand a comparison with that of contemporary composers like Bruckner or Mendelssohn. At the time of the conception of Ölander’s only opera in the 1870s, it was therefore neither an inexperienced composer nor an unschooled musician that decided to master a new genre. After its premiere at what is now the Royal Swedish Opera) in Stockholm the 25th of April 1876, the opera won a prize in a contest that had been announced by king Oscar II.

Cast:

Blenda - Karin Ingebäck, soprano

Harald - Mattias Ermedahl, tenor

Johan - Lars-Erik Jonsson, tenor

Kardinalen / The Cardinal - Stig Tysklind, bass

Kung Sverker / King Sverker - Jesper Taube, baritone

Nils Dotta - Fredrik Zetterström, baritone

Sven Grate - Mikael Axelsson, baritone

Riddar Karl / Karl The Knight - Ragnar Bohlin, tenor

Biskopen / The Bishop - Ragnar Bodén, bass

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Recording: Berwaldhallen, Stockholm 1997.