A world ruled by the desire for power, cynicism, lies, and historical revisionism.
The description could well fit our chaotic and frightening present, but the opera The Right of the Strong – The Duty of the Weak takes place back in the Saga Age, created by the Reumert-nominated duo, composer Niels Rønsholdt and director Louise Beck.
A spectacular opera in three parts that will be performed over the next three years in three different locations across the country. Be there from the beginning, as part one unfolds at the Court in Aarhus during this year’s Aarhus Festival.
A family tragedy born of inferiority and a lust for power
The story in The Right of the Strong – The Duty of the Weak is a classic family tragedy of death and misfortune, centred on King Angantyr and his daughter Hervør.
The first part begins with the fateful encounter between the dead ruler and his daughter, who seeks out her father in his burial mound to obtain his weapon – the cursed sword Tyrfing – referred to in the story simply as “the weapon,” to underline the timelessness of the tale.
As the new leader, Hervør is driven by a profound sense of inferiority and blinded by an overwhelming thirst for power. She rejects all knowledge and reason, mocks the past to rewrite history on her own terms, and strikes hard against any opposition. Her time is the here and now, and her most potent weapon – besides Tyrfing – in her ascent to dominance is to silence, demean, and spread falsehoods and rumors to suppress and divide the world around her, including her own family.
Opera in unusual settings
The concept of "divide and rule" is based on isolation, fragmentation, and the withholding of knowledge and context. This is fully realized in the first part of the performance, taking place in the former National Archives, where the audience is separated and loses their sense of overview.
The historical building, also known as the “Jewellery Box,” is usually not open to the public, and this marks the first time a new work has been created specifically for this unique setting.
The first part of The Right of the Strong – The Duty of the Weak will be performed in the old reading room of the National Archives, with fantastic acoustics, promising an unusual, interactive, and resonant musical experience – brought to life by two of Denmark’s leading vocal ensembles, Ars Nova Copenhagen and Ensemble Edge from Aarhus.
The Right of the Strong – The Duty of the Weak is a clash between an old and a new world order, battling throughout the performance for the final word: the old to warn against the use of the weapon, the new to defy all warnings and define a new armed power.
About The Right of the Strong – The Duty of the Weak
• Produced by OPE-N in collaboration with Aarhus Festival, CPH Opera Festival, and in consultation with The Royal Library, University of Copenhagen, and The Land of Legends, Lejre.
• Part One takes place at the Court in Aarhus during Aarhus Festival 2025.
Part Two will be performed in the University of Copenhagen’s library hall in 2026.
Part Three and the final part will be staged at the Royal Hall in The Land of Legends, Lejre in 2027.
• Part One can be experienced on September 4–6, 2025, at 17:00, 19:00, and 21:00. Duration: approx. 45 minutes.
Supported by:
The Jutland Art Foundation
The Augustinus Foundation
The Danish Composers' Society
Aage and Johanne Louis-Hansen’s Foundation
A.P. Møller and Wife
Chastine Mc-Kinney Møller’s Foundation for General Purposes
The Obel Family Foundation
William Demant Foundation
Consul George Jorck and Wife Emma Jorck's Foundation
The Joint Council for Choral Singers
Danish Actors’ Association Production Support Funds