Meet the musicians: Elisabeth Teige
interview
L
Live Klassisk7 min read|30. January 2025
Welcome to our interview relay with musicians from the classical music scene! Today we have the pleasure of presenting Elisabeth Teige. She works as a soprano Here she shares her thoughts on classical music and recommends upcoming concerts for both new and experienced concertgoers!
Name, voice type and profession?
Elisabeth Teige, freelance opera singer, soprano
What are you working on at the moment?
Preparations for my debut at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona, where I will sing Elsa in Lohengrin (R. Wagner).
Most overrated composer or piece?
There is both good and bad music. But music also has a subjective side, in the sense that one’s personal taste also weighs heavily in how music is judged. When a composer is generally rated highly, it happens because they make or made good music, but also because the music hits many people’s personal preferences. Since this individual, personal experience of the music is so important, it does not really make sense to talk about whether a composer is generally overrated. If there is a very big difference between the objective quality of a given composer’s music and how the composer is rated, it boils down to a question of personal preference, that is, taste, and this can go in both directions.
The question, as I interpret it, is really whether there is a composer who is generally rated highly but who does not hit my personal taste. And I must admit that Bach has never hit the mark with me.
And at the other end… what music should everyone really get to experience?
We all have our favourite music. Find the music that makes you happy and can bring light into everyday life. But now I am going to be a bit of a classical patriot here. If you feel like dreaming yourself away a little - put on Clair de lune (Debussy). If you want to speed up the weekend cleaning - put on Act 3 of Die Walküre (Richard Wagner). That will put some pace into the disposable mop! And if you are angry at your boss on Monday morning - put on the finale of Elektra (Richard Strauss) when you get home. Music helps with everything!
Your most recent great concert experience - what made it so special?
I went to see the Christmas concert by Fagottkoret in December. I had long wanted to experience them live, but did not really know what I was in for. It became an unforgettable experience. They showed a very humorous side, but they also made room for reflection. I both laughed and was moved to tears. I think this will become an annual tradition!
Which living composer inspires you most, and why?
Susanne Sundfør constantly surprises me. There is something magical about what she creates. Ten Love Songs is my all-time favourite album, and I can listen to it whatever my mood.
Can you remember one single event or experience that made you want to pursue a career as a musician?
I had a bit of a 'bumpy' road into singing. I have always loved singing, but it was mostly pop and hits. I started on the music course in Ålesund with the idea of 'just singing a bit and having a good time' and was not interested in theory. But I got a teacher there who fairly quickly heard that I had a gift for classical singing. It did not take long before she gave me an aria. She also conducted Ålesund Operakor and got me involved there. Den Norske Opera og Ballett was on tour with The Tales of Hoffmann (Offenbach) and we were in the chorus. I was hugely impressed by Toril Carlsen, who sang all the soprano roles in one and the same opera. I told myself that if I were ever lucky enough to start studying opera in Oslo, I would ask her to be my singing teacher. And she did become that, about eight years later. But in the meantime I worked both as a fish packer and a shop cashier for years before I even started studying classical singing in Trondheim.
What does a typical practice day look like for you as a singer?
Drop the kid off at school and just get home to coffee and piano. Warm up gently (because this is quite early in the morning). Sing through the repertoire I am working on, take breaks, continue, eat lunch, continue. Every day is different. One day I may spend most of my time just understanding what I am going to learn. Either translating text or just listening to recordings.
What, in your opinion, is the biggest difference between performing as a singer and being an instrumentalist?
Hm. It must be the fact that we carry our instrument with us all the time. We cannot change a string or tighten a skin. We walk around and ARE the instrument around the clock and use it constantly. For chatting, giggling, sometimes crying, clearing our throats... I also talk quite a bit in my sleep, so the vocal cords do not get a break then either haha!
What do you experience as the biggest challenges of being a singer?
Well, it is a lot of what I talked about above. As a singer you constantly have to be a little careful. If I am standing behind someone in the queue at the shop who starts THAT coughing fit, I take three or four steps to the side - or perhaps I leave the whole queue. And the cold season can be very challenging...
And what is the best thing about being a singer?
One of the loveliest things for me personally about being an opera singer is that on stage I get to express enormous emotions. I am an emotional person to the nth degree in private, and I think it is quite nice for my nearest and dearest that I get to empty out those emotions on stage.
Minister for classical music in Norway for one day - what would you do?
Sort out school choirs!
Name one thing not many people know about you?
I have a serious submechanophobia!
What do you like to do to relax when you are not singing or practising? Do you have any particular hobbies?
I am quite good at relaxing when I can. When I am not at work (which is mostly abroad and means a lot of time away from my husband and child) I try to catch up on everything I have missed; being a mum, making good dinners, baking and bustling about. I also like to keep the home clean and tidy. I cannot stand mess. So everyday life at home is also quite busy. It is good then that I can relax with a book, a series or a film.
What misconceptions do you think people have about classical music or the musicians who perform it?
That classical music is boring. But this applies to those who refuse to try listening. Give it a chance, and perhaps a whole new world will open up for you!
Concert attire: dressed up or casual?
On stage: dressed up. As an audience member: casual, but right on the edge of dressed up!
Applause between movements: for or against?
Against!
Do you have any advice for “new listeners” who are curious about classical music and do not go to concerts very often?
Do not bite off too much. Do listen to the music of the opera or concert you are going to experience beforehand, so that you know it a little. If it is an opera, read up on the libretto, so that you know what it is about. The more you know in advance, the more you get out of the experience.
Any upcoming concerts you would recommend?
Operahøgskolen i Oslo is full of talented singing students and they have concerts all year round. Do check out their website at khio.no!
I myself will sing the title role in Tosca at Nasjonaloperaen in May this year. I am really looking forward to it. I love singing at home! And speaking of new listeners and curiosity about classical music (and opera), this is one of the pieces that is a good place to start. You have no other choice than to be gripped from the start here, really. The music starts with a bang and there is drama and jealousy from the very first scene. Keywords that must be mentioned are torture, tears, murder and famous arias (songs). And the music is tough, beautiful and explosive!
Finally - who would you like to challenge to take over the baton?
Ida Løvli Hidle, accordionist