Nordisa
Nordisa is a grand three‑act opera by Frederick Corder, who also wrote the libretto. It was commissioned by Carl Rosa for his touring company and first staged at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool on January 26, 1887. Today the work is largely forgotten.
Set in 1750, after an autumn fair, the story unfolds in a Norwegian village at the foot of the Snaeberg mountains. Two young women are at the center: Minna, the Baron's daughter, and Nordisa, the nurse’s daughter. Their lives become entwined with two men, Oscar and Lieutenant Hansen, as romance and class differences figure prominently. A ragged old prisoner, Andreas Brand, returns from Siberian mines, and Nordisa—the nurse’s daughter—appears with a voice that captivates Oscar. A mountain winter looms, and Nordisa refuses money offered by the Barony to leave. An avalanche traps Nordisa and Oscar in a hut, where they confess their love and endure through the harsh season.
Months later, the village awakens to news of a royal commission and a letter from the King. A dramatic confession written by Nordisa’s mother reveals that a baby swap occurred between Minna and Nordisa at birth, swapping their fates. The Barony accepts Nordisa as her daughter, clearing the way for the young women’s futures. The truth resolves the lovers’ tangled circumstances, and the opera ends with marriages arranged for the couples and a celebratory acknowledgment of the royal commission.
On opening night, Carl Rosa hosted a supper at the Grand Hotel in Liverpool to celebrate the premiere, with the principal cast, Corder, and leading music critics in attendance.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 17:27 (CET).