Elsa Dreisig’s latest video release brings Edvard Grieg’s Solveig’s Song into focus as our Video of the week. The aria, taken from Peer Gynt, was composed in 1875 as part of Grieg’s incidental music to Henrik Ibsen’s 1867 play. It appears near the end of the drama, encapsulating Solveig’s unwavering fidelity as she waits for Peer’s return — a moment of stillness and spiritual resolution after a life of restless wandering.
In this filmed performance, Dreisig is joined by the Orchestra del Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova under the direction of Massimo Zanetti. The interpretation favours transparency and sustained lyricism, allowing the long melodic lines to unfold with restraint rather than overt sentimentality. The orchestral accompaniment maintains a delicate balance, supporting the vocal line without overwhelming its introspective character.
The video anticipates the release of Dreisig’s forthcoming album, Invocation, scheduled for April 2026. The project gathers 15 operatic arias and two songs centred around themes of prayer, supplication and inner reflection, spanning composers from Dvořák and Janáček to Wagner, Verdi and Puccini. Recorded with the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro Carlo Felice di Genova, also conducted by Zanetti, the album places Solveig’s Song alongside works such as “Song to the Moon,” “Casta Diva,” “Vissi d’arte,” and Desdemona’s “Ave Maria.”
More information about the album can be found here .
As a standalone release, the video offers a concise preview of the atmosphere that shapes Invocation: repertoire drawn from different traditions and languages, unified by a shared contemplative thread. In Grieg’s Nordic landscape, that sense of invocation becomes a quiet promise — one sustained through patience, memory and song.
Subscribe to our newsletter