Dear ATN readers
We are delighted to share our conversation with Allan Høier of Teatret OPtimis, currently touring with the cabaret ’Cornelis’ about the Swedish vise-singer Cornelis Vreeswijk:
What inspired you to create ‘Cornelis’?
I fell into the Danish–Swedish vise melting pot many years ago, and Cornelis Vreeswijk is one of those juicy morsels that, at some point, you simply have to sink your teeth into. The initial inspiration was the well-known—and truly wonderful—songs, and the fact that he had lived an interesting life. But once we started researching, we discovered a wealth of fantastic songs that are not widely known (at least not in Denmark), as well as many rather wild sides of Cornelis the man that we knew nothing about. So the material expanded considerably. The audience will certainly encounter quite a lot they did not expect.
Why did you choose to pay tribute to Cornelis Vreeswijk now?
It was somewhat coincidental that it happened precisely now. But it has turned out to be a very good moment, because there are still many Danes who have a personal relationship with him and his music—for example, that their parents listened to him a lot, that they themselves met him on Christiania in Copenhagen, or that they attended some of his many concerts in Denmark.
You describe yourself as a visesanger with a special love for the Danish–Swedish repertoire. What does visesanger mean to you today?
A vise is a meaningful text set to a fine, small melody. Simple and good. It creates an intimacy between the writer, the storyteller, and the audience—something I love being part of as a visesanger.
When did you first fall in love with Swedish and Danish viser?
I only began singing as an adult, and that was when I gradually encountered the viser. As a child, I actually had a strong aversion to Povl Dissing, who sang Benny Andersen’s songs—songs I have since worked with extensively. If I have to point to a turning point in my relationship with viser, it was when I began studying Poul Henningsen’s fantastic revue songs more closely. There was a vitality and force there that captivated me—and which I therefore sang a great deal. Later, I also crossed the Øresund and developed an increasing taste for Bellman, Taube, and others.
If you had to choose a “home base”, who would it be — and why?
Poul Henningsen (PH) was my starting point and also my home base for many years, as I created a great many cabarets based on his works. Now I have one foot in the Swedish camp—Bellman, Taube, Vreeswijk—and one foot in the Danish—Benny Andersen, Sigfred Pedersen, Jeppe Aakjær—so perhaps I ought to live on Hven and base myself there…?
How did these earlier portraits prepare you for portraying Cornelis?
Emma Gad’s ‘Takt & Tone’ is something entirely its own… But the others are, like CORNELIS, portrait cabarets, so they have provided solid experience with the genre—even though each production is, of course, its own entity.
Where does Cornelis Vreeswijk sit on the spectrum between politeness and pure chaos?
Absolutely closer to chaos! In the performance we quote a reviewer who said: “Politeness is not his concern. He insults, slanders, and hates. He uses his laughter to soot his throat. Cornelis knows that he is invulnerable as long as he sings. Then anything is possible. But the undertow is deadly, because at the very bottom lies pitch-black despair.” I don’t think it can be put much better than that…
How did you choose the songs and life events to include?
The guitarist (who also sings) and I largely chose songs and life events based on what we ourselves found interesting—and yes, there is an enormous amount of material that did not make it in—and on which pieces of material could complement or comment on one another.
What did you want to avoid repeating — and what did you want to reveal?
We have tried to include all sides of him—also the darkest ones. On the dark side, we include things that have not appeared in mainstream media—films and documentaries—so at times we are a bit raw, or perhaps simply very honest.
How do you navigate the line between honesty and empathy?
We have actually chosen to be very honest—and to care a little less about empathy. I think our love for him lies first and foremost in his extraordinary songs. One can easily be a great artist while also struggling deeply with oneself in many areas and behaving badly. But this is something we still discuss and adjust slightly.
How do you avoid imitation while still honouring his voice?
From the very beginning, I decided that I (and the singing guitarist as well) should not sound or phrase like him—that would also be extremely difficult!—but instead find my own interpretation. I believe that, in the long run, this is what becomes most interesting for the audience.
What advice would you give a young Nordic visesanger today?
“Do things your own way,” I would say, and add: “You can’t make a living from this alone—find something else interesting to do alongside it.”
What do you hope the audience carries home?
We have just added the well-known song Veronica as an encore, so the audience has something familiar to “suck on” on the way home. A known and comforting ending to a story about a life that was, at times, quite harsh. I hope they take it all with them—it’s perfectly fine if it rattles around in their heads for the next few days.
Is there another Nordic figure waiting to become the next portrait?
We have previously worked with both Evert Taube and Bellman, and also a little with Dan Andersson. Unfortunately, there are not many audience members for Dan Andersson in Denmark, but both Taube and Bellman do have a Danish audience, and we would very much like to play more with them. In 2040, Bellman turns 300 and Taube 150, so that will be a major year for Swedish viser—but perhaps we will be too old by then, so we had better get started a bit earlier…
‘Cornelis’ dates and tickets: Optimis.dk
Read more on ATN, Metronomen.Frederiksberg.dk
