Kristina från Duvemåla Quiz | Musicals

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. "Kristina" debuted in 1995 in the Swedish city of Malmö. After "Chess" and the ABBA patchwork "Mamma Mia", it marked the third musical theatre collaboration between former ABBA members Björn and Benny. On what is the story of "Kristina" based?

Answer: A series of novels

"Kristina" is based on a series of four novels by Swedish author Vilhelm Moberg: "The Emigrants", "Unto a Good Land", "The Settlers", and "The Last Letter Home". These are among Benny Andersson's favorite books, so when he was looking for a suitable story for his new project, he soon thought of them. He talks about the first origins of the musical here on the official website for "Kristina".
The book series was also made into a movie.

2. The music of "Kristina" is epic, and at the same time thoughly Swedish. The full length of the musical is almost four hours. The original cast CD (released in 1996) required three CDs and remained on the Swedish album charts for 74 weeks. Who performed the title role on this recording, as well as in subsequent stage productions and concert events?

Answer: Helen Sjöholm

Helen Sjöholm is probably the most well-known contemporary Swedish musical singer. She was the original "Kristina" (as well as Florence in "Chess"), and also performed the role at the concert events in Minneapolis (1996) and Carnegie Hall (2010). She was described by critics as "extraordinary".

A wonderful singer, Sjöholm knows how to combine singing techniques and emotion in just the right way to make each of Kristina's songs memorable.

3. Who translated "Kristina" into English?

Answer: Herbert Kretzmer

Herbert Kretzmer, of "Les Misérables" fame, rendered the lyrics into English. Whether with or without a little help from Björn and Benny, I do not know.
Tim Rice, formerly Andrew Lloyd Webber's lyricist of choice, wrote the lyrics of "Chess" together with Benny Andersson.

4. "Kristina" is through-composed, with no spoken dialogue worth mentioning.

Answer: True

Although the Carnegie Hall concert features spoken summaries of plot developments, there is no dialogue to speak of in "Kristina". There are occasional exclamations, but all the rest of it is sung-through.

5. The performers in the musical also include children.

Answer: True

Kristina's many children also have small singing roles, for instance in "Hemma" ("Home") or "Präriens Drottning" ("Queen of the Prairie").

6. The musical opens with a young Kristina sitting on a swing and awaiting the arrival of her fiancé, Karl Oskar, while singing "Duvemåla Hage" ("Path of Leaves and Needles"). What is the song about?

Answer: Karl Oskar making his way through the familiar surroundings

She describes the path he takes to get to her in minute detail. Karl Oskar arrives to tell her that he has come into his inheritance and they can finally get married.

7. Despite Kristina's objections, Karl Oskar and his younger brother, Robert, start making plans of emigrating to America after an exceptionally hard winter and a series of misfortunes (death of the eldest daughter, a fire in the barn). Kristina eventually agrees, and a group of emigrants is formed. Who is not among the group?

Answer: Karl Oskar's parents

Karl Oskar's parents try to dissuade them from moving, pointing out that they will never be able to return to Sweden and that they'll only be strangers in a strange land. But after the misfortune that has befallen her family, Kristina is convinced that staying would be much worse, and more dangerous, than leaving.
Kristina's uncle Danjel, who has angered the local provost (a senior church official) with his ideas is coming, too; so is Ulrika of Västergöhl, the former town prostitute, who now leads a humble life and does not want her daughter to suffer from her mother's past; and Arvid, Robert's best friend.
Ulrika is the second female lead in the musical. Her first song, "Aldrig" ("Never"), is another highlight of the show. Louise Pitre did a decent job of the role in the Carnegie Hall concert, but nothing really compares to the incredibly powerful Åsa Bergh.

8. On the ship to America, Kristina and Ulrika get into a huge fight. What is this fight about?

Answer: Lice

One morning, a horrified Kristina discovers lice on her body and, still wary and prejudiced about Ulrika, blames her. Ulrika protests, and indeed does not have a louse on her. An old woman, Fina-Kajsa (the comic relief) distracts everyone by telling a story of how the louse was created.
The song "Löss" ("Lice") features both incredibly fast articulation (from Kristina and Ulrika) and large coloratura-like intervals (from Fina-Kajsa). It is also reminiscent of rock music.

9. Still on the boat, Kristina falls ill to scurvy. A worried Karl Oskar watches over her sleep and sings one of the most beautiful songs from the show. The English title is "In the Dead of Darkness", but what would the original Swedish title translate to?

Answer: Stay

"Stanna" (literally, "Stay") is one of my absolute favorites. Unfortunately, the English lyrics don't quite reflect the intensity of the original Swedish; Kretzmer departed a lot from the wording here and inserted phrases that sound well but also seem somewhat trite.
I know from personal experience (and my own studies, for that matter) how hard it is to translate song lyrics and that you always have to make concessions, and I generally cut lyrics translators a lot of slack, but just compare a much overused phrase such as "In the dead of darkness there is nowhere to turn - Please, please don't leave me" to the much more heartbreaking "I can picture what life will be without you - You must stay" of the Swedish. Add in some unnecessary rhythm irregularities, and you get a Herbert Kretzmer definitely not at his best.
That said, don't you worry: No more Kretzmer-bashing in this quiz. Most of the "Kristina" lyrics are translated very well.

10. Finally, the immigrants arrive in America. Overwhelmed by the size of the country (and the foreign language, which creates some comical misunderstandings), they eventually settle down in Stillwater and start to build homes. Kristina is still homesick for Sweden, though, and remembers one particular thing as the first act draws to a close: a certain kind of fruit, which might also serve as a symbolic leitmotif for the musical. Which fruit?

Answer: apple

The last song of Act 1, "Min astrakan" ("Summer Rose"), is sung by Kristina to her healthy, newborn child. The astrakan apple tree was her favorite, and for her it symbolizes everything she left behind.

11. A few years later, Kristina is still longing for Sweden. Karl Oskar has some seeds from her astrakan tree sent over, so she can grow her favorite memory in her garden. He also has a special Christmas present for her, something he and the children call "Queen of the Prairie", admired by friends and neighbors and destined to make life and work a lot easier for her. What is it?

Answer: a stove

Kristina is very excited about the new stove. The celebration is interrupted by a hunter, Nöjd, who points out that they are living on land that was brutally taken away from the Indians. Karl Oskar defends his property, describing how he managed to convert the area "where once there was wild grass" into farmland.
"Wild Grass" is one of only two songs in "Kristina" which remind me a little bit of ABBA's style (the other is "Wild Cat Money").

12. Robert, who had left with Arvid for California to join in the gold rush, returns a broken man. There was no gold to find, and Arvid died after drinking from a poisoned well. What follows is one of the best-known songs from the show. Which one is it?

Answer: "Guldet blev till sand" ("Gold Can Turn to Sand")

"Guldet blev till sand" is Robert's account of the futile search for gold that he and Arvid embarked on. The song made the Swedish charts and remained there for quite a while.
Along with the bad news, Robert has also brought "Wild Cat Money" (fake money) and yellow fever, of which he dies shortly after.

13. Ulrika has achieved her goal: a fresh start. She receives a number of proposals and eventually marries Reverend Jackson, the Baptist priest who first took care of the immigrants. She and Kristina have become close friends over the years. Which event does Kristina attend, recounted in the song "Down to the Sacred Wave"?

Answer: Ulrika's conversion to Baptism

Ulrika converts to Baptism and Kristina attends the baptism ceremony. The two of them also marvel at the fact that sworn enemies can become best friends in the duet "Ett Herrans underverk" ("A Miracle of God").

14. After suffering another miscarriage, Kristina must never get pregnant again or she will die. Not being able to be with her husband, she is desperate, and, for the first time in her life, doubts the existence of God. This is expressed in one of the major songs of the show and possibly its dramatic highlight: "Du måste finnas". What is the English title of this powerful song?

Answer: You Have to Be There

"Du måste finnas", or "You Have to Be There", is a real showstopper. Richly orchestrated and with pointed, emotional lyrics, it is one of the songs everyone's waiting to hear in any performance of the piece. Top it off with Helen Sjöholm's glorious interpretation, and you have a musical song to remember. And just for the record, I also like Herbert Kretzmer's English translation. ;)
The song is preceded by another little musical jewel: "Missfall" ("Miscarriage"), during which Ulrika breaks the doctor's bad news to Karl Oskar.

15. Unwilling to keep away from the love of her life, Kristina does not heed the doctor's advice and gets pregnant again. As an Indian uprising frightens the settlers away, she is too weak to leave after another miscarriage and now lies dying. Promising her husband to wait for him in Duvemåla Hage (referenced in the opening song of the show), she dies in his arms. What is the last thing that Karl Oskar brings her before she dies?

Answer: The first fruit from the astrakan tree

The apple tree has borne fruit, and Karl Oskar picks the first apple. Kristina takes a bite, but dies before she can really taste it.
"Camphor and Lavender" ("Kamfer och lavendel") is another song from Act 1, where Kristina opens a suitcase and is overwhelmed by the familiar smell. (The song is not featured on the Carnegie Hall concert CD.)

Source: Author PearlQ19

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor LadyCaitriona before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.

Kristina från Duvemåla Trivia Quiz

As far as I can see, this is the first quiz on Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson's epic musical "Kristina från Duvemåla" (known outside Sweden simply as "Kristina"). Questions are about background, story, songs and singers. Hope you like this. Good luck!

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