Opera on the Move in the Nordic Countries during the Long 19th ...

110 Anne Reese Willén
part of the century, the position of the Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> changed and so
did the music on offer. After the division into the Royal Dramatic Theatre
and the Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> in the 1860s and the phasing out of entr’acte
music, the focus at the latter turned to concerts alongside opera. A further
change was the introduction of a series of symphony concerts under the
baton of the Court conductor Ludvig Norman. The repertoire was much
more focused, the aim being to raise the musical standards at the <strong>Opera</strong> and
in the city. It was based largely on the Leipzig repertoire of the 1840s and
1850s, reflecting the music ideals Norman had picked up during his studies
there. Even though the repertoire was not the most modern at the time, it
is worth noting that the focus was on symphonic music, thereby indicating
further specialisation following the division between opera and theatre.
New concert venues were established in the city, allowing greater diversity
in concerts and musical performance, as well as a clearer distinction
between different genres of music. Concert repertoires became more and
more specialised, and different venues focused on certain genres. The Royal
Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> specialised in opera, and even if there were still concerts
at that stage, the whole business focused more on one type of performance.
This coincided with the establishment of new concert venues that would
take the place of the Royal <strong>Opera</strong> as the principal stage for music performance.
Music off the Royal stage – public concert life in Stockholm
As society changed during the nineteenth century, so did public musical life
in Stockholm – in terms not only of gradual growth, but also of differentiation.
The growth was not just in one direction, and in time diversified as the
repertoire was divided between classical art music and lighter more “popular”
entertainment. This was not unique to Stockholm, however: it was
happening all over Europe (see Weber 2008 and Weber 2003). The Royal
Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> heavily influenced the classical art music repertoire.
Music and theatre life in Stockholm totally changed during the summer.
As the city theatres closed and many of the main artists went on tour
other entertainment took over – much of it in the open air. The Djurgården
recreational area became an entertainment centre offering productions of
comedies and operettas, and many popular cafés and restaurants offered
open-air musical entertainment from wind bands. This was entertainment
of a much lighter, “popular” kind than was available in the city during the
rest of the year. Musicians from the Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> Orchestra prob-