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

116 Anne Reese Willén
public arena. It is also the reason why no such previous attempts have
been successful. (Rubenson 1859) 32
He saw the dominance of the Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> over available resources
as a problem because it was hardly possible to hire any other full-size orchestra.
He noted the attempts to form a student orchestra at the Music
Conservatory of the Royal Academy of Music, but did not see this as a
suitable substitution for the Royal <strong>Opera</strong> Orchestra. This was not because
of the artistic level of the musicians, but because there was too little continuity
within the ensemble to achieve a permanent change. The continuity
inherent in the Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> and its orchestra as musical institutions
was something Rubenson aspired to within musical life in general. He
suggested establishing another organisation that could take responsibility
for promoting concert life in Stockholm. The resources of the Royal <strong>Opera</strong>
were not sufficient for that, although indirectly it exerted control through
its influence on the city’s musical elite. Its management could, and did, prevent
singers and musicians from taking on certain outside commitments,
and in keeping the artists and the orchestra occupied with its own performances
it also indirectly prevented them from doing other things. In addition,
it had a significant impact on the external concert repertoire because the
programmes often had to be adapted to the orchestra’s repertoire because
of the limited rehearsal time.
Effects on the repertoire
The Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> influenced not only the number of concerts held,
but in many ways also the repertoire. Rubenson notes this in an article in
NTM from 1857:
Hovkapellet [The Royal Court Orchestra] also exercises undue influence
on the programmes. As is known, the great city of Stockholm has only
one orchestra to assist at concerts.
However, this orchestra is so busy with official duties that there is not
much time left for concert rehearsals, hence the all too frequent repetition
of the same well known, often also acclaimed orchestral compositions.
These pieces, should, for this very reason, leave room for other
32 “Den omständighet, att vår stad icke eger en fullständig orkester att tillgå utom
Kongl. Theaterns, är utan tvifvel det hinder, som hittills varit i vägen för bildandet af en
offentlig verkande musikförening, och de försök, som blifvit gjorda, att åvägabringa en
sådan, hafva ej krönts med framgång.”