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

162 Ulla-Britta Broman-Kananen
Hebbe did not get on well, although they both were prepared to put their
disagreements aside for the sake of the opera. A far more serious matter
was that Hebbe had a limited repertoire: Traviata, Fidelio and Faust. None
of these was suitable for the premiere of a brand new opera company. In
the end, the negotiations with Hebbe escalated into a quarrel, not between
Hebbe and Arlberg, but rather between Josephson and Hebbe, especially
regarding the opening opera. Josephson and Arlberg wanted to open with
Don Giovanni, “the opera of operas”, undoubtedly because the opera offered
Arlberg a handsome title role. Hebbe was offered Donna Anna’s role,
a suggestion which she strongly rejected, meanwhile threatening to reconsider
her engagement altogether. 11 Hebbe decided to postpone her visit to
Christiania for a few months.
Josephson then began to negotiate with the Swedish soprano Linda
(Theodolinda) Röske-Lund (1836–1893), who had made a career in Berlin.
Röske-Lund was well-known to Josephson because she made a success in
Donna Anna’s role at the Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> in 1868 during Josephson’s
directorship (Swanberg 1917, p. 138). To make sure she had not declined in
talent, he contacted another old friend from his years in Stockholm, the set
painter (dekorationsmålaren) Fritz Ahlgrensson, who now was employed
by the Royal Danish Theatre. Ahlgrensson had recently heard the Swedish
soprano Linda Röske-Lund in Copenhagen and knew that she was on her
way to Christiania. He recommended that Josephson engage her for his
opera company:
The voice has become somewhat thin, but she has prima donna ability
and it sounds damn good. She has become somewhat meagre all around,
except around the waist. I remember her as Agatha in Der Freischütz:
now she has brushed herself up and looks rather good. 12
11 Hebbe is “making a fuss”, Josephson wrote. He decided to let her “sun-dry” [soltorka]
for a while and wrote to Arlberg in an indignant mood: “It would never occur to me to
start with La Fille du Régiment or Traviata, would it? Rather I do not start at all. The
Herr knows my taste” [“Det kunde väl icke falla mig in att börja med Regementets
dotter eller Traviata. Hellre har jag icke börjat alls. Herrn känner min smak”] (Josephson
to Arlberg, 14 October 1874, NLS).
12 “Rösten har blifvit något tunn, men hon har primadonna ansats och det låter som
bara fan. Hon har blifvit något mager öfverallt, utom kring lifvet. Jag minns henne som
Agatha i Friskytten; Nu har hon stufvat upp sig, och ser ganska bra ut.” (Ahlgrensson
to Josephson, 23 October 1874, NLS.)