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

Staging a national language
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Royal Swedish Theatre was a model for the New Theatre in Helsinki in
many respects, reflected not only in the repertoire and the Swedish-Swedish
language on the stage, but also in the identity of a bourgeoisie theatre
that it wanted to maintain.
As mentioned above, in the history told by the New Theatre itself, the
opera department was launched in 1871, when the orchestra conductor
Nathan B. Emanuel and the singer and voice teacher Emilie Mechelin were
both hired by the theatre. 30 Emanuel had come to Helsinki with an opera
company directed by Arlberg in 1870 and was asked to take over the orchestra
at the New Theatre after Richard Faltin’s retirement. Mechelin also
performed operatic roles during the first half of the decade, as Agatha in
Der Freischütz (Friskytten) and as Lady Durham in Martha (Lüchou 1977).
During the first half of the decade, the opera section performed a few operas
and many operettas, mainly Offenbach. No doubt the New Theatre’s
reputation for playing only “light” repertoire was established at this time, a
reputation often criticised by Wegelius in his writings in the press. 31
In March 1876 there are clear signs that the New Theatre’s Board wanted
a more aggressive employment policy by Kiseleff, because they collectively
sent a telegram in which where they asked him to hire available domestic
singers as soon as possible. 32 The Board suggested that he contact Emma
Engdahl (1852–1930), Hortense Synnerberg (1856–1920), a young promising
soprano, and the tenor Bruno Holm. Kiseleff reacted to this telegram by
immediately resigning from his post as director. The reason for his strong
reaction can be found in the earlier discussions and in the fact that he already
had tried to hire these singers for the theatre without success, with
the exception of Emma Engdahl. Hortense Synnerberg was on her way to
Milan for study there (Huvudstadsbladet, 2 April1876), and Bergbom had
engaged Bruno Holm. 33 Kiseleff resigned on 12 April 1876, in the middle of
preparations for an upcoming important event in the summer, the Industrial
Kiseleff is found in the Swedish Theatre’s archive at the Swedish Literature Society in
Finland (hereafter SLC, Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland).
30 Emilie Mechelin (1838–1917) was the sister of future senator Leo Mechelin, and
she had been the first teacher for most of the female singers in Finland, including Ida
Basilier and Emmy Achté . (Broman-Kananen 2011.)
31 E.g. in Finsk Tidskrift, December 1876.
32 The original telegram cannot be found in the archives, but its content is related in J.A.
Estlander’s letter to Kiseleff (26 March 1876, the Swedish Theatre’s archive. SLC).
33 This can be concluded from the above-mentioned letter from Bruno Holm to Bergbom.
The date (15 March1876) on the letter proves that it was Kiseleff who negotiated with
Holm and not Ferdinand Wahlberg, who later negotiated on behalf of the five-member
Board during the spring.