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

Staging a national language
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The greatest difference between Christiania and Helsinki was that the
Christiania opera staged Wagner’s Tannhäuser (or Sangerkrigen paa Wartburg)
as its name was in Norwegian, (figure 3), which was not performed in
the Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> until two years later, in 1878. 41
Neither Iphigenia in Aulis (in Wagner’s revised version of Gluck) nor
Carmen was staged in Helsinki in the 1870s. But otherwise the repertoire
was very similar in all three theatres, which put on the most canonical pieces
in the European operatic tradition. Arlberg was known as an ardent advocate
of Wagner’s music, and it was he who had introduced Wagner to Stockholm
audiences for the first time, translating and directing Rienzi at the
Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> in 1865. Arlberg also translated and performed in Der
Fliegende Holländer (as the Dutchman), staged in 1872 in Stockholm. Given
Arlberg’s huge interest in Wagner, he (and Josephson) may have wanted
to show the Royal New Theatre that a small operatic stage with scarce
resources (with regard to the orchestra) was more alert to Wagner’s music
dramas than a big theatre stage with all its resources. Tannhäuser had also
recently (1875) been performed in Copenhagen with Ahlgrensson’s sets,
and Josephson also asked him to sketch the decor for the Christiania production,
although he never had the time to do so (“Ideal och verklighet”).
In Josephson’s Tannhäuser production of 1876 Arlberg sung Wolfram’s
role, and Röske-Lund was Elisabeth. Hans Brun had the principal part as
Tannhäuser. After the premiere the press observed that Brun had “more
quiet emotion than passion in his voice”. 42 The performance was a success,
largely because the students had decided to organise applause during
the premiere. (Eckhof Kindem 1941, p. 46.) The reinforced chorus and
orchestra were much appreciated and especially the mise-en-scène with
its decorations and costumes. (Qvamme 2004, p. 116.) Tannhäuser had its
Christiana premiere in November of 1876 shortly before the fire, but it was
not the Christiania opera’s last performance. Instead, the last performance
was Il Barbiere di Sivilgia in December with Ida Basilier as Rosina. After
the fire Josephson revealed that he also had plans to stage Lohengrin if the
opera were allowed to continue. (Qvamme 2004, p. 120.)
41 However, it was first staged in Stockholm at the Mindre Teatern by a German
company in August of 1876, although in a sharply abbreviated version (Gademan 1996,
p. 219; Percy 1973, p. 100. ) Tannhäuser was performed in Helsinki as early as in 1857
by Thomé’s company from Riga (Lampila 1997, p. 34).
42 “mere stille Følelse end Lidenskab i hans Stimme” (Qvamme 2004, p. 116). The
Norwegian singers Thorvald Lammers (the Landgrave), Lona Gulowsen (Venus) and
Camille Wiese (the shepherd), were also much appreciated.