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

Staging a national language
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Summary
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In this chapter I explore how the language of opera dominated and defined
three opera houses in as many episodes: the Finnish and Swedish Theatres
in Helsinki, Finland, and the Christiania Theatre in Christiania (Oslo), Norway.
Despite the similarities among the episodes (which occasionally even
included the same performers), there were also significant differences. A
clear line divides the episodes into two categories: those of the Finnish
and Christiania Theatres on the one hand and that of the Swedish Theatre
on the other. The feature shared by the Finnish and Christiania Theatres
was related to the means by which a new language was both constructed
and “taught” to the audience. The purpose behind the choice of operatic
language was to create a certain audience, and by extension a public space,
for political reasons. By contrast, the Swedish Theatre had to defend its
position as a national theatre, which had seemed self-evident until challenged
by the Finnish Theatre. The dividing line could also be drawn differently,
however, with each opera house placed in a category of its own. All
three houses sought to establish a clear, recognisable identity whereby not
only language, but also the professionalism of the performers and performances
were the distinguishing characteristics. In this respect, the Swedish
Theatre’s affiliation with the Royal Swedish Theatre (and other theatres
in Stockholm) is revealing on many levels, beginning with an exchange of
material resources (scores and librettos), knowledge of the operatic repertoire
and performers.