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

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Rachel <strong>the</strong> Jewess <strong>in</strong><br />

Copenhagen<br />

Jens Hesselager<br />

221<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> w<strong>in</strong>ter seas<strong>on</strong> of 1841-42, a group of opera-lov<strong>in</strong>g Copenhageners<br />

developed a habit of behav<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> a somewhat unrestra<strong>in</strong>ed manner. Or<br />

at least <strong>the</strong>y did so when attend<strong>in</strong>g performances of Pietro Rossi’s visit<strong>in</strong>g<br />

Italian opera company, which had arrived <strong>in</strong> Copenhagen <strong>in</strong> November of<br />

1841. These audience members frequently <strong>in</strong>terrupted <strong>the</strong> acti<strong>on</strong> by applaud<strong>in</strong>g<br />

loudly, “forc<strong>in</strong>g” <strong>the</strong> performers to take bows and perform immediate<br />

encores, and <strong>the</strong>y threw flowers at <strong>the</strong> s<strong>in</strong>gers (Overskou 1864, 495-<br />

98, 581). Eventually, even C.E.F. Weyse (1774–1842), <strong>the</strong> old composer of<br />

<strong>in</strong>corruptible classicist lean<strong>in</strong>gs, felt obliged to attend a performance, but<br />

did not like what he heard (it was D<strong>on</strong>izetti’s L’elisir d’amore). Weyse left<br />

early (Schepelern 1976, 104). A few days later, <strong>on</strong> 27 February 1842, Weyse<br />

wrote to his friend, <strong>the</strong> priest and poet B.S. Ingemann:<br />

Yesterday Madame Forc<strong>on</strong>i was drowned <strong>in</strong> flowers […] The Danes are<br />

and always will be a bunch of blockheads, who do not know what <strong>the</strong>y do,<br />

exhibit<strong>in</strong>g such eccentric enthusiasm for <strong>the</strong>se middle-of-<strong>the</strong>-road Italians<br />

of no more than third rank, who <strong>in</strong> any case s<strong>in</strong>g off key like all <strong>the</strong><br />

misery <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> world. 1

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