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

292 Camilla Hambro
As far as Politiken’s critic was concerned (29 August 1895), the Primo violin
group was far better filled than the others. At places, even when they
dominated, they contributed to a sense of real orchestral sound during the
performance. Otherwise, the sound was marred by a lack of precision and
purity in the other instruments, especially in the second violins and cellos.
The flautists and horn players stood well at their task. Still, Miss Philipsen
deserved a very special compliment for her talented and energetic piano
playing which obviously as the conductor within the orchestra held things
together ever so much.
A possible reason for the rough treatment to which the Nationaltidende
critic subjected the randomly assembled amateur orchestra might be Liebmann’s
statement to the press that the music section was not able to muster
enough skill musicians for a woman’s orchestra (Udstillings-Tidende 13
March 1895, no 8). Generally, music critics were far more chivalrous in
their discussions of the thirty-strong women’s orchestra, excusing the performance
with the lack of the musicians’ orchestral experience.
Leaving realism, the darker sides of life and Ibsenesque thunderstorms
behind
In writing her prologue, Thoresen probably assumed that women would
seize the opportunity to strike a blow for women’s liberation in the theatre.
However, none of the contributions following her prologue showed tendencies
in that direction. As Politiken put it on 29 August 1895, the fun was
primarily in women trying out things that were not part of their everyday
playground. On 2 August and 29 August Dannebrog accused the drama
department at the exhibition of being too content with entertainment and
diversion, in stark contrast to Magdalene Thoresen’s prologue. The Dannebrog’s
critic felt that women’s world had long since left realism and the
darker sides of life behind as the Ibsenesque thunderstorm cracking over
women’s heads, setting minds on fire like lightning, had passed over and
left no trace. After that evening not even Strindberg would be in an uproar
over women intruding on his domain.
It seems that what our history books describe as the criteria for success
at the time were related to more general negotiations about what was
legitimate culture and who should have the power to define it. Most critics
cited here were men who had other professional tasks; they themselves
often served as composers, musicians or conductors. Thus, they may have
engaged in propaganda for their own aesthetics. In other words, male composers’
authority in music for the theater was probably formed in interac-