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

40 Juvas Marianne Liljas
pedagogue Bruno Müller-Brunow from Leipzig. 36 It is linked to the Italian
concept appoggio – the consummate control of breath and voice - and is said
to represent David Björling’s vision and pet passion for teaching singing
(Liljas 2007, pp. 367, 384, 422f, cf. Stark 1999, pp. 92f, 101-110).
Contemporary research findings confirm David Björling’s theories about
age stages determining the child’s musical development. A key factor is
the three-year stage with its potential and the didactical balance between
the joy of learning and the satisfaction of being able to do something (Sundin
1995, p. 132). Furthermore, academics are of the view that all musical
learning in small children is on the child’s conditions. If the child is to accept
the education there has to be psychological interaction in which it is justified
in its attempts. According to the research, therefore, it can be assumed
that David Björling made skilful use of his children’s natural developmental
stages and their own will (Sundin 1995, pp. 53, 61, 64; Gardner 1994, p. 102;
Hodges 1989).
A family business
The starting point, which in the case of David Björling’s children was vocal
training, is strongly connected with the family and its intimate structure.
The family room as a teaching arena should be understood as diametrically
opposed to institutional education, and as a historical representation of informal
schooling (Rosselli 1992). The Björling children’s vocal training was
nevertheless both a well-organised family routine and an external business
matter. It was in the public arena that David Björling’s training was validated,
and in which his children’s voices were subject to judgments from
outside the family circle.
The singing tours were an important part of David Björling’s great vocal
project with his children. They had a dual purpose: the continuous application
of his singing education and also the pursuance of a business ideal. He
was strongly criticised following Ester Björling’s death from tuberculosis in
1917, 37 but the issue of the prodigies has to be put in context in order for
36 “Ein springbrunnen mit gerade aufsteigendem Wasserstrahl; die aufsteigende
klingende Luftsäule. Auf dessen Spitze gipfelt eine Glaskugel, an welcher sich der
Wasserstrahl bricht, dieselbe aber, in Filge richtiger regelung, auf gleicher Höhe
balancierend erhält;der von der Luft gehobene Ton,welcher beim geringsten Versäumnis
an Luftnachschub fällt - abbricht –verflacht.” (Müller Brunow 1898, p. 27)
37 Ester Björling was stricken by tuberculosis. She died on 26 April 1917 at the Academic
Hospital in Uppsala, having given birth to her fourth son, Karl, two weeks previously
(cf. Björling & Farkas 1996, p. 36f).