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

Music at the Royal Swedish
<strong>Opera</strong> in Stockholm during
the mid-nineteenth century
The musical repertoire and contemporary criticism of the position
of the <strong>Opera</strong> as a music institution within the musical life of
Stockholm
Anne Reese Willén
Introduction
The Royal Swedish <strong>Opera</strong> (Kungliga <strong>Opera</strong>n) in Stockholm was not only
a theatre and opera house, it was also the centre of public musical life in
Stockholm for a great deal of the nineteenth century. It was the first organised
music institution and contained the first public stage built for musical
performance. It also housed the only symphony orchestra in the city during
most of the century, and functioned as the main employer of musicians and
singers. Performances were not limited to opera and music theatre, and the
space was also frequently used as a concert venue. Its position was there-
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