Outside canon

Abstract

This chapter is an investigation of hitherto unknown cultural sources. Until recently literature about theatre, music, and social dance in Trondheim has focused mainly on professionals, institutions, and organised cultural activities, conforming with a ‘canonical narrative’ of cultural history. By exploring alternative sources like handwritten song and music books, diaries and other manuscripts from the period 1760–1820, the author examines domestic theatrical and musical activities and social dance and shows that informal daily cultural activities were of great importance in people’s lives. Information provided by these alternative sources has previously been largely overlooked. Among the topics she investigates are the reading and reciting of dramatic plays outside the theatre, and anonymous music versus music with identified composers. She also examines the role of women in cultural life. They were important, but are often absent in the official historical narratives. The author also discusses dance repertory and etiquette taught by the dancing masters in wealthy families and compares this with dance practices in less wealthy circles. Based on descriptions of social dancing, she concludes that cultural divisions between social classes seem to have been less than earlier assumed.