„The Wealth of the Nations“. Die Stockholmer Oper und die Entwicklung einer nationalen Identität in Schweden

Abstract

The changes the Swedish state and the concept of the nation went through during the period 1770–1920 influenced in a number of ways the organization and functioning of the Stockholm Opera. From its beginnings in the 1770s, the Opera rapidly developed into being one of the country’s biggest enterprises. It came to have a long-lasting national importance, and to enjoy a broad social and political support. Political discussions about the Stockholm Opera during the 19th century were characterized by changes of opinion from liberal views favouring its self-financing and privatization, to more nationalistic positions favouring the building up of a tax-financed institution. The paper discusses the Opera as part of the enlightenment project of secularisation, substituting old collective religious rituals with new profane ones. Other factors interacting in a complex way like the changing geographic, ethnic and social structure of Sweden, the development of the financing system, repertory, the nationality of the composers, the musical style as a national or international marker, and the ideological tendency in the Swedish operas are also considered.