Periodic Reporting for period 1 - RevolutionaryOpScan (Revolutionary Opéra-Comique in Scandinavia: Transfer and Repertoire)
Reporting period: 2020-09-01 to 2023-08-31
RevolutionaryOpScan project abstract
Scandinavia provides a particularly interesting case for the study of the impact of French revolutionary theatre. The Scandinavian countries (today’s Norway, Denmark and Sweden) were never invaded by the French during the Napoleonic wars that followed the Revolution of 1789, but these countries were nonetheless strongly affected by revolutionary ideas, in some cases experiencing profound constitutional upheavals. The project examines the impact of ideas from the French Revolution in Europe, by focusing on the intriguing case of the Scandinavian countries and by centring on the largely under-studied literary and musical phenomenon of opéra-comique. Opéra-comique, a very special and hugely popular form of musical drama mixing song and spoken dialogue, was one of the most popular forms of theatre and one of the most important means of expression of public opinion during the French Revolution. Yet this kind of theatre has received little attention in scholarship, be it from historians, musicologists, or literary scholars. The project builds on multidisciplinary approaches and recent work on opéra-comique during the French Revolution in order to examine the impact of the French revolutionary ideas through this repertoire in the case of the Scandinavian countries. The project includes the collection of historical performance evidence for opéra-comique in Sweden, Denmark and Norway for the period from 1789 to 1815. Through the establishment of an open online database, the project will make this information accessible for statistical analysis by scholars for the first time. On a conceptual level, the project will use the information gathered in the database to establish where, when, and how often revolutionary pieces were staged in Scandinavia. The project will also set out questions on the adaptation and modification of this repertoire in Scandinavian context. This will lead to new knowledge and pave the way for similar studies on a European level.
Scandinavia provides a particularly interesting case for the study of the impact of French revolutionary theatre. The Scandinavian countries (today’s Norway, Denmark and Sweden) were never invaded by the French during the Napoleonic wars that followed the Revolution of 1789, but these countries were nonetheless strongly affected by revolutionary ideas, in some cases experiencing profound constitutional upheavals. The project examines the impact of ideas from the French Revolution in Europe, by focusing on the intriguing case of the Scandinavian countries and by centring on the largely under-studied literary and musical phenomenon of opéra-comique. Opéra-comique, a very special and hugely popular form of musical drama mixing song and spoken dialogue, was one of the most popular forms of theatre and one of the most important means of expression of public opinion during the French Revolution. Yet this kind of theatre has received little attention in scholarship, be it from historians, musicologists, or literary scholars. The project builds on multidisciplinary approaches and recent work on opéra-comique during the French Revolution in order to examine the impact of the French revolutionary ideas through this repertoire in the case of the Scandinavian countries. The project includes the collection of historical performance evidence for opéra-comique in Sweden, Denmark and Norway for the period from 1789 to 1815. Through the establishment of an open online database, the project will make this information accessible for statistical analysis by scholars for the first time. On a conceptual level, the project will use the information gathered in the database to establish where, when, and how often revolutionary pieces were staged in Scandinavia. The project will also set out questions on the adaptation and modification of this repertoire in Scandinavian context. This will lead to new knowledge and pave the way for similar studies on a European level.
The ‘Revolutionary Opéra-Comique in Scandinavia’ project studied the circulation of opéra-comique in Scandinavia in the 18th and 19th centuries, combining musical and literary approaches. The project started with an examination of the position of the musical and theatrical genre of opéra-comiqu in France by the time of the French Revolution. It was essential to have a precise inventory of the situation in France at the end of the 18th century at the outset of the project in order to understand what happened in Northern Europe when the new genre expanded from Paris to Scandinavia. In Paris, it was administered by the singers, who took decisions as a body of business partners. Indeed, they were, as individuals, behind many of the decisions that led to its aesthetical specificities. However, some of these artists also traveled abroad, for instance to Scandinavia. Here, they contributed to the establishment abroad of the typically French operatic genre which they had taken part in shaping in Paris during a period of particularly strong political tension in Europe, originating precisely from that French capital where this opera genre had played such a crucial political role. The project therefore asked key questions of aesthetics and politics on the adaptation and modification of this repertoire in its Scandinavian context.
The research results have been shared over 17 (and three forthcoming) publication and dissemination channels that have allowed for a particularly broad communication. This has especially involved institutions that work at the crossroads of academia and performance, or what is often referred to as ‘historically informed’ performance practice. In addition to this, the project included participation in numerous academic events, allowing for dissemination to an extended network for scholars. This has enabled contact with a large audience of experts leading to invitations to other scientific events in Europe. In addition to this the project aimed to reach a wider audience and to share results linking fundamental research with bodies within performance industry. The project benefited from the opportunity to advice stagings of opéra-comique pieces which actually circulated between France and Scandinavia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Two opéras-comiques in particular were performed by a Norwegian period instrument orchestra, Orkester Nord: Le Peintre amoureux de son modèle et Les Deux chasseurs et la laitière, both by the composer Egidio Duni. The works were staged in French and in Scandinavian adaptation using an eighteenth-century translation of the works kept at the Gunners Library (Trondheim, Norway). They were also recorded for one of the most significant French record labels. The recording allowed for an extraordinarily wide dissemination of the results from the project. A number of publications have been written in order to secure academic dissemination: one monography, one critical edition, three journal articles, four book chapters and one book review.
The research results have been shared over 17 (and three forthcoming) publication and dissemination channels that have allowed for a particularly broad communication. This has especially involved institutions that work at the crossroads of academia and performance, or what is often referred to as ‘historically informed’ performance practice. In addition to this, the project included participation in numerous academic events, allowing for dissemination to an extended network for scholars. This has enabled contact with a large audience of experts leading to invitations to other scientific events in Europe. In addition to this the project aimed to reach a wider audience and to share results linking fundamental research with bodies within performance industry. The project benefited from the opportunity to advice stagings of opéra-comique pieces which actually circulated between France and Scandinavia in the 18th and 19th centuries. Two opéras-comiques in particular were performed by a Norwegian period instrument orchestra, Orkester Nord: Le Peintre amoureux de son modèle et Les Deux chasseurs et la laitière, both by the composer Egidio Duni. The works were staged in French and in Scandinavian adaptation using an eighteenth-century translation of the works kept at the Gunners Library (Trondheim, Norway). They were also recorded for one of the most significant French record labels. The recording allowed for an extraordinarily wide dissemination of the results from the project. A number of publications have been written in order to secure academic dissemination: one monography, one critical edition, three journal articles, four book chapters and one book review.
The project actions have led to new knowledge and will pave the way for further studies. Starting from the French context, the project provided a rich case for the scrutiny of cultural, historical and political transfers in European in the 18th and 19th centuries. This has greatly expanded the state-of-the-art. In general, opéras-comiques were rarely performed in French in countries where there was already a domestic strong theatrical tradition, such as Italy. On the other hand, in Sweden for example, while the national theater repertoire was still under construction in the 18th century, the social and literary status of opéra-comique in the French language allowed regular performances of works and facilitated the penetration of foreign plays. Thus, while the desire to reform the Swedish theater was clearly expressed from the top of the State, sometimes drawing inspiration from the models provided by foreign theatrical repertoires (in particular Germany and France in the Swedish case), the presence of repertoire performed in French was strong during the whole period. This situation answered the wishes of the elites for whom knowledge of the French language was a testimony of their social situation. However, opéra-comique works were soon translated and performed in vernacular languages, reaching broad audiences throughout major cities.
One of the most important progresses for the state-of-the-Art of the project has been to establish historical performance evidence for opéra-comique in Paris from 1762 to 1815 and opéra-comique in Sweden, Denmark and Norway for the period from 1774 to 1815, gathered in a database. The database is a web application that offers contributors and readers free and electronic access to published data. The heart of the application is a relational database which links events to a set of separately searchable authorities (works, individuals, places etc.). Through the establishment of an open online database, the project has made this information accessible for statistical analysis by scholars for the first time. With this database scholars now have a unique opportunity to know where, when, and how often revolutionary pieces or more traditional opéras-comiques were staged in France and in Scandinavia. The address of this database is : https://e-opera-comique.org/(opens in new window)
One of the most important progresses for the state-of-the-Art of the project has been to establish historical performance evidence for opéra-comique in Paris from 1762 to 1815 and opéra-comique in Sweden, Denmark and Norway for the period from 1774 to 1815, gathered in a database. The database is a web application that offers contributors and readers free and electronic access to published data. The heart of the application is a relational database which links events to a set of separately searchable authorities (works, individuals, places etc.). Through the establishment of an open online database, the project has made this information accessible for statistical analysis by scholars for the first time. With this database scholars now have a unique opportunity to know where, when, and how often revolutionary pieces or more traditional opéras-comiques were staged in France and in Scandinavia. The address of this database is : https://e-opera-comique.org/(opens in new window)