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532
iv. education and . mental culture.
1914). At the present time, too, Swedish opera may claim a group of grand
and beautiful voices, thanks to whose ability the Royal Theatre is able to
produce exacting works. We may mention vocalists of both sexes of such calibre
as: Mesdames Julia Claussen (born 1879), Davida Hesse-Lilienberg (born 1877),
Anna Oscar (born 1875), and Baroness Magna Skogman (born 1874); Messrs
John Forsell (born 1868), Carl Lejdström. (born 1872), Henning Malm (born
1872), Martin Oscàr (born 1879), Bartold Schweback (born 1878), David
Stockman (born 1879), Åke Wallgren (born 1873), etc.
As early as the days of Fredric I, who died in 1751, public concerts were
given in the hall of the House of the Nobility. There Roman produced works
by Händel, the Harmonic Society gave concerts under the leadership of Zellbell,
the Younger (1719—80), and Haydn’s "Creation" was performed for the first time
in Sweden in 1801. At present, endeavours are being made in the capital by
"The Musical Society" "The New Philharmonic Society", "The People’s Concert
Union", and other choral societies, by which concerts are arranged with
municipal aid for working people and the poorer classes. Symphony concerts are
rendered by the Court orchestra, and others have been arranged by Aug.
Meissner (1833—1903), Andreas Hallen, and for ten years by the "Concert Society",
and its conductor Tor Aulin. During the last quarter of a century regular
evenings of chamber music have — even in the provinces — been given by
the "Aulin quartette", and for two years by the "Society for Chamber-Music".
It was a long time before musical life won more general favour in the
provinces. In Uppsala,- where, as in Lund, men’s choir singing — so much
appreciated in Sweden — has been chiefly cultivated and brought to a high
pitch of perfection, music gained greater importance from the middle of last
century, thanks to the oratorio performances arranged by J. A. Josephson, the
University Director of Music. He also directed the concerts given by the
University Orchestra and the Philharmonic Society, as have also his successors Ivar
Hedenblad and Hugo Alfvén. Music has of låte aquired greater stability in
Gothenburg, where, with slight interruptions, from the ’fifties till the end of
the century, symphonies and choral concerts have been held under the
conduc-torship of Fr. Sm.etana (1824—94), Jos. Czapelc (born 1825), Andreas Hallen,
and Karl Valentin. Moreover, ever since 1905 the Gothenburg Orchestral Union
yearly arranges a large number of concerts, supported by contributions and a
subsidy from the Town Council; these were at first conducted by H. Hammer
and 0. Morales, afterwards by W. Stenhammar and T. Aulin, etc.
A large number of towns possess choral and musical societies at the present
time, and several have quite recently started orchestral societies.
Upon the initiative the Academy of Music, an annual subsidy from the
Riksdag has been granted for orchestral societies (three till further notice); each
society receives 13 500 kronor, and the object is to provide — inter alia —
a large number of "popular concerts" (admission 25 ore) in the town and
surrounding neighbourhood, and to provide gratis instrumental instruction for young
people of the poorer classes.
The "Royal Swedish Academy of Music", founded in 1771, consists of at the
most 80 Swedish, 50 foreign members, and 40 associates; it has the
superintendence of the State school for music, the Royal Conservatoire of Music, at
which all instruction is gratis; according to statutes now in force it has the
duty of "protecting and promoting the musical art from the point of view of
aesthetics and culture alike", and especially to "aim at advancing the
development of Swedish music".
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