The Theatre of Drottningholm

The Theatre of Drottningholm – Then and Now tells the story of the Sauter & Wiles The Court Theatre at Drottningholm is a work of art in Drottning holm Court Theatre, from – the year it was built – to today’s the sense John Keats envisioned in his Ode to a Grecian performances presented during annual summer festivals. The court theatre was The Theatre of Drottningholm – Then and Now Urn: “a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” But it is more rarely used after Gustav III’s death in until it was rediscovered in , Performance between the th and st centuries than an objet d’art, an antiquarian piece to be enjoyed luckily for us, because this has meant that not only the auditorium but also the by experts. Its aesthetic values should not make us forget stage machinery, painted ats and backdrops have been almost perfectly pre- Willmar Sauter & David Wiles that it is also a historical document, which adds to our knowledge about how theatre was performed and, I dare served. This book provides a vivid picture of the Drottningholm Court Theatre: Then and Now – of Drottningholm Theatre The to say, experienced during the epoch when Carl Fredrik the architecture, the many different activities which took place here during the Adelcrantz created it. It was not built for its own sake Gustavian era, and the use made of the theatre since its rediscovery to explore but to serve the dramatic poetry of its time. the nature of Baroque performance. Agne Beijer, who rediscovered the theatre in Thomas Postlewait writes in his preface: “This ne book thus meets the needs of several types of readers. It serves I need not describe to you all the usual ceremonies on those summer visitors who want a well-written and accessible survey Tuesday, with cannon shots in the morning and illumina- tions at night, but wish only to concern myself with the The Drottningholm theatre has other wisdom to impart: of Drottningholm that provides a reliable and detailed record of their evening’s theatrical performance as it was most interest- that what is old can be made new; that what is old and immediate experiences; it serves practitioners of theatre and opera who ing. Two plays were performed as well as an ‘Intermède’ hidden in the past simply needs to be freed from its his- want to understand the challenges of crafting successful performances in Swedish. The longer play was Jean de Montfort, which torical constraints and enabled to live once more; that for this speci c site and its special audiences; it serves teachers of theatre you might remember since you heard it read aloud last the past can even speak to us of the future by reminding and opera who want a solid historical record of this theatre, including its year. It is quite well written, and the King was particular- us of things we once knew but have long since forgotten. architectural features and staging practices; and it serves theatre schol- ly pleased with the performance. Mark Tatlow, Artistic Director of the Drottningholm ars who require an accurate and fully engaged study of one of the few Duchess Hedvig Elisabeth Charlotta’s letter Court Theatre (–) remaining theatres from the Enlightenment era. To their credit, Sauter to Princess So a Albertina () and Wiles address each of these potential readers. They invite us, chapter by chapter, to experience the historical context and artistic qualities of To play a composition just as the composer wrote it and Drottningholm Theatre.” An old building resembles the body of an elderly person. to use the same types of instruments that were available It consists of memories, wrinkles, suffering from one or to him may seem a modest goal. Paradoxically, however, Willmar Sauter is Professor of Theatre Studies at Stockholm University another ailment and therefore we should embrace them there is scarcely anything more radical in our otherwise (Sweden) cautiously and listen to what they have to tell. One does fairly tolerant music scene than trying to correct the pre- not easily change an old person; instead one learns to be vailing perception of the classics: you are altering some- David Wiles is Professor of Drama at the University of Exeter (UK) with them on their own terms. thing safe and therefore breaking a taboo. Nevertheless it is necessary. Ove Hidemark, Palace Architect () In this country, we are fortunate enough to own the best venue in the world for such experiments: The Drottning- holm Theatre, with its fascinating medial position some- where between a cult site and a centre for research. ISBN ---- Carl Gunnar Åhlén, Music Critic () ISSN - AUS Department of Musicology and Performance Studies Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis Stockholm Theatre Studies The Theatre of Drottningholm – Then and Now Performance between the 18th and 21st centuries The Theatre of Drottningholm – Then and Now Performance between the 18th and 21st centuries Willmar Sauter & David Wiles The Friends of the Drottningholm Theatre (DTV), established in 1935, have generously supported the production of this book. Thomas Postlewait Preface Written by two renowned scholars of European theatre, this book offers a fascinating history of the Drottningholm Theatre. Professors Willmar Sauter and David Wiles describe the history of this court theatre from its eighteenth-century origins in the era of King Gustav III (1746-92) to its revival in modern times as a distinct performance space for opera. They recount how Drottningholm was the center of court activities during the reign of Sweden’s famous ‘Theatre King’, who wrote plays and librettos, patronized the arts, and founded the Swedish Academy (1786). But after 1792, when King Gustav was assassinated (the topic of Giuseppe Verdi’s famous opera Un ballo in maschera; The Masked Ball), Drottningholm, rarely used as a theatre, was closed down. The doors were shut, performances were discontinued. Indeed, for over a century the building served mostly as a governmental storeroom—dusty, densely packed, and disorganized. But Design: Kerri Sandell then in the 1920s the theatre, newly discovered, was carefully restored to its Cover: Eva Spångberg past glory. Today Drottningholm, which the United Nations has identified Cover photos: Max Plunger, Mats Bäcker as a World Heritage Site, is an international tourist attraction and the home of an annual summer festival for classical opera. Because Drottningholm exists before us today as a fully reconstituted theatre from the eighteenth century, the building provides a special re- © Willmar Sauter & David Wiles source for performers, spectators, and theatre historians. The past is made and Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis, 2014 ISBN 978-91-87235-91-7 (PDF) present. In this sense the building and the stage space provide a kind of ISBN 978-91-87235-92-4 (printed book) historical laboratory for examining the performance qualities, methods, ISSN 1400-2132 and aims of earlier plays and operas. Of course, even if Drottningholm Printed in Sweden by Taberg Media Group had disappeared—as has sadly happened to most theatre buildings from earlier eras—theatre historians could still delve into the documentary Distribution: records in order to discover some of the traits of the building and its per- Stiftelsen för utgivning av teatervetenskapliga skrifter (Stuts) formance space. We would then conjure with pieces of evidence and hypo- c/o Theatre and Dance Studies, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm www.stuts.nu thetical ideas about a lost theatre. Luckily, however, Drottningholm exists V in all of its charming tangibility. We have the good fortune of experienc- similar kind of dedication to the integrity of this theatre and its definitive ing the actual building and its artefacts. It thus allows us to learn many features determine and control its heritage? Should the operas of Händel, things that we cannot recover from the remaining written documents. It Gluck, and Mozart be restaged and experienced as they were performed in offers a special opportunity for all of us because of the building’s history, the eighteenth century? Is this mission appropriate; is it possible? its architecture, its auditorium, its acoustics, and its stage platform and Responding to these and related questions, Professors Sauter and Wiles scenic equipment. describe in substantial detail the history of the Drottningholm Theatre, in- Drottningholm is both unique and typical. It is unique because the his- cluding the artistic, social, and political practices that defined the cultural tory of Drottningholm separates it from the history of any other European activities during the reign of Gustav III. They describe both the discovery and theatre building. There is no other surviving building just like it. Part of the the revival of the theatre, which still has the moveable scenic flats and stage challenge we face is to understand and appreciate the details and nature of equipment that were used in the court theatre. Sauter and Wiles also recre- that history, beginning with the definitive contributions of Gustav III and ate the aura and ambience of Drottningholm that visitors experience when his court. We also must take into consideration its double identity today as they come to the island, observe the architectural features of the buildings, both a national museum and an active performance venue for opera each and attend performances in the 400-seat auditorium. And because perform- summer. To what extent does this double or split personality contribute to ers, spectators, and historians continue to disagree over the feasibility— its aims and functions? and even the value—of recreating ‘authentic’ historical performances in this Yet despites its exclusive traits, Drottningholm is also emblematic of the- ‘original’ space, Sauter and Wiles investigate the challenges, problems, and atrical building and practices from the baroque and classical eras. It thus arguments for historical authenticity.

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