The chapters in this anthology concern a number of operatic performances from the long nineteenth century and seek to interpret them in their cultural and political contexts. Nineteenthcentury performances, of course, cannot be studied directly nor through the medium of audio or video recordings. Yet they did sometimes leave significant traces of various kinds, the interpretation of which is still in need of methodological development.
The present collection, Tracing Operatic Performances in the Long Nineteenth Century: Practices, Performers, Peripheries, is inspired by the challenges that face opera studies today when the question of performance is constantly being posed in new ways, with the potential of questioning anew what practices, performers and places should be considered worthy of the historian's attention. Its chapters bring into focus exceptional individuals – mostly singers, but also some theatre directors. Geographically, the emphasis is on the Nordic countries, although two articles are concerned with Parisian contexts. Contributors: Hilary Poriss, Clair Rowden, Göran Gademan, Göran Tegnér, UllaBritta BromanKananen, Randi M. Selvik, Ellen Karoline Gjervan, Hannele Ketomäki.