Hedvig Christina Wigert née ''Falk'' (February 1748 – 4 January 1780) was a
Swedish
Swedish or ' may refer to:
Anything from or related to Sweden, a country in Northern Europe. Or, specifically:
* Swedish language, a North Germanic language spoken primarily in Sweden and Finland
** Swedish alphabet, the official alphabet used by ...
opera singer
Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libretti ...
. She belonged to the pioneer generation of performers of the
Royal Swedish Opera.
Hedvig Falk belonged to the first group of singers hired at the foundation of the
Royal Swedish Opera in
Bollhuset in 1773. She was at that point known for her musical talent and referred to as "one for her musical talent already well-known female", and
Gustav III
Gustav III (29 March 1792), also called ''Gustavus III'', was King of Sweden from 1771 until his assassination in 1792. He was the eldest son of Adolf Frederick of Sweden and Queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia.
Gustav was a vocal opponent of what ...
wanted her for the part of the goddess Doris in the opening grand opera ''
Thetis och Pélée'', an opera in Swedish composed by
Francesco Uttini
Francesco Antonio Baldassare Uttini (1723 Bologna – 25 October 1795) was an Italian composer and conductor who was active mostly in Sweden.
He is best remembered today as a composer of operas in both the Italian and Swedish languages and f ...
with words by , which was to be performed at the inauguration of the new Opera.
The employment of Wigert illustrates social and gender related issues. There was an initial difficulty to enroll female singers because the profession had a low status in the 18th-century. Wigert also illustrate the fact that people from the upper class participated in the Opera project of the king. Similar to the case of
Elisabeth Olin, Wigert was a member of the upper class, and though she herself was willing to participate, her employment was delayed by the disapproval of "Two old powder-witches" in her family. Eventually, she was given a contract which stipulated that she would be allowed to resign whenever her family wished her to, as long as she participated in the inauguration performance.
After Doris in ''Thetis och Pélée'', in the inauguration performance of the Opera 18 January 1773, (where she played opposite
Carl Stenborg (Pélée), Elisabeth Olin (Thetis),
Lars Lalin (
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest in the Solar System. It is a gas giant with a mass more than two and a half times that of all the other planets in the Solar System combined, but slightly less than one-thousandth t ...
), (
Neptune),
Nils Gustav Stenborg (
Mercury), (Elisabeth) Betty Olin (
Amor) and Hans Björkman and Johan Filip Lising). She continued to play "many demanding parts". Among her parts where performed some theatre parts, during a period when the Opera offered this. Her best remembered part was the title role of ''Mérope'' by
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778) was a French Enlightenment writer, historian, and philosopher. Known by his ''nom de plume'' M. de Voltaire (; also ; ), he was famous for his wit, and his criticism of Christianity—es ...
in the 1777–78 season after her marriage, where according to the papers, she "was given lively approval" by the audience. Other roles was Corinna in ''Acis and Galathea'' by
Händel
George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel (; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concertos. Handel received his training i ...
, and Euridyce in ''Oprpheus'' by
Gluck
Christoph Willibald (Ritter von) Gluck (; 2 July 1714 – 15 November 1787) was a composer of Italian and French opera in the early classical period. Born in the Upper Palatinate and raised in Bohemia, both part of the Holy Roman Empire, he g ...
. She was described as unanimously admired, with a "noble" and versatile way of acting.
She married the cashier Gustaf Wigert in 1776.
References
* ''Kungliga teaterns repertoar 1773–1973''
Repertoire of the Royal Theatre 1773–1973' 1974 (Swedish)
* Oscar Levertin: Teater och drama under Gustaf III, Albert Bonniers förlag, Stockholm, Fjärde Upplagan (1920).
Teater och drama under Gustaf III'(in Swedish)
* Fredrik August Dahlgren: Förteckning öfver svenska skådespel uppförda på Stockholms theatrar 1737–1863 och Kongl. Theatrarnes personal 1773–1863. Med flera anteckningar. (List of Performances staged at the theatres of Stockholm from 1737 to 18863 and the staff of the royal theatres from 1773 to 1863) (Swedish)
* Jonsson, Leif & Ivarsdotter, Anna (red.), Musiken i Sverige. 2, Frihetstid och gustaviansk tid 1720–1810, Fischer, Stockholm, 1993 (Music in Sweden. The age of Liberty and the Gustavian age 1720–1810)
* Johan Flodmark: Stenborgska skådebanorna: bidrag till Stockholms teaterhistoria, Norstedt, Stockholm, 1893
* Nordensvan, Georg, Svensk teater och svenska skådespelare från Gustav III till våra dagar. Förra delen, 1772–1842, Bonnier, Stockholm, 1917(Swedish theatre and Swedish actors from Gustav III to our days. First book 1772–1842) (Swedish)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wigert, Hedvig
1748 births
1780 deaths
Swedish operatic sopranos
18th-century Swedish women opera singers
Gustavian era people