Carolina Östberg (17 May 1853 – 27 February 1924) was a Swedish

opera singer Opera is a form of Western 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 lib ...

and singing teacher. She was nationally and internationally famous and belonged to the elite members of the

Royal Swedish Opera Royal Swedish Opera () is an opera and ballet company based in Stockholm, Sweden. Location and environment The building is located in the centre of Sweden's capital, Stockholm, in the borough of Norrmalm (borough), Norrmalm, on the eastern si ...

Life

Carolina Östberg was the daughter of the barber-surgeon Johan Ludvig Östberg and Beata Ulrika Wallberg. She displayed a natural musical talent at an early age. She was enrolled at the

Royal Dramatic Training Academy The Royal Dramatic Training Academy (, also known as ''Dramatens elevskola''), was the acting school of Sweden's national stage, the Royal Dramatic Theatre, and for many years (1787–1964) seen as the foremost theatre school and drama education ...

from 1869 to 1873, and a student of

Signe Hebbe Signe Amanda Georgina Hebbe (30 July 1837 – 14 February, 1925) was a Swedish operatic soprano and instructor. Life Signe Hebbe was born in Värnamo to the journalist Vendela Hebbe and Clemens Hebbe. Education In 1848, at the age of ele ...

. She was active as a concert singer before she made her debut '' Stora Teatern'' at the 1873–74 season with Louise Pyk. Both Östbeg and Pyk made a great success. She was given a contract at the Stora Teatern after her part as Carlo Broschi in ''Hälften var'', a part which was to be her most popular. When she retired after her marriage to the merchant Horwitz in 1877, she had become one of her country's most noted singers. When she was unexpectedly launched in the lead role of ''Boccaccio'' in '' Nya Teatern'' in 1879, "The applause never seemed to stop", and the press demanded that she be given a position at the

. She performed in

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

(1880), Germany (1882–83), Norway (1885), and ''Nya Teatern'' in Stockholm under the name Mrs Östberg. In 1886, Östberg was employed at the Royal Swedish Opera. This was seen as the triumph of the audience over the operatic management: "The Public had had its will" over the opera, after having demanded that she be employed there for years. She stayed there for the remainder of her career, except for a tour of the United States in 1892–94. She was compared to Louise Michaeli. She was awarded the

Litteris et Artibus Litteris et Artibus is a Swedish royal medal established in 1853 by Charles XV of Sweden, who was then crown prince. It is awarded to people who have made important contributions to culture, especially music, dramatic art and literature. The ob ...

medal in 1891, and again with brilliants in 1900. In 1897, she was inducted into the

Royal Swedish Academy of Music The Royal Swedish Academy of Music (), founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in ...

. In 1905, she made nine

gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

recordings. She retired in 1906, and was later active as a singing teacher. Among her parts were the title role of '' La Gioconda'', Sieglinde in ''

Die Walküre (; ''The Valkyrie''), Wagner-Werk-Verzeichnis, WWV 86B, is the second of the four epic poetry, epic music dramas that constitute Richard Wagner's Literary cycle, cycle ''Der Ring des Nibelungen'' (English: ''The Ring of the Nibelung''). It was ...

'', Alice in ''

Falstaff Sir John Falstaff is a fictional character who appears in three plays by William Shakespeare and is eulogised in a fourth. His significance as a fully developed character is primarily formed in the plays ''Henry IV, Part 1'' and '' Part 2'', w ...

'', Marguerite de Valois in ''

Les Huguenots () is an opera by Giacomo Meyerbeer and is one of the most popular and spectacular examples of grand opera. In five acts, to a libretto by Eugène Scribe and Émile Deschamps, it premiered in Paris on 29 February 1836. Composition history '' ...

'' and the title role in ''

Aida ''Aida'' (or ''Aïda'', ) is a tragic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Antonio Ghislanzoni. Set in the Old Kingdom of Egypt, it was commissioned by Cairo's Khedivial Opera House and had its première there on 24 De ...

''.

References

*
Europas konstnärer
' (The artists of Europe) (Swedish) * Österberg, Carin et al., ''Svenska kvinnor: föregångare, nyskapare'' (Swedish women: Predecessors, pioneers). Lund: Signum 1990. ()

Life

References

Further reading