Christina Rahm
Encyclopedia
Christina Rahm, was a Swedish opera
tic singer and a dramatic actress. She was employed at the Eriksberg Theatre in Stockholm
in 1780-84 and at the Stenborg Theatre
1784-99, and therefter at travelling theatres. She was the first Swedish artist to play Rosina in The Barber of Seville
(1785).
in 1782 as the spouse of the wig
-maker of the Royal Swedish Opera
, Jacob Rahm. She was engaged by Carl Stenborg
at the Eriksberg Theatre the same year, and 1784 at the Stenborg Theatre, where she was to be a celebrated prima donna
.
Rahm is described as :"one of the theatre's most useful actresses". She participated in both spoken drama as well as opera. She had a good singing voice, which made her often used when the theatre offered opera, musicals and other lyrical performances. She often played the part of soubrette
.
Among her parts were: Jenny in Kungen och skogvaktaren(The king and the gamekeeper), Lisbet in Njugg spar, Orphale in Alexander den Store(Alexander the Great) (1784), Catau in Julie (1786), Rosalie in Den bedragne bedragaren(The deceived deceiver) (1788), baron Birkwitz in Greven av Oldsbach(The Count of Oldsbach) (1790), the abbess in The Magic Flute
(1794), and Genevieve in Richard Coeur-de-lion
by Michel-Jean Sedaine
(1795).
On 11 December 1785, she was the first Swedish artist to play Rosina in The Barber of Seville
, a part she played pregnant with her daughter - she had five children. A lot of benefit performances were given to Christina Rahm.
In 1799, the Munkbro Theatre was closed. Rahm toured with the travelling theatre of Anton Lindqvist, were she performed in Gothenburg
. In 1800, her husband died in poverty. In 1804-09, she was a member in the travelling theatre of Carl Stenborg, and performed in Linköping
, Karlskrona
Kalmar
and Gothenburg
.
, Jonas Sundman as Jonas in Mäklaren(The Broker), Carl Schylander as Mor Bobi and dansmästare Rigadoun, Johanna Löfblad as Gertrud in Njugg spar(The stingy saver), Brita Maria Modéer as the maid in Den obetänksamma(The Thoughtless one), Christina Rahm as Anna Stina in Mascarade by Holberg
, Lisette Stenberg
as Lady Alton in Skottländskan(The Scottish Woman) by Voltaire
, Margareta Sofia Lagerqvist
as Anette in Anette and Lubin by Charles Dibdin
, and Eva Säfström as Trädgårdsflickan (The garderner girl) in Sophie.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic singer and a dramatic actress. She was employed at the Eriksberg Theatre in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1780-84 and at the Stenborg Theatre
Stenborg Theatre
The Stenborg theatre, also called Svenska Komiska Teatern, Komiska Teatern and Munkbroteatern, was a historical Swedish 18th century theatre, active between 1784 and 1799 in Gamla stan in Stockholm. It was the second theatre of Stockholm during the Gustavian age...
1784-99, and therefter at travelling theatres. She was the first Swedish artist to play Rosina in The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
(1785).
Biography
Christina Rahm arrived in StockholmStockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
in 1782 as the spouse of the wig
Wig
A wig is a head of hair made from horsehair, human hair, wool, feathers, yak hair, buffalo hair, or synthetic materials which is worn on the head for fashion or various other aesthetic and stylistic reasons, including cultural and religious observance. The word wig is short for periwig and first...
-maker of the Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
, Jacob Rahm. She was engaged by Carl Stenborg
Carl Stenborg
Carl Stenborg was a Swedish opera singer, actor, composer and theatre director. He is considered the first great male opera singer in Sweden and one of the pioneers of the Royal Swedish Opera.- Biography :...
at the Eriksberg Theatre the same year, and 1784 at the Stenborg Theatre, where she was to be a celebrated prima donna
Prima donna
Originally used in opera or Commedia dell'arte companies, "prima donna" is Italian for "first lady." The term was used to designate the leading female singer in the opera company, the person to whom the prime roles would be given. The prima donna was normally, but not necessarily, a soprano...
.
Rahm is described as :"one of the theatre's most useful actresses". She participated in both spoken drama as well as opera. She had a good singing voice, which made her often used when the theatre offered opera, musicals and other lyrical performances. She often played the part of soubrette
Soubrette
A soubrette is a female stock character in opera and theatre. The term arrived in English from Provençal via French, and means "conceited" or "coy".-Theater:...
.
Among her parts were: Jenny in Kungen och skogvaktaren(The king and the gamekeeper), Lisbet in Njugg spar, Orphale in Alexander den Store(Alexander the Great) (1784), Catau in Julie (1786), Rosalie in Den bedragne bedragaren(The deceived deceiver) (1788), baron Birkwitz in Greven av Oldsbach(The Count of Oldsbach) (1790), the abbess in The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute
The Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
(1794), and Genevieve in Richard Coeur-de-lion
Richard Coeur-de-lion (opera)
Richard Coeur-de-lion is an opéra comique, described as a comédie mise en musique, by the Belgian composer André Grétry. was by Michel-Jean Sedaine. The work is generally recognised as Grétry's masterpiece and one of the most important French opéras comiques...
by Michel-Jean Sedaine
Michel-Jean Sedaine
Michel-Jean Sedaine was a French dramatist, was born in Paris.- Biography :His father, who was an architect, died when Sedaine was quite young, leaving no fortune, and the boy began life as a mason's labourer...
(1795).
On 11 December 1785, she was the first Swedish artist to play Rosina in The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
, a part she played pregnant with her daughter - she had five children. A lot of benefit performances were given to Christina Rahm.
In 1799, the Munkbro Theatre was closed. Rahm toured with the travelling theatre of Anton Lindqvist, were she performed in Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
. In 1800, her husband died in poverty. In 1804-09, she was a member in the travelling theatre of Carl Stenborg, and performed in Linköping
Linköping
Linköping is a city in southern middle Sweden, with 104 232 inhabitants in 2010. It is the seat of Linköping Municipality with 146 736 inhabitants and the capital of Östergötland County...
, Karlskrona
Karlskrona
Karlskrona is a locality and the seat of Karlskrona Municipality, Blekinge County, Sweden with 35,212 inhabitants in 2010. It is also the capital of Blekinge County. Karlskrona is known as Sweden's only baroque city and is host to Sweden's only remaining naval base and the headquarters of the...
Kalmar
Kalmar
Kalmar is a city in Småland in the south-east of Sweden, situated by the Baltic Sea. It had 62,767 inhabitants in 2010 and is the seat of Kalmar Municipality. It is also the capital of Kalmar County, which comprises 12 municipalities with a total of 233,776 inhabitants .From the thirteenth to the...
and Gothenburg
Gothenburg
Gothenburg is the second-largest city in Sweden and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated on the west coast of Sweden, the city proper has a population of 519,399, with 549,839 in the urban area and total of 937,015 inhabitants in the metropolitan area...
.
Roles
When the playwright Didrik Gabriel Björn launched his play Det besynnerliga spektaklet(The odd spectacle) (1790), as an after-play to Greven av Oldsbach (The Count of Oldsbach) by Brandes translated by Björn, the artists of the theatre were to thank the audience for their support in the guise of their most popular role characters. Björn performed as himself: Magnus Bonn as Mäster Sock in Skomakaren(The Shoemaker), Anders Lundberg as Hyrkusken (The Coachman) in Engelsmannen i Paris(An Englishman in Paris) by Bertin d'Antilly, Johan Petter Lindskog as Bartholo and Bazile in The Barber of SevilleThe Barber of Seville
The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchais's comedy Le Barbier de Séville , which was originally an opéra comique, or a mixture of spoken play with music...
, Jonas Sundman as Jonas in Mäklaren(The Broker), Carl Schylander as Mor Bobi and dansmästare Rigadoun, Johanna Löfblad as Gertrud in Njugg spar(The stingy saver), Brita Maria Modéer as the maid in Den obetänksamma(The Thoughtless one), Christina Rahm as Anna Stina in Mascarade by Holberg
Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian double monarchy, who spent most of his adult life in Denmark. He was influenced by Humanism, the Enlightenment and the Baroque...
, Lisette Stenberg
Lisette Stenberg
Caroline Lisette Stenberg, was a Swedish actor and musician. She was a well known and popular actor in 18th century Stockholm, and a star of the Stenborg Theatre...
as Lady Alton in Skottländskan(The Scottish Woman) by Voltaire
Voltaire
François-Marie Arouet , better known by the pen name Voltaire , was a French Enlightenment writer, historian and philosopher famous for his wit and for his advocacy of civil liberties, including freedom of religion, free trade and separation of church and state...
, Margareta Sofia Lagerqvist
Margareta Sofia Lagerqvist
Margareta Sofia Lagerqvist , was a noted Swedish opera singer and stage actor.She was employed as an opera singer at the Royal Swedish Opera, and as an actor at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, in 1788-99, and additionally as both an actor and a singer at the Stenborg Theatre in Stockholm in 1784-99.Her...
as Anette in Anette and Lubin by Charles Dibdin
Charles Dibdin
Charles Dibdin was a British musician, dramatist, novelist, actor and songwriter. The son of a parish clerk, he was born in Southampton on or before 4 March 1745, and was the youngest of a family of 18....
, and Eva Säfström as Trädgårdsflickan (The garderner girl) in Sophie.