Christoffer Christian Karsten
Encyclopedia
Christoffer Christian Karsten (1756–1827) was a Swedish opera singer, sometimes called the greatest male opera singer in Swedish history. He was also the maternal grandfather of the world famous ballerina Marie Taglioni
.
, he was discovered by queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
in 1771, when he sang for her on her way to her visit to Berlin
, and so impressed her that she gave him the opportunity to study singing in Stockholm
.
In 1773 he debuted at the Royal Swedish Opera
in Bollhuset
with Carl Stenborg and Elisabeth Olin
in the famous opera performance Thetis och Phelée and was after this employed at the opera's choir until he performed his first leading role as Adonis
in the opera ballet
Adonis. He was then sent to study under Potenza in Copenhagen
, and when he returned in 1778, he became the greatest male singer in Sweden together with Carl Stenborg until 1806, admired for the beauty of both his voice and his body. In 1781, at his marriage, he was given the villa Canton at Drottningholm
, were his family lived until 1870. He was elected into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
and made Hovsångare
in 1787 and was given the title royal secretary in 1791.
At his debut 1776 he was given the critic: "At last, the director at the Opera have required a rival to Mr Carl Stenborg
in young Karsten, who sang and playd very well in Adonis. Even without the clothes and the make up he has a pleasant physionomy, beautiful figure, tall and slim", and was judged as: "An enormous victory for (director) Zibet but a créve-coeur for Mrs Olin
, who being forced to act opposite a boy from the choir." Karsten and Stenborg was the male stars of the Gustavian age in Sweden, and complemented each other well, as they had different ways of acting: "When Karsten with his strong, sonorous, all-dominating voice shooked the entire nervous system of the listeners, delighted them and commanded admiration, the soft, sensitive, melodious tones of Stenborg penetrated the heart and filled the eyes with sympathetic tears."
Among the plays he performed in was Arséne by Monsigny opposite Marie Louise Marcadet
and Elisabeth Olin during the 1779-80 season, Alceste by Gluck with Caroline Frederikke Müller
and Carl Stenborg (season 1780–1781); Roland by Quinault with Carl Stenborg and Müller (1781–1782); Atys by Piccinni opposite Carl Stenborg and Marcadet (1784–1785), Iphigenie på Tauris by Glück with Carl Stenborg and Müller and Gustaf Wasa by Naumann with Marcadet, Carl Stenborg and Müller (1785–1786), Armide by Quinault
with Carl Stenborg and Müller (1786–1787); Gustaf Adolf och Ebba Brahe by Gustav III with Müller, Franziska Stading
and Carl Stenborg (1787–1788); Azemia by Dalayrac
with Müller and Abraham de Broen (1792–1793); Folke Birgersson till Ringstad with Marcadet and Inga Åberg
(1792–1793), De bägge Savojarderna (Two Savoyards) by Dalayrac with Müller and Marcadet (1793–1794); Reanud d'Ast by Dalayrac with Müller (1795–1796); Aeneas in Carthago by Kraus with Carl Stenborg (1799–1800) and Oidipus i Athen by Sacchini 1800-01 opposite Stading.
In 1796, he played opposite, Caroline Müller, Louis Deland
, Carl Stenborg and Inga Åberg
in the play Karavanen (The Caravane) by Gretry, which was held to celebrate that the young king had ben declared of legal majority.
He also toured abroad. He sang in Copenhagen
1783, Berlin
1788, 1792 in London
and 1810-1811 in Paris
.
When the Royal Swedish opera was (temporarily) closed in 1806, he was forced to retire with the rest of the staff. After it opened again in 1809, he made guest appearances until 1825.
Karsten married the Polish actor and opera singer Mariane Sophie Stebnowska
(1753–1848), also considered as one of the better talents at the opera until 1806. His daughter, Sophie Karsten
, was premier dancer at the Opera in 1805-1806, married Filippo Taglioni
and became the mother of Marie Taglioni
. His younger daughter, Elisabeth Charlotta Karsten
, was a painter.
Marie Taglioni
Marie Taglioni was a famous Italian/Swedish ballerina of the Romantic ballet era, a central figure in the history of European dance.-Biography:...
.
Biography
Born in YstadYstad
Ystad is a "locality", or town, and the seat of Ystad Municipality, Skåne County, Sweden, with 17,286 inhabitants .Settlement dates back to the 11th century and the town has become a busy ferryport, local administrative centre and tourist attraction...
, he was discovered by queen Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia
Louisa Ulrika of Prussia was Queen of Sweden between 1751 and 1771 as the spouse of King Adolf Frederick of Sweden, and queen mother during the reign of King Gustav III of Sweden.-Background:...
in 1771, when he sang for her on her way to her visit to Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, and so impressed her that she gave him the opportunity to study singing 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 1773 he debuted at the Royal Swedish Opera
Royal Swedish Opera
Kungliga Operan is Sweden's national stage for opera and ballet.-Location and Environment:...
in Bollhuset
Bollhuset
Bollhuset, also called ', ', and ' at various times, was the name of the first theater in Stockholm, Sweden; it was the first Swedish theater and the first real theater building in the whole of Scandinavia. The name "" means "The Ball House", and it was built in 1627 for ball sports and used in...
with Carl Stenborg and Elisabeth Olin
Elisabeth Olin
Elisabeth Olin was a Swedish opera singer and a music composer. She is referred to as the first Swedish Opera prima donna. She was a court-singer . She was the first female member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music...
in the famous opera performance Thetis och Phelée and was after this employed at the opera's choir until he performed his first leading role as Adonis
Adonis
Adonis , in Greek mythology, the god of beauty and desire, is a figure with Northwest Semitic antecedents, where he is a central figure in various mystery religions. The Greek , Adōnis is a variation of the Semitic word Adonai, "lord", which is also one of the names used to refer to God in the Old...
in the opera ballet
Ballet
Ballet is a type of performance dance, that originated in the Italian Renaissance courts of the 15th century, and which was further developed in France and Russia as a concert dance form. The early portions preceded the invention of the proscenium stage and were presented in large chambers with...
Adonis. He was then sent to study under Potenza in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, and when he returned in 1778, he became the greatest male singer in Sweden together with Carl Stenborg until 1806, admired for the beauty of both his voice and his body. In 1781, at his marriage, he was given the villa Canton at Drottningholm
Drottningholm
Drottningholm, literally "Queen's Islet", is a locality situated in Ekerö Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden, with 410 inhabitants in 2005....
, were his family lived until 1870. He was elected into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
Royal Swedish Academy of Music
The Royal Swedish Academy of Music or Kungl. Musikaliska Akademien, founded in 1771 by King Gustav III, is one of the Royal Academies in Sweden...
and made Hovsångare
Hovsångare
Hovsångare , literally Court Singer, is a title awarded by the Swedish monarch to a singer who, by their vocal art, has contributed to the international standing of Swedish singing. The formal title was introduced by King Gustav III of Sweden in 1773, with the first recipients being Elisabeth Olin...
in 1787 and was given the title royal secretary in 1791.
At his debut 1776 he was given the critic: "At last, the director at the Opera have required a rival to Mr 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 :...
in young Karsten, who sang and playd very well in Adonis. Even without the clothes and the make up he has a pleasant physionomy, beautiful figure, tall and slim", and was judged as: "An enormous victory for (director) Zibet but a créve-coeur for Mrs Olin
Elisabeth Olin
Elisabeth Olin was a Swedish opera singer and a music composer. She is referred to as the first Swedish Opera prima donna. She was a court-singer . She was the first female member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music...
, who being forced to act opposite a boy from the choir." Karsten and Stenborg was the male stars of the Gustavian age in Sweden, and complemented each other well, as they had different ways of acting: "When Karsten with his strong, sonorous, all-dominating voice shooked the entire nervous system of the listeners, delighted them and commanded admiration, the soft, sensitive, melodious tones of Stenborg penetrated the heart and filled the eyes with sympathetic tears."
Among the plays he performed in was Arséne by Monsigny opposite Marie Louise Marcadet
Marie Louise Marcadet
Marie Louise Marcadet was a Swedish opera singer and a dramatic stage actor. She was active in both the Royal Swedish Opera, and at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. She is regarded as the greatest tragedienne in Sweden during the 1780s decade, before the first noted native tragedienne, Maria Franck...
and Elisabeth Olin during the 1779-80 season, Alceste by Gluck with Caroline Frederikke Müller
Caroline Frederikke Müller
Caroline Frederikke Müller , also known as Caroline Walther, was a Danish and later naturalized Swedish singer , dancer and actor and principal of the theatre academy Dramatens elevskola...
and Carl Stenborg (season 1780–1781); Roland by Quinault with Carl Stenborg and Müller (1781–1782); Atys by Piccinni opposite Carl Stenborg and Marcadet (1784–1785), Iphigenie på Tauris by Glück with Carl Stenborg and Müller and Gustaf Wasa by Naumann with Marcadet, Carl Stenborg and Müller (1785–1786), Armide by Quinault
Philippe Quinault
Philippe Quinault , French dramatist and librettist, was born in Paris.- Biography :Quinault was educated by the liberality of François Tristan l'Hermite, the author of Marianne. Quinault's first play was produced at the Hôtel de Bourgogne in 1653, when he was only eighteen...
with Carl Stenborg and Müller (1786–1787); Gustaf Adolf och Ebba Brahe by Gustav III with Müller, Franziska Stading
Franziska Stading
Sofia "Franziska" Stading was a opera singer and actor; originally from Germany, she became one of the most popular stars in Sweden in the 18th century...
and Carl Stenborg (1787–1788); Azemia by Dalayrac
Nicolas Dalayrac
Nicolas-Marie d'Alayrac, known as Nicolas Dalayrac , was a French composer, best known for his opéras-comiques.- Biography :...
with Müller and Abraham de Broen (1792–1793); Folke Birgersson till Ringstad with Marcadet and Inga Åberg
Inga Åberg
Inga Åberg was a Swedish actress and opera singer, one of the most popular and well known actors of her time in Sweden...
(1792–1793), De bägge Savojarderna (Two Savoyards) by Dalayrac with Müller and Marcadet (1793–1794); Reanud d'Ast by Dalayrac with Müller (1795–1796); Aeneas in Carthago by Kraus with Carl Stenborg (1799–1800) and Oidipus i Athen by Sacchini 1800-01 opposite Stading.
In 1796, he played opposite, Caroline Müller, Louis Deland
Louis Deland
Louis Joseph Marie Deland was a Swedish ballet dancer, singer, actor, choreographer and ballet master in the Royal Swedish Ballet...
, Carl Stenborg and Inga Åberg
Inga Åberg
Inga Åberg was a Swedish actress and opera singer, one of the most popular and well known actors of her time in Sweden...
in the play Karavanen (The Caravane) by Gretry, which was held to celebrate that the young king had ben declared of legal majority.
He also toured abroad. He sang in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
1783, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
1788, 1792 in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and 1810-1811 in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
When the Royal Swedish opera was (temporarily) closed in 1806, he was forced to retire with the rest of the staff. After it opened again in 1809, he made guest appearances until 1825.
Karsten married the Polish actor and opera singer Mariane Sophie Stebnowska
Sophie Stebnowska
Mariane Theresia Sophie Stebnowska , was a Polish opera singer, actor and harpist. She was among the great talents of the Royal Swedish Opera in Stockholm during the reign of King Gustav III of Sweden...
(1753–1848), also considered as one of the better talents at the opera until 1806. His daughter, Sophie Karsten
Sophie Karsten
Hedvig Sophie Karsten was a Swedish ballerina and artist .Born to opera singers Christoffer Christian Karsten and Sophie Stebnowska, she was the sister of painter Elisabeth Charlotta Karsten....
, was premier dancer at the Opera in 1805-1806, married Filippo Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni
Filippo Taglioni was an Italian dancer and choreographer and personal teacher to his own daughter, the famous Romantic ballerina Marie Taglioni. He is the son of Carlo and father of both Marie and Paul...
and became the mother of Marie Taglioni
Marie Taglioni
Marie Taglioni was a famous Italian/Swedish ballerina of the Romantic ballet era, a central figure in the history of European dance.-Biography:...
. His younger daughter, Elisabeth Charlotta Karsten
Elisabeth Charlotta Karsten
Elisabeth Charlotta Karsten, married surname Kachanoff, , was a Swedish painter.She was the daughter of Kristofer Kristian Karsten and Sophie Stebnowska and sister of Sophie Karsten. She was the student of Carl Johan Fahlcrantz. Karsten was a landscape painter and copied in oil from the work, among...
, was a painter.