Franziska Stading
Encyclopedia
Sofia "Franziska" Stading (1763 – 8 February 1836) was a opera singer and actor; originally from Germany, she became one of the most popular stars in Sweden in the 18th century. She was a court singer (Hovsångare
) and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
.
in Prussia
in Germany
as the stepchild of the musician Josef Hummel, (father of Johann Nepomuk Hummel
), and seems to have grown up in The Hague
in the Netherlands
, where she was educated by Gertrud Elisabeth Mara
and the pedagogue Graaf in music and singing.
In 1773, she arrived in Sweden at the age of ten together with her relative, the violin
ist F.B. Augusti, who became a member of the royal chapell and the husband of Lovisa Augusti
. She was employed as a student at the Royal Swedish Opera
in Bollhuset
in Stockholm
and debuted at Drottningholm Palace Theatre
in the part of queen Myris in Arsene by Monsigny in 1779, when she was given a contract as premier actress.
She was called "beautiful, loveable and naive" as a person, and "charmfull and modest as an actor", and was admired for her realism, simplicity and artlesness, and the writer Marianne Ehrenström
said about her that: "Her dark eyes could touch even a stone".
She played the main part in Cora och Alonzo by Naumann at the premier of the new building of the Opera in the 1782-83 season opposite Elisabeth Olin
and Carl Stenborg
, and Margareta Vasa
in Gustav Vasa by Gustav III, the 19 January 1786, an opera called the greatest triumph of the Gustavian opera, regarded as her greatest part.
Among her other parts where Myris in Arséne by Monsigny the 1779-80 year season, Sangaride in Atys by Piccini 1784-85 season, Andromache
in Andromaque by Racine 1785-86, the goddess Frigga in Frigga by Gustav III, 1786–87, Elektra in Elektra by Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner
and Ebba Brahe
in Gustav Adolf och Ebba Brahe (Gustav Adolf and Ebba Brahe) by Gustav III 1787-88, Ingrid in Folke Birgersson till Ringstad (Folke Birgersson of Ringstad) by Gustav III 1792-93, Charlotte in Renaud d'Ast by Dalayrac 1795-96, Antigone
in Oidipus i Athen (Oidipus in Athens) by Sacchini 1800-01 opposite Christoffer Christian Karsten
and Anais in Anakreon på Samos (Anachreon on Samos) by Gretry during the 1802-03 season.
In 1788, she was appointed court singer and elected into the Royal Swedish Academy of Music
the 2 February (chair 107), the same year as Caroline Frederikke Müller
and Lovisa Augusti. When Lovisa Augusti died in 1790, Stading and Caroline Müller was the leading prima donnas of the Opera in Stockholm and, as it was said, shared the main parts in the opera's performances between themselves. She was very popular; of all the idol-portraits printed of the singers at the Opera, she was the only one at the time to have images printed in three different variations at the same time.
In 1806, the Opera was closed (temporarily) by the king, and Stading retired with a full royal pension. She travelled to Germany, where she settled, and died in Dresden.
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...
) and a member of 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...
.
Biography
Franziska Stading was born in BerlinBerlin
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...
in Prussia
Prussia
Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
as the stepchild of the musician Josef Hummel, (father of Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel
Johann Nepomuk Hummel or Jan Nepomuk Hummel was an Austrian composer and virtuoso pianist. His music reflects the transition from the Classical to the Romantic musical era.- Life :...
), and seems to have grown up in The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where she was educated by Gertrud Elisabeth Mara
Gertrud Elisabeth Mara
Gertrud Elisabeth Mara [née Schmeling] was a German operatic soprano.She was born in Kassel, the daughter of a poor musician, Johann Schmeling. From him she learnt to play the violin, and while still a child, her playing at the fair at Frankfurt was so remarkable that money was collected to...
and the pedagogue Graaf in music and singing.
In 1773, she arrived in Sweden at the age of ten together with her relative, the violin
Violin
The violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello....
ist F.B. Augusti, who became a member of the royal chapell and the husband of Lovisa Augusti
Lovisa Augusti
Lovisa Sofia Augusti, , was a Swedish opera singer. She was a court singer and a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.- Biography :...
. She was employed as a student 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...
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...
and debuted at Drottningholm Palace Theatre
Drottningholm Palace Theatre
The Drottningholm Palace Theatre is an opera house located at Drottningholm Palace in Stockholm, Sweden, which has been described by Per-Erik Öhrn, the theatre’s former artistic director, as "the Swedish jewel in our European cultural heritage crown of centuries-old theatres".Currently the...
in the part of queen Myris in Arsene by Monsigny in 1779, when she was given a contract as premier actress.
She was called "beautiful, loveable and naive" as a person, and "charmfull and modest as an actor", and was admired for her realism, simplicity and artlesness, and the writer Marianne Ehrenström
Marianne Ehrenström
Marianne Ehrenström, née Pollet , was a Swedish writer, singer, painter, pianist, culture personality, memorialist, principal and lady-in-waiting...
said about her that: "Her dark eyes could touch even a stone".
She played the main part in Cora och Alonzo by Naumann at the premier of the new building of the Opera in the 1782-83 season opposite 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...
and 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 :...
, and Margareta Vasa
Margareta Eriksdotter (Vasa)
Margareta Eriksdotter Vasa , also called Margareta Vasa and Margareta of Hoya, was a Swedish noble, sister of king Gustav I of Sweden....
in Gustav Vasa by Gustav III, the 19 January 1786, an opera called the greatest triumph of the Gustavian opera, regarded as her greatest part.
Among her other parts where Myris in Arséne by Monsigny the 1779-80 year season, Sangaride in Atys by Piccini 1784-85 season, Andromache
Andromache
In Greek mythology, Andromache was the wife of Hector and daughter of Eetion, and sister to Podes. She was born and raised in the city of Cilician Thebe, over which her father ruled...
in Andromaque by Racine 1785-86, the goddess Frigga in Frigga by Gustav III, 1786–87, Elektra in Elektra by Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner
Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner
Johann Christian Friedrich Hæffner was a German-born Swedish composer.Hæffner received his first musical education with the Schmalkalden organist Johann Gottfried Vierling. He studied in Leipzig from 1776, and then worked as a music conductor in theatres in Frankfurt am Main and Hamburg 1778-1780...
and Ebba Brahe
Ebba Brahe
Ebba Magnusdotter Brahe was a lady-in-waiting in the Swedish court, countess, and the mistress of king Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden...
in Gustav Adolf och Ebba Brahe (Gustav Adolf and Ebba Brahe) by Gustav III 1787-88, Ingrid in Folke Birgersson till Ringstad (Folke Birgersson of Ringstad) by Gustav III 1792-93, Charlotte in Renaud d'Ast by Dalayrac 1795-96, Antigone
Antigone
In Greek mythology, Antigone is the daughter of Oedipus and Jocasta, Oedipus' mother. The name may be taken to mean "unbending", coming from "anti-" and "-gon / -gony" , but has also been suggested to mean "opposed to motherhood", "in place of a mother", or "anti-generative", based from the root...
in Oidipus i Athen (Oidipus in Athens) by Sacchini 1800-01 opposite Christoffer Christian Karsten
Christoffer Christian Karsten
Christoffer Christian Karsten was a Swedish opera singer, sometimes called the greatest male opera singer in Swedish history...
and Anais in Anakreon på Samos (Anachreon on Samos) by Gretry during the 1802-03 season.
In 1788, she was appointed court singer and 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...
the 2 February (chair 107), the same year as 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 Lovisa Augusti. When Lovisa Augusti died in 1790, Stading and Caroline Müller was the leading prima donnas of the Opera in Stockholm and, as it was said, shared the main parts in the opera's performances between themselves. She was very popular; of all the idol-portraits printed of the singers at the Opera, she was the only one at the time to have images printed in three different variations at the same time.
In 1806, the Opera was closed (temporarily) by the king, and Stading retired with a full royal pension. She travelled to Germany, where she settled, and died in Dresden.