Lisette Stenberg
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Caroline Lisette (Maria Elisabet) Stenberg (23 October 1770 in
Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...
or Gothenburg – 18 June 1847 in
Vänersborg Vänersborg () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,904) Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which mer ...
) was a Swedish stage actress, singer and
pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...
. She was a popular stage celebrity artist in Gustavian era Stockholm, and a star of the
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 t ...
. She was not only an actress but also a singer and a musician, and played piano forte between the acts.Johan Flodmark: Stenborgska skådebanorna: bidrag till Stockholms teaterhistoria, Norstedt, Stockholm, 1893


Life

Lisette Stenberg was born under the name Maria Elisabet Stenberg as the daughter of a custom inspector in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
, the narrative of her background was that she had initially ran away from home with a lover, and when she was abandoned by him and her family would not accept her back, she took employment as the theater out of necessity: "Abandoned by her family, betrayed by her lover, the theatre became her only refuge, and in her despair she vowed to become the most extravagant actress that ever existed. Unfortunately, she kept her promise all to well."


Career at the Stenborg theater

Maria Elisabet Stenberg adopted the name of Lisette Stenberg, and was engaged at the
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 t ...
in Stockholm. The Stenborg Theatre, which was categorized as a
boulevard A boulevard is a type of broad avenue planted with rows of trees, or in parts of North America, any urban highway or wide road in a commercial district. In Europe, boulevards were originally circumferential roads following the line of former ...
theater by foreigners, was a not considered fashionable by the aristocracy, but was the most popular Stockholm theater among the public: it was said that while the nobility preferred the French Theater of Gustav III and the wealthy burghers the
Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre (, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The theatre has been at its present lo ...
, the wider public frequented the Stenborg Theatre, which was very successful. Lisette Stenberg was a multi talent and successfully active in the three capacities as an actress, singer and musician. Stenberg made her debut as an actress at the Stenborg Theatre in the
Harlequinade ''Harlequinade'' is an English comic theatrical genre, defined by the ''Oxford English Dictionary'' as "that part of a pantomime in which the harlequin and clown play the principal parts". It developed in England between the 17th and mid-19th ce ...
''Arlequin Favirot-sultaninna'' ('Favorite Sultaness of Harlequin') on 2 April 1789, and made an immediate success. As a debutante, her name was by custom not in the program, but the success prompted the press to acquire for her name and ask to see her again. In 1789, she also debuted as a pianist: while performing as an actress in the role of Countess Clainville in ''Det oförmodade vadet'' ('Unexpected bet') by Sedaine, she additionally surprised the audience by playing a
clavichord The clavichord is a stringed rectangular keyboard instrument that was used largely in the Late Middle Ages, through the Renaissance music, Renaissance, Baroque music, Baroque and Classical period (music), Classical eras. Historically, it was most ...
sonata In music a sonata (; pl. ''sonate'') literally means a piece ''played'' as opposed to a cantata (Latin and Italian ''cantare'', "to sing"), a piece ''sung''. The term evolved through the history of music, designating a variety of forms until th ...
accompanied by a
violin The violin, sometimes referred to as a fiddle, is a wooden chordophone, and is the smallest, and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in regular use in the violin family. Smaller violin-type instruments exist, including the violino picc ...
ist from the orchestra. This made her recognized as a competent musician as well as an actress, and her musical performance was repeated on demand for the rest of the season. In 1794, finally, she made her debut as a singer at a concert at concert at ''
Riddarhuset The House of Nobility () in Stockholm, Sweden, is a corporation and a building that maintains records and acts as an interest group on behalf of the Swedish nobility. Name The name is literally translated as ''House of Knights'', as the knight ...
'': also as a singer, she achieved acclaim by the audience. She also appeared as a singer onstage when performing in
operetta Operetta is a form of theatre and a genre of light opera. It includes spoken dialogue, songs and including dances. It is lighter than opera in terms of its music, orchestral size, and length of the work. Apart from its shorter length, the oper ...
s. As an actress she performed in both
melodrama A melodrama is a Drama, dramatic work in which plot, typically sensationalized for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodrama is "an exaggerated version of drama". Melodramas typically concentrate on ...
,
tragedy A tragedy is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a tragic hero, main character or cast of characters. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy is to invoke an accompanying catharsi ...
and "higher
comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...
". Among her roles wherd Franciska in '' Minna von Barnhelm'' by
Lessing Lessing is a German surname of Slavic origin. The original Sorbian form, ''Lěsnik'', means either "forest dweller" or "woodman", ''lěs'' meaning "wood forest". People with the surname Lessing include a German family of writers, artists, musicians ...
(1793),
Orgon Orgon (; ancient: ''Urgonum'', or ''Castrum de Urgone'') is a commune in the Bouches-du-Rhône department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southern France. It is located on the departmental border with Vaucluse, which follows the ...
in ''
Tartuffe ''Tartuffe, or The Impostor, or The Hypocrite'' (; , ), first performed in 1664, is a theatrical comedy (or more specifically, a farce) by Molière. The characters of Tartuffe, Elmire, and Orgon are considered among the greatest classical theat ...
'', Zemir in ''Zemir et Azor'' by Gretry, the main part in''Rosalie''. In 1790, she became one of the first Swedish actresses known by name confirmed to have created a
breeches role In theater, a breeches role or breeches part (also pants role, pants part, trouser role, trouser part, and Hosenrolle) is a role in which a female actor performs in male clothing. Breeches, tight-fitting knee-length pants, were a standard male ...
in the part of Count Razilli, and she is known as the first Swedish actress to play Cherubin in ''
The Marriage of Figaro (play) ''The Marriage of Figaro'' ( ("The Mad Day, or The Marriage of Figaro")) is a comedy in five acts, written in 1778 by Pierre Beaumarchais. This play is the second in the Figaro trilogy, preceded by ''The Barber of Seville'' and followed by '' T ...
'' (1792).Nordisk familjebok
/ref> Among her most known roles where the seductress in ''Den förförda ynglingen'' ('Seduced Youth') by Didrik Björn. She was generally given very good reviews and acknowledged for her ability by both the critics and the audience, and was referred to by Gustaf Abraham Silverstolpe as "one of the greatest actresses the world have seen."


Private life

In parallel to her popularity as an artist, Lisette Stenberg was also known for the scandals of her private life, primarily for her financial affairs. Stenberg borrowed sizable sums without paying them back, made purchases by forging signatures - among others that of the theater director
Carl Stenborg Carl Stenborg (8 September 1752 – 1 August 1813) was a Swedish opera singer, composer and theatre director. He belonged to the pioneer generation of the Royal Swedish Opera and was regarded as one of the leading opera singers of the Gustavian e ...
(who was known to give generous loans to his actors and never demand repayment) - and paid back loans by pawning borrowed items from others, acts which all placed her finances in chaos and placed her under scrutiny of the police. She made personal bankruptcy in 1789 and in 1794 and arrested in 1795, but was released on demand of her
creditor A creditor or lender is a party (e.g., person, organization, company, or government) that has a claim on the services of a second party. It is a person or institution to whom money is owed. The first party, in general, has provided some propert ...
and employer, Carl Stenborg, who pointed out that she as an unmarried woman was a minor in accordance with the
Civil Code of 1734 The Civil Code of 1734 ( Swedish: ''1734 års lag''), was a code of law passed by the Swedish Riksdag of the Estates in 1734, and put in effect after it had been ratified by Frederick I of Sweden 23 January 1736. It became the foundation of the lat ...
. Because of this, she was released from prison, but the debts she has accumulated stood, and she was arrested three times in 1796 for having pawned borrowed objects. In 1797, a performance was given in benefit of "one of the actresses, who always had the fortune to enjoy the flattering admiration from the audience as well as the proof of its support" - this actress was Stenberg, whose name was not revealed, as she was at that point again declared bankrupt. The scandals of her financial affairs had no effect on her popularity. As a person, she was described as a confidant and strong young woman, and it was said of her that "her fame as an actress grew in parallel with her extravagance." The Stenborg Theater actually experienced an income drop when Lisette Stenborg was 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 ...
during most of the year of 1798, and she was therefore reportedly welcomed back with relief by the theater direction despite her financial activities.


Later life

In 1798, the Royal Theater monopoly (the
Royal Dramatic Theatre The Royal Dramatic Theatre (, colloquially ''Dramaten'') is Sweden's national stage for "spoken drama", founded in 1788. Around one thousand shows are put on annually on the theatre's five running stages. The theatre has been at its present lo ...
and 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 ...
) was introduced, which banned all theaters except the royal theaters within the city borders of the capital, and as a consequence, the Stenborg Theater was closed after the season of 1798–99 and the entire staff lost their positions. Some of the elite members of the Stenborg Theater, such as Eleonora Säfström, were engaged at the Royal Dramatic Theatre, but Lisette Stenberg was reportedly refused – not because of any doubt of her ability as an artist, but because of her financial scandals. Many of the remaining actors of the Stenborg Theater joined travelling theaters, and Lisette Stenberg is listed as one of the actors of the theater company of Johan Antong Lindqvist, when it performed in
Gothenburg Gothenburg ( ; ) is the List of urban areas in Sweden by population, second-largest city in Sweden, after the capital Stockholm, and the fifth-largest in the Nordic countries. Situated by the Kattegat on the west coast of Sweden, it is the gub ...
and
Norrköping Norrköping ( , ) is a city in the province of Östergötland in eastern Sweden and the seat of Norrköping Municipality, Östergötland County, about 160 km southwest of the national capital Stockholm, 40 km east of county seat Lin ...
during 1800. During her performance in ''
Comediehuset Comediehuset (The Comedy House) or Sillgateteatern (The Herring-Street Theatre) was a Swedish theatre, active in Gothenburg from 1779 until 1833. It was the first permanent Public theatre in Gothenburg and the only one until 1816. It was located a ...
'' in Gothenburg that year, she was praised for her voice, her mimic, her posture and gesture by the critics, who claimed that "there is no possibility for any actress to perform the part better", and stated that she was worth all of the great applause she received in the capacity of a singer. Her last recorded performance was on 7 May 1800, in Norrköping. In 1803, two women, one of whom is believed to have been Lisette Stenberg under the name Karolina Stenberg, were arrested in Stockholm suspected of vagrancy and prostitution, but it was not established if that was the case. In 1813, Lisette Stenberg is noted to have been active as a nurse in the
Grande Armée The (; ) was the primary field army of the French Imperial Army (1804–1815), French Imperial Army during the Napoleonic Wars. Commanded by Napoleon, from 1804 to 1808 it won a series of military victories that allowed the First French Empi ...
in
Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
. In 1816, she was arrested in Paris for having stolen clothes from the Swedish ambassador in France,
Gustaf Lagerbjelke Count Gustaf Lagerbjelke (6 October 1817 – 6 March 1895). The 3rd Count Lagerbjelke was a Swedish politician, the last Lord Marshal and the first Speaker of ''Första kammaren'' of the Riksdag. Biography Gustaf Lagerbjelke was born 6 Octobe ...
, in collaboration with his manservant, who was also known as a French spy. Stenberg was however released. She returned to Sweden in the 1820s and lived in
Vänersborg Vänersborg () is a Urban areas in Sweden, locality and the seat of Vänersborg Municipality, Västra Götaland County, Sweden with 23,882 inhabitants (out of a municipal total of 39,904) Until 1997 it was the capital of Älvsborg County, which mer ...
under the French name ''Madame Desvigné-Stenberg'', claiming to be the widow of a Frenchman, and lived on a small pension from French Queen of Sweden
Désirée Clary Bernardine Eugénie Désirée Clary (; 8 November 1777 – 17 December 1860) was Queen of Sweden and Norway from 5 February 1818 to 8 March 1844 as the wife of King Charles XIV John. Charles John was a French general and founder of the House o ...
and by giving French lessons. She died in a
poor house A poorhouse or workhouse is a government-run (usually by a county or municipality) facility to support and provide housing for the dependent or needy. Workhouses In England, Wales and Ireland (but not in Scotland), "workhouse" has been the more ...
.


References


Nordisk familjebok
Nordisk familjebok (Nordic Family Dictionary)

* 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)


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stenberg, Lisette 1770 births 1847 deaths 18th-century Swedish actresses 19th-century Swedish actresses Swedish stage actresses Swedish classical pianists Swedish women pianists Gustavian era people 18th-century Swedish musicians 18th-century Swedish women musicians