TheatermuseetVedChristiansborg_25aar

h e r dressing room. The k ing also suppo rted an Italian opera till 1778, and besides the C o u rt Th eatre was used as an affi- liated stage of the D a n ish N a tio n a l Theatre, which h a d been opened in 1748 in the Kongens N y to rv (K ing’s N ew M a rk e t), h av ing originally been founde d in 1722 by René de Montaigu, the F ren ch actor, a n d Ludvig Holberg, the dramatist, both of them, from an artistic point af view, pupils of Moliére. A copy af M o n ta ig u ’s petition for establishing a theatre in the D a n ish langu age is fo u n d in the Ho lb erg section of the M u ­ seum. It constitutes the origin of all dramatic art in Scandi- navia. A few Street play-bills from the period of abou t 1722 tell us how modest was the commencement. The h a n d of Lud ­ vig H o lb e rg is also found on a pay-order issued to some of the first actors. These are the only lines still extant concerning the T h e a tre from the h a n d of the master. M a n y artists of the great nations af Europe have performed on the C o u rt Theatre. In 1801, the Englishman James Price a nd the Italian Joseph Casorti introduced their pantomimes, which g radu ally were nationalized by their successors. In 1814 G o rb in g Franck, the G e rm a n director gave performances with a big troupe, and, in 1843, his F rench colleague H eb ert with a no smaller one. Th e year before, the C o u rt Theatre h ad been rebuilt by o rder of the king, Christian V III (1786-1848), espe- cially for the use of Italian opera singers, who were patronized by the C o u rt and the Society of the Capital, and whose p rima­ d o nn a Signora Forconi, was appointed Royal D an ish Private Singer to the King. H e r po rtrait is found in the Museum. J e n n y L ind a n d Angelica Catalan i also, the world-renowned Swedish and Italian lady singers, have sung in these rooms, a n d the celebrated Signora Ristori, Italian tragédienne, gave a series of performances in 1880. O f these artists the Museum also possesses portraits. The C o u rt Theatre, however, has been

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