Dorothea Schröder, Zeitgeschichte auf der Opernbühne. Barockes Musiktheater in Hamburg im Dienst von Politik und Diplomatie (Abhandlungen zur Musikgeschichte), Göttingen 1998

In her postdoctoral thesis (Habilitation), Dorothea Schröder studies the operatic staging of contemporary history in late 17^th to early 18^th century Hamburg. The author is a historical musicologist and art historian primarily focusing on baroque opera in Northern Germany, Georg Friedrich Handel, the musical history of England, organ building between 1500 and 1750, and the general cultural history of Northern Germany and Scandinavia in the 17^th and 18^th century.

Understanding Hamburg as a city influenced by both local and European politics, dependent from sovereigns on the one hand, equipped with enormous financial power making it somehow independent on the other hand, Schröder argues that there, opera was not limited to enjoying the arts and moral aspects, but also made up a significant part of political life. Preliminary to discussing the different pieces, the specific performance conditions (initiator, finances, and ceremonial context etc.) had to be retraced. In that respect, Schröder also draws a connection to the festive culture of 17^th and 18^th century Hamburg. The main part then covers around thirty operas, mixed genres with ballet and singing (“Singeballett”), and prologues, structured according to the addressees with the aim of highlighting for example the relationship between Hamburg and the emperor throughout the decades.

In this analysis of the operas performed on the occasion of coronation ceremonies, royal birthdays, and weddings as well as major victories, a diverse tradition continuing for half a century singling out Hamburg as an opera centre in the Reich, the author decodes the political messages carried by the historical subjects and thus views baroque opera in Hamburg as a political medium. To this end, she examines the historical, emblematic, allegorical layers of the respective libretti and reveals references to specific persons. Contrary to the frequent interpretation of the Oper am Gänsemarkt as the first and exclusively public opera house Schröder draws a very convincing outline of a cultural institution involved in contemporary politics.

One of the works presented is the opera Die wiederhergestellte Ruh oder Die gecrönte Tapferkeit des Heraclius (1712) with a libretto by Johann Ulrich König – based on Nicolò Beregani’s L’Heraclio (Venice 1671) – and music by Reinhard Keiser portraying the Byzantine emperor Heraclius (r. 610–​641). It was performed on the occasion of Charles’ VI coronation as the king of Hungary, a result of the Peace of Szatmár (1711) brought about by Charles’ predecessor Joseph I, and also in honour of Anton Ulrich of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, whose granddaughter was the emperor’s wife Elisabeth Christine. Thus, the title motto of the opera allowed for references to this political momentum. Another relevant context-related aspect pointed out by the author were the conflicts between the Hamburg council and citizenship following the reopening of the imperial commission, which then called for appeasing the emperor.

What makes Schröder’s study special and also beneficial for an audience with a general historical background, is her aim of combining both urban history and the history of the Reich, social, economic, and art history to reveal the message of these compositions. As this is connected with the aspiration of empathizing with the Baroque mindset and its specific way of perception, Schröder has consulted a broad basis of contemporary historical sources such as the reports of the imperial, English, Danish, and Prussian envoys in Hamburg, 17^th and 18^th century chronicles located in the Commerzbibliothek of the Hamburg chamber of commerce as well as several daily newspapers and periodicals.