page_title: Elisabeth Olin
section_title: Estimation and roles
hierarchical_section_title: Elisabeth Olin / Life / Estimation and roles
caption_attribution_description: English: The costume of Chlytemnestra, as worn by Elisabet Olin. Picture published in Volume 1 (of 8) of Nils Personne’s history of Swedish theatre. Svenska: Elisabet Olins kostym som Klytemnestra. Bild ur Personne: Svenska teatern 1.
context_page_description: Elisabeth Olin née Lillström was a Swedish opera singer and a music composer. She performed the leading female role in the inauguration performance of the Royal Swedish Opera in 1773, and is referred to as the first Swedish opera prima donna. She was the first female to be made Hovsångerska, and the first woman to become a member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Music.
context_section_description: Elisabeth Olin was described as a beauty with a fine figure and suggestive eyes, with a musical and dramatic talent which was described as passionate and noble.
  Elisabeth Olin was compared to Francesca Cuzzoni, Faustina Bordoni and Caterina Gabrielli.  She has been referred to as "Sweden's first dramatic artist", "The Swedish Mara" (after Gertrud Elisabeth Mara).  As a member of the pioneer generation of the Royal Swedish Opera, she has been called one of the "matriarchs of the Opera."
  Elisabeth Olin was for many years in a long term relationship with her colleague, the opera singer Carl Stenborg, who was the son of her former mentor Petter Stenborg.  As the leading female and male opera star of the Royal Swedish Opera, the frequently played the main male and female roles and acted as lovers onstage, and the fact that they were also lovers in private attracted great attention and engaged the critics.  In the inauguration performance of the Royal Swedish Opera, Thetis och Pélée, Elisabeth Olin was praised for her beauty, her grace and her engaging voice, and Carl Stenborg as a beautiful blonde youth with a not strong but skillfully handled voice with the ability to give the Swedish "a new pleasure", and that they were able to portray lovers convincingly.  It was noted that "everyone knew of the tender relationship he [Stenborg] had with Mrs Olin", and this was reputed to be the reason as to why Olin had finally accepted to participate in the opera.  The opera was a success and ran for a full house twice a week during a period of fourteen weeks.  On one occasion, when Olin fell sick, Carl Stenborg was reportedly unwilling to play lover to her replacement Charlotte Eckerman until he was forced to by royal command.
  On a couple of occasions prior to the founding of the Royal Dramatic Theatre, the artists of the opera was asked to participate in speaking theater drama plays.  As theater had lower social status than opera, Elisabeth Olin initially refused to participate when she was asked to take a speaking role in Athalie by Jean Racine (1776), as speaking drama had not been included in her contract.  At this occasion, her relationship to Carl Stenborg was used to persuade her. Her contract as the most privileged member of the opera, and her social status as being a member of the upper class and only participating after having all her terms met in the contract, meant that she could not be forced, but as director Zibet informed the king: "She is with no doubt too tender to wish to humiliate her lover by refusing to take part in a performance, in which he could not refuse to participate."
  Among her best known performances were Galatea in Acis och Galathea by Händel with Carl Stenborg (1773), Eurydice in Orfeus and Eurydice by Glück with Stenborg, Iphigenia in Iphigenia on Tauris by Gluck and the title characters in Athalie by Jean Racine, Silvie by Berton and Trial with Stenborg (season 1773–74), Aline, drottning av Golconda by Uttini with Stenborg (1775–76), and Procris och Cephal by Gretry with Stenborg (1777–78), Clytemnestra in Iphigenie in Aulis by Glück with Stenborg (1778–79) and Zulma in Cora och Alonzo by Naumann (1782–83).
  She also performed privately for the royal court. She played the role of Mechtild in Birger jarl opposite Stenborg in Rikssalen in the Royal Palace, Stockholm during the wedding between Duke Charles and Hedwig Elizabeth Charlotte of Holstein-Gottorp in 1774.
caption: Elisabeth Olin as Klytemnestra.
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