Vilhelm Ekelund och den fransk-italienska kultursfären : Några nedslag i de tidiga prosaverken - från Antikt ideal (1909) till Attiskt i fågelperspektiv (1919)

Vilhelm Ekelund och den fransk-italienska kultursfären: Några nedslag i de tidiga prosaverken – från Antikt ideal (1909) till Attiskt i fågelperspektiv (1919). (Vilhelm Ekelund and the French and Italian cultural heritage: A study of his early prose – from Antikt ideal (1909) to Attiskt i fågelperspektiv (1919)). The Swedish poet, essayist and aphorist Vilhelm Ekelund was not only influenced by German literature and philosophy, he also wrote extensive literary criticism on the subject of Romance language authors. This article discusses Ekelund’s relationship to some of the most influential French and Italian writers – as it can be seen in his work during the period 1909-1919. This relationship was ambiguous: he paid homage to French authors such as Montaigne, Montesquieu, Stendhal and Comte – as well as to the Italian poet and philosopher Leopardi – but he also severely criticized such distinguished writers as Baudelaire, Rousseau and Maupassant. One conclusion of this article is that the authors praised by Ekelund all venerate the Greek and Roman cultural heritage, whereas the despised novelists and poets were, in his opinion, either too “modern” or too “feminine” – both highly pejorative adjectives in the author’s terminology. It is also noted that Ekelund’s most ferocious attacks date from the first part of the decade, before he entered a more harmonic period with the works Metron (1918) and Attiskt i fågelperspektiv (1919).

L’insegnamento online delle lingue all’Università del Dalarna (Svezia) : Esperienze di collaborazione internazionale e prospettive future

This paper describes the on-line teaching strategies for languages adopted at the University of Dalarna (Sweden) and the experience of a collaboration carried out with the Language Centre of the University of Parma that led to the administration of an international course in Italian for specific purposes. According to the results of its first administration, the promotion of advanced forms of "virtual mobility" together with the prospective of a joint degree in Italian language and culture will be outlined.

L'italiano in Svezia nel Seicento attraverso le testimonianze di viaggiatori italiani

Nell'articolo è illustrata la conoscenza della lingua italiana in Svezia nella prima età moderna, con particolare riguardo al Seicento. Gli studi pregressi su questo argomento mostrano che l'Italiano era in questo periodo una delle lingue di cultura più importanti in Svezia. Per verificare questi studi si sono utilizzate le notizie di prima mano contenute in alcuni testi odeporici (lettere, diari, relazioni ecc.) redatti da viaggiatori italiani recatisi in Svezia in questo secolo. Nei primi paragrafi del lavoro il lettore è introdotto alla comprensione dell'argomento grazie ad una esposizione contestualizzata sia della storia della Svezia sia di quella della lingua italiana tra Cinquecento e Seicento. Inoltre si offre anche una veloce introduzione ai contatti culturali tra l'Italia e la Svezia fino al Seicento. L'analisi dei testi odeporici seicenteschi conferma gli studi precedenti, basati su ricerche bibliografiche e d'archivio, dimostrando come l'Italiano, sebbene materia di studio accademico e di apprendimento privato, fosse in realtà conosciuto in Svezia solo da una piccola parte dei nobili, preferendosi ad esso il Francese, mentre il latino era conosciuto bene da tutti i rappresentanti del clero.

Gli studi italiani sulla regina Cristina di Svezia negli ultimi cinquant'anni

Queen Christina of Sweden (1626-1689)) is probably the most important individual to directly link the cultures of Sweden and Italy, and thus fascinate scholars over the last four centuries. In the last fifty years, research on and interest in this monarch has been particularly intense. This has led to current international scientific debate concerning all the different cultural expressions in which Queen Cristina was particularly involved. However, until now there has been lacking a comprehensive work to illustrate the development of scientific research in Italian on Queen Christina. This article, therefore, without claiming to be exhaustive, aims to fill this gap by identifying the main direction of current research. The article, after briefly introducing previous works (both Italian and Swedish), demonstrates how the first major renaissance of international studies on Queen Cristina took place in Sweden in the early 1960s. Even more important was the subsequent turning point in 1989, when the tercentenary of the death of Queen Christina was celebrated and the Azzolino Collection at the Biblioteca Comunale in Jesi was opened. The article focuses on the studies in Italian during this latter period. To make the exposition more organic and, importantly, more accessible to those readers interested in only one particular aspect of the scientific studies about Queen Christina, the studies in Italian since 1689 are divided into different subject areas.

The Björling 'Opera' : A children's Nursery Academy and an Italian Conservatory in Miniature

The aim in this chapter is to develop a deeper understanding about the informal Björling 'School' in Sweden. Contextually the example is related to the micro history of opera education contributing to the macro perspective illuminating a provincial example of the concept of domestic opera schooling. The specific focus was on Karl David Björling (1873-1926), the teaching parent of the Swedish tenor Jussi Björling (1911-1960) and his brothers Gösta and Olle.   The Björling family model of opera schooling belongs to the classical canon of domestic home education which was common during the epoch. The phenomenon is also within the field of opera singing an important reference to the historical context of the Nordic opera history of vocal education.   The uniqueness concerning the Björling School seems to be the rigorous and exceptionally early training. David Björling’s pedagogy was rooted in earlier German theories of musical upbringing. It's clear from his results that he was familiar with the neo-humanistic ideal on which reformed music education was based. Of a specific interest is the term Gesang als Unterricht as a concept for developing childrens musical and memorising capacities.   Conceptually the roots of the Björling model are in the eighteenth-century Romantic view of prodigies and their abilities. The extensive touring is connected to the promotion of wonder-children, and David Björling’s educational style to the conservative Master-pupil tradition.   David Björling's vocal ideal was a part of the contemporary debate about “The decadence of the singing art”, and seems to have its roots in an older Italian tradition. There are recurring similarities between his educational methods and the didactic principles of the Lamperti School: Enjoying a revival around the late 1800s and early 1900s, it has been called the natural or the national school. Nevertheless, through authentic experiences and gramophone recordings the Italian tenor Enrico Caruso became David Björling’s pedagogical role model.