Eliitin taidemuodosta kaiken kansan taiteeksi? : Vernakularisaation politiikka 1970-luvun suomalaisessa karvalakkioopperassa

Abstract

In this article, I have examined the Finnish so called fur cap opera of the 1970s and the political and social factors that influenced its development. With the help of the concept of vernacularization, I have shown the mechanisms by which Finnish opera was transformed into an art form that spoke to a wider audience than the narrow elite, the “fur cap opera”. According to my article, the background of the process of vernacularization of the opera in Finland was the idea of social equality that started in the 1960s, which was linked to welfare state thinking, and which was especially promoted by left-wing parties.

In the process of vernacularization the libretto and staging of the operas were ”popularized”, and this happened with the help of realistic folk depiction and music theatre. During this process, the opera changed to conform to the values ​​of the Finnish society of the 1960s and 1970s.