Taiteen rakastajia vai toivottomia poropeukaloita? Musiikin harrastustoiminta Suomessa varhaisista orkesteriyhdistyksistä laulu- ja soittojuhliin

In this article, I examine the formation of amateur music-making in Finland from early orchestral associations to the development of the song festival institution at the 1880s. As an outcome of the rise of national movement, both amateur musical activities and public performing were adapted to the social practices of the common people as well. The starting point of the article is the rise of the bourgeoisie in Europe and the change in the public sphere in the same context. In addition to the concept of bourgeois public sphere by Jürgen Habermas, the theoretical framework of the article also exploits the concept of the national public sphere by Hannu Nieminen. The obvious advantage of this concept is that it takes into account not only the bourgeoisie, but also other societal categories and their impact on the development of the public activities. The extension of the perspective beyond the bourgeoisie is important because that societal segment was relatively small in Finland, and its effects on the development of music culture were not as significant as in other parts of Europe. The article explores how the concept of the amateur was defined in Finland, how it changed, and what factors had an impact on that change during the long 19th century. In addition, I look at what the relationship between amateur and professional musician was and how it was shaped by the spread of public musical practice of the bourgeoisie to the cultural activities of the ordinary people. I also discuss what opportunities and obstacles amateur musicians met in the public music domain. &nbsp