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Music of New Zealand

The music of New Zealand has been influenced by a number of traditions, including Māori music, the music introduced by European settlers during the nineteenth century, and a variety of styles imported during the twentieth century, including blues, jazz, country, rock and roll, reggae, and hip hop, with many of these genres given a unique New Zealand interpretation.

Pre-colonial Māori music consisted mainly of a form of microtonal chanting and performances on instruments called taonga pūoro: a variety of blown, struck and twirled instruments made out of hollowed-out wood, stone, whale ivory, albatross bone, and human bone. In the nineteenth century, European settlers - the vast majority of whom were from Britain and Ireland - brought musical forms to New Zealand including brass bands and choral music, and musicians began touring New Zealand in the 1860s. Pipe bands became widespread during the early 20th century.

In recent decades, a number of popular artists have gone on to achieve international success including Lorde, Split Enz, Crowded House, Rosé, OMC, Bic Runga, Benee, Kimbra, Ladyhawke, The Naked and Famous, Fat Freddy's Drop, Savage, Gin Wigmore, Keith Urban, Flight of the Conchords, Brooke Fraser and Alien Weaponry.

New Zealand has a national orchestra, the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and many regional orchestras. A number of New Zealand composers have developed international reputations. The best-known include Douglas Lilburn, John Psathas, Jack Body, Gillian Whitehead, Jenny McLeod, Gareth Farr, and Ross Harris.

Māori music
Pre-Colonial Māori produced a range of music. This included song waiata . The haka is a form of song that is accompanied with movement. Songs included lullabies, laments and love songs, and as an oral culture were used for education, to remember history and many other things. "The emotionally charged circumstances under which waiata were composed are reflected in their highly poetic language, which is rich with allusion, metaphor and imagery. (Rawinia Higgins and Arini Loader 2014)"Songs and music were part of Te Whare Tapere, pre-European Māori entertainment events that included 'storytelling, songs and singing, dance and dancing, musical instruments, puppets' and games.

Some Māori song includes microtonal music, the song poetry form mōteatea. SOUNZ Centre for New Zealand Music published a series in 2021 called He Reo Tawhito: Conversations about Mōteatea where Crystal Edwards interviewed various specialists including Te Ahukaramū Charles Royal, Hōhepa Te Rito, Hana O'Regan and Taiarahia Black..

Taonga pūoro
Pre-Colonial instrumental music used taonga pūoro (taonga pūoro) - a variety of blown, struck and twirled instruments made out of hollowed-out wood, stone, whale ivory, albatross bone, and human bone. The pūkāea (wooden trumpet), hue (gourd), and pūtātara (conch-shell trumpet) fulfilled many functions within pre-colonial Māori society, including a call to arms, announcing the dawning of a new day, communications with the gods and the planting of crops. From the late 20th century Dr Richard Nunns (1945–2021), Hirini Melbourne (1949–2003), and Brian Flintoff revived the use of taonga pūoro.

Contemporary Māori music
European settlers brought new harmonies and instruments, which Māori composers gradually adopted. The action song (waiata-ā-ringa) largely developed in the early 20th century.

In the mid- to late-20th century, Māori singers and songwriters like Howard Morrison (1935–2009), Prince Tui Teka (1937–1985), Dalvanius Prime (1948–2002), Moana Maniapoto (1961- ) and Hinewehi Mohi (1964- ) developed a distinctive Māori-influenced style. Some artists; like Alien Weaponry have released Māori-language songs, and the Māori traditional art of kapa haka (song and dance) has had a resurgence.

Māori show-bands
Māori show-bands formed in New Zealand and Australia from the 1950s. The groups performed in a wide variety of musical genres, dance styles, and with cabaret skills, infusing their acts with comedy drawn straight from Māori culture. Some Māori show-bands would begin their performances in traditional Māori costume before changing into suits and sequinned gowns. Billy T. James (1949–1991) spent many years overseas in show bands, beginning in the Maori Volcanics.

Radio airplay
The New Zealand recording industry began to develop from 1940 onwards. The Recording Industry Association of New Zealand (RIANZ) publishes New Zealand's official weekly record charts. The Association also holds the annual New Zealand Music Awards which were first held in 1965 as the Loxene Golden Disc awards.

Despite the vitality of New Zealand bands in the pub scene, for many years commercial radio was reluctant to play locally produced material and by 1995 only 1.6% of all songs played on commercial radio stations were of New Zealand origin. In 1997 a government Kiwi Music Action Group was formed to compel radio stations to broadcast New Zealand music. The group initiated New Zealand Music Week and in 2000 this grew into New Zealand Music Month. By 2005 New Zealand content averaged between 19 and 20 percent.

Pop
New Zealand's first pop song was "Blue Smoke", written in the 1940s by Ruru Karaitiana. Pixie Williams recorded the song in 1949 and, although it went triple platinum in New Zealand, the award for selling 50,000 copies of the song was only presented to Pixie Williams on 13 July 2011. The advent of music television shows in the 1960s led to the rise of Sandy Edmonds, one of New Zealand's first pop stars.

Split Enz and Crowded House
Formed in the early 1970s and variously featuring Phil Judd and brothers Tim Finn and Neil Finn, Split Enz achieved chart success in New Zealand, Australia, and Canada ‒ most notably with their 1980 single I Got You – and built a cult following elsewhere. The music videos for some of the band's 1980s songs were among the first played on MTV. In 1985, Neil Finn formed pop rock band Crowded House in Melbourne, Australia. The other founding members were Australians Paul Hester and Nick Seymour. Later band members included Neil's brother Tim Finn and Americans Mark Hart and Matt Sherrod. Originally active from 1985 to 1996, the band had consistent commercial and critical success in Australia and New Zealand  and international chart success in two phases, beginning with their self-titled debut album, Crowded House, which reached number twelve on the US Album Chart in 1987 and provided the Top Ten hits, Don't Dream It's Over and Something So Strong. Further international success came in the UK and Europe with their third and fourth albums, Woodface and Together Alone and the compilation album Recurring Dream, which included the hits "Fall at Your Feet", "Weather with You", "Distant Sun", "Locked Out", "Instinct" and "Not the Girl You Think You Are". Queen Elizabeth II bestowed an OBE on both Neil and Tim Finn in June 1993 for their contribution to the music of New Zealand.

Dave Dobbyn
After the dissolution of his band DD Smash, singer-songwriter Dave Dobbyn began a successful solo career, writing the soundtrack music for the animated feature film Footrot Flats: The Dog's Tale in 1986. The film yielded two hit singles: "You Oughta Be In Love" (1986) and the chart-topping "Slice of Heaven" (1986), recorded with the band Herbs. After the release of the film, "Slice of Heaven" became one of Dobbyn's best-known songs, frequently used in tourism advertisements aired on Australian television that encouraged people to visit New Zealand. With the success of the song in Australia, Dobbyn settled in Australia.

Dobbyn's hit song "Loyal" (1988) from his debut solo album Loyal (1988) was used as an anthem for Team New Zealand's unsuccessful 2003 America's Cup defence.

In 2005, Dobbyn released his sixth solo album, Available Light. It received popular and critical acclaim. In the same year Dobbyn performed the lead single from Available Light, "Welcome Home" (2005) at the New Zealand Music Awards awards ceremony. During the performance, Ahmed Zaoui, who was appealing a security certificate issued due to alleged links to terrorist groups, appeared on stage with Dobbyn.

Don McGlashan
Composer, singer and multi-instrumentalist Don McGlashan won fame with bands Blam Blam Blam, The Front Lawn, and The Mutton Birds, before pursuing a solo career. McGlashan's first hits were with band Blam Blam Blam in the early 1980s. He later released four albums as lead singer and writer for The Mutton Birds. McGlashan's first solo album Warm Hand, was released in May 2006. It was nominated for an NZ Music Award for album of the year, and debut single Miracle Sun was a nominee for New Zealand's supreme songwriting award, the APRA Silver Scroll. He has composed extensively for cinema and television.

Bic Runga
Singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist pop artist Bic Runga released her first solo album Drive in 1997. It debuted at number one on the New Zealand Top 40 Album charts. Runga has since become one of the highest-selling New Zealand artists in recent history. She has also found success internationally in Australia, Ireland, and, to some extent, in the UK. In the 2006 New Year Honours Runga was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to music.

Lorde
In September 2013, 16-year-old singer Lorde (Ella Yelich-O'Connor) became the youngest solo artist to ever reach number one on the US singles chart with Royals. The song from her album Pure Heroine went on to win Best Pop Performance and Song of the Year at the 2014 Grammy Awards.

Top-selling singles and albums
The top-selling New Zealand pop song of all time is How Bizarre by OMC. The song went to number one in New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Ireland, South Africa and Austria. It spent 36 weeks on the United States Hot 100 Airplay (Radio Songs) charts, peaking at number 4. It reached number five in the United Kingdom, and it made the Top 10 in Portugal and Israel.

In 2008, folk parody duo Flight of the Conchords found international success with their eponymous album. The album debuted at number three on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart, selling about 52,000 copies in its first week.

In 2011, New Zealand singer Kimbra collaborated with Belgian-Australian singer Gotye on his song Somebody That I Used To Know. The song topped the US, UK, Australian and 23 other national charts, and reached the top 10 in more than 30 countries around the world. The song has sold more than 13 million copies worldwide, becoming one of the best-selling digital singles of all time.

In 2020, New Zealand singer Benee's single Supalonely went viral on video sharing app TikTok. It subsequently went to chart in the Top 40 of many major music markets, including the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

Rock, alternative rock and indie rock
The first rock'n'roll hit by a New Zealander was Johnny Devlin's hit "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", which sold 100,000 copies in 1959–60, after which rock began gaining in popularity over the 1960s. Prominent bands included The La De Da's, Ray Columbus & The Invaders, and The Fourmyula.

By the late 1970s, some New Zealand rock bands were finding national success, including Th' Dudes (whose guitarist Dave Dobbyn formed DD Smash in the 1980s), Dragon, Hello Sailor and Split Enz, fronted by Tim Finn, and later, his brother Neil Finn, who went on to form Crowded House. Independent music in New Zealand began emerging in the latter half of the 1970s, with the development of a punk rock scene. In 1979, the AK79 compilation was released, compiling the recordings of many early Auckland punk groups.

Several independent labels like Propeller Records in Auckland and Flying Nun Records in Christchurch were established in the early 1980s, and became influential in the development of New Zealand rock music and indie rock globally. The Clean from Dunedin was the first major band to feature on Flying Nun, releasing several hit singles inside New Zealand and touring internationally. Most of the first wave of artists signed to the label originated from Dunedin and Christchurch, helping to develop what became called the "Dunedin sound", or Flying Nun sound. The distinctive jangle-pop and lo-fi sound was pioneered by bands such as The Chills, The Verlaines, Sneaky Feelings, The Bats and The Jean-Paul Sartre Experience.

Rock band Shihad was formed by vocalist/guitarist Jon Toogood and drummer Tom Larkin in 1988. The band found wide popularity in New Zealand over the following decade, playing a mixture of modern rock, post-grunge and pop-rock. Shihad has had three number one albums in New Zealand.

Other notable rock bands popular in the 1990s include the Headless Chickens, The Mutton Birds, The Exponents, The Feelers, Supergroove and Push Push.

Hip hop
The first major New Zealand hip hop hit was "Hip Hop Holiday" by 3 The Hard Way. Sampling the song Dreadlock Holiday by 10CC, it went to number one for several weeks in early 1994. Many of New Zealand's first hip hop performers, such as Dalvanius Prime, whose "Poi E" was a number one hit, were Māori. Released in 1984, "Poi E" was sung entirely in the Māori language and featured a blend of Māori cultural practices in the song and accompanying music video, including Māori chanting, poi dancing, and the wearing of traditional Māori garments.

The first entire album of locally produced hip hop was Upper Hutt Posse's E Tu EP, from 1988. E Tu was partially in Māori and partially in English, and its lyrics were politically charged. The song "E Tu" combined African-American revolutionary rhetoric with an explicitly Māori frame of reference. It paid homage to the rebel Māori warrior chiefs of New Zealand's colonial history: Hone Heke, Te Kooti, and Te Rauparaha.

In the 1990s, the New Zealand hip hop scene grew with the evolution of Pacific Island-influenced hip hop. Phil Fuemana, Kosmo, Brother D and Pacific Underground played an important role in the growth of "Pasifika" hip hop. OMC's 1996 single "How Bizarre" combined Pauly Fuemana's Nieuean background, a Pacific Island guitar style and hip hop beats to create a uniquely New Zealand-Polynesian sound. This was followed by Che Fu's album 2 B s-Pacific in 1998 and Urban Pacifica in 1999, a compilation of Pasifika hip hop. Artists including Scribe, Tiki Taane, P-Money and Ladi6 localised rap.

In 2005, Savage, a New Zealand Samoan hip hop artist, had back-to-back number one hits with Swing and Moonshine, the latter featuring US artist Akon. Swing was used in the 2007 film Knocked Up and sold more than 1.8 million copies in the United States, making it almost double platinum. The song also appeared on the US compilation ''Now That's What I Call Music! 29''.

Roots, reggae, and dub
Formed in 1979, Herbs are a New Zealand reggae vocal group and the 11th inductee into the New Zealand Music Hall of Fame. In 1986, the song "Slice of Heaven" with Dave Dobbyn reached number one on both the New Zealand and Australian charts. In 1989, Tim Finn joined them for the Parihaka festival and, in 1992, Annie Crummer fronted the hit single "See What Love Can Do". Herbs are considered pioneers of the Pacific reggae sound, having paved the way for contemporary New Zealand reggae groups such as Breaks Co-op, Fat Freddy's Drop, Katchafire, Kora, The Black Seeds, Salmonella Dub, 1814, Tahuna Breaks, Six60 and Trinity Roots.

Electronica
Electronic music in New Zealand constitutes a relatively small but growing trend in the country's musical culture especially with the rise of acts such as Concord Dawn, Minuit and Shapeshifter in the last 15 years.

An early example of New Zealand electronica is a track called Pulsing released in 1982 by The Body Electric. In 1988 Propeller Records released New Zealand's first House record, Jam This Record. Other New Zealand house DJs who rose to prominence include DLT. The Future Jazz scene (the term was first coined in Auckland in the early 1990s) developed in Auckland, most notably in the Cause Celebre nightclub and the work of Nathan Haines. Two popular early Nathan Haines releases were Freebass Live at Cause Celebre and Haines' Shift Left. A proponent of this sound and an ex-pat artist who is still active in this area is Mark de Clive-Lowe.

Heavy metal
New Zealand heavy metal bands include Devilskin, the extreme metal bands Ulcerate, Dawn of Azazel and 8 Foot Sativa and the alternative metal band Blindspott, currently known as Blacklistt. In 2016 groove metal band Alien Weaponry, several of whose songs are in the Māori language, won Smokefreerockquest and Smokefree Pacifica beats. Other bands include Antagonist A.D., Legacy of Disorder, Human, Black Boned Angel, Beastwars, Demoniac, Diocletian, In Dread Response, Saving Grace, Sinate, Push Push, Razorwyre, HLAH, and Knightshade.

The 2015 New Zealand comedy horror film Deathgasm soundtrack gave rise to various metal groups.

Blues
The history of blues in New Zealand dates from the 1960s. The earliest blues influences on New Zealand musicians originated with white British blues musicians like The Animals and The Rolling Stones, and later the blues-tinged rock of groups such as Led Zeppelin. The first American blues artist to make a big impact in New Zealand was Stevie Ray Vaughan in the early 1980s. Other blues-related genres such as soul and gospel almost completely by-passed New Zealand audiences, except for a handful of hits from cross-over artists such as Ray Charles. New Zealand does not have its own distinctive blues style.

European folk music
The Wellerman sea shanty originated in New Zealand.

Brass bands
New Zealand has a proud history of brass bands, with regular provincial contests.

Highland pipe bands
Pipe bands became widespread during the early 20th century. New Zealand is said to have more pipebands per person than Scotland; historical links are maintained by Caledonian Societies throughout the country.

Classical and art music
The formal traditions of European classical music took a long time to develop in New Zealand due to the country's geographical isolation. Composers such as Alfred Hill were educated in Europe and brought late Romantic Music traditions to New Zealand. He attempted to graft them on to New Zealand themes with one notable success, the popular "Waiata Poi". However, before 1960 New Zealand did not have a distinct classical style of its own, having "a tendency to over-criticise home-produced goods".

Douglas Lilburn, working predominantly in the third quarter of the 20th century, is often credited with being the first composer to compose with a truly New Zealand voice and gain international recognition. Lilburn's Second Piano Sonatina was described as "a work which seems to draw on the best of Lilburn's past...specially suited to New Zealand." He went on to pioneer electronic music in New Zealand.

In 2004, Wellington composer John Psathas achieved the largest audience for New Zealand-composed music when his fanfares and other music were heard by billions during the opening and closing ceremonies of the Athens 2004 Summer Olympics.

In 2019 Gareth Farr was a recipient of a New Zealand Arts Laureate Award in recognition of his music which has included composing for the Royal New Zealand Ballet, Maui One Man Against The Gods and the 2008 work Terra Incognita, for bass baritone solo, choir and orchestra, performed by Paul Whelan, the Orpheus Choir and the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paul MacAlindin.

There are two twelve-month Composer-in-Residence positions available in New Zealand, the Mozart Fellowship at the University of Otago and the NZSM Composer in Residence in Wellington.

Orchestras and chamber music
The New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) is New Zealand's national orchestra, funded by the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. The Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra is New Zealand's second and only other full-time professional orchestra. There are also a number of semi-professional regional orchestras, presenting their own concert series each year. These include the Opus Chamber Orchestra in Hamilton, Orchestra Wellington, the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO) and the Dunedin Symphony Orchestra (DSO), formerly the Southern Sinfonia.

The New Zealand String Quartet and the NZTrio both perform locally and internationally. The NZTrio specialises in contemporary art music.

Choirs
New Zealand has a strong choral tradition. The Anglican cathedrals in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch have choirs of a high standard and there are also a number of secular New Zealand choirs including the New Zealand Youth Choir, Voices New Zealand Chamber Choir, City Choir Dunedin, Auckland Choral Society and Christchurch City Choir. Many of these choirs perform around New Zealand and compete against other choirs internationally.

Opera
Opera has been produced in New Zealand since colonisation. New Zealand has produced a number of internationally famous opera singers, including Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Sir Donald McIntyre, Simon O'Neill, Jonathan Lemalu, Teddy Tahu Rhodes, Anna Leese, and Dame Malvina Major. Frances Alda and Joan Hammond were both well-known New Zealand-born opera singers.

There is a biennial competition the Lexus Song Quest, winners include Dame Malvina Major, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Phillip Rhodes, Jonathan Lemalu and Amitai Pati.

New Zealand Opera is the country's sole professional opera company. The company stages up to three operas a year in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, and features international as well as New Zealand soloists.

Soloists
Prominent New Zealand musicians performing internationally include pianists Michael Houstoun, Jeffrey Grice, John Chen, and singer Hayley Westenra.

Musical theatre
The most well-known musical theatre production written by a New Zealander is the Rocky Horror Show musical, written by Richard O'Brien, and first performed on stage in London during 1973.

title: Music of New Zealand


text:
User:William M. Connolley

See-also here.

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title: User:William M. Connolley


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Un ballo in maschera

Un ballo in maschera ('A Masked Ball') is an 1859 opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The text, by Antonio Somma, was based on Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's 1833 five act opera, Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué.

The plot concerns the assassination in 1792 of King Gustav III of Sweden who was shot, as the result of a political conspiracy, while attending a masked ball, dying of his wounds thirteen days later.

It was to take over two years between the commission from Naples, planned for a production there, and its premiere performance at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 17 February 1859. In becoming the Un ballo in maschera which we know today, Verdi's opera (and his libretto) underwent a significant series of transformations and title changes, caused by a combination of censorship regulations in both Naples and Rome, as well as by the political situation in France in January 1858. Based on the Scribe libretto and begun as Gustavo III set in Stockholm, it became Una vendetta in domino set in Stettin, and finally Un ballo in maschera set in Boston during the colonial era. It became one of the most frustrating experiences of Verdi's career.

From the mid-20th century, it has become more common for the setting to revert to its original 18th-century Stockholm location. A re-creation of the original Gustavo III has been staged in Sweden.

Composition history

 * For a full account of the evolution of the opera which eventually became Un ballo in maschera, see Gustavo III (Verdi)

1857: From Gustavo III to Una vendetta in domino
A commission by the Teatro San Carlo in Naples in early 1857 led Verdi to begin to oversee the finalization of the libretto (also by Somma) for Re Lear with the aim of presenting the finished opera during the 1858 carnival season. When this proved to be impracticable, Verdi turned to the subject of King Gustav III's assassination as portrayed in Scribe and Auber's opera, albeit not an historically accurate narrative. That subject was well known and had been used by other composers, including Saverio Mercadante for his Il reggente in 1843. For the libretto, Scribe retained the names of some of the historical figures involved (including fortune teller Ulrica Arfvidsson, the conspiracy, and the killing at the masked ball, but, as noted by Budden, "it was a simple case of 'cherchez la femme'": for the rest of the play Scribe invented the romance between the King and the fictional Amélie, the wife of the king's secretary and best friend, and adds characters and situations such as Oscar, the page boy.

Somma's new libretto, known as Gustavo III, was presented to the censors in Naples by late 1857. By November, Verdi informed Somma that objections had been raised and revisions demanded by the censors, the most significant of which was the refusal to allow the depiction of a monarch on the stage - and especially the monarch's murder. As had happened with Rigoletto, changes in characters' names and titles were proposed (the King of Sweden became the Duke of Pomerania; Anckarström became Count Renato) and the location was moved from Stockholm to Stettin.

Working together with Somma over Christmas, Verdi accommodated these changes. Somma was asked to change the names of the characters on the Gustave libretto while Verdi worked on completing sketches of the music. The name of the opera became Una vendetta in domino.

By 9 January 1858, prior to setting out for Naples, Verdi wrote from his home to the San Carlo that "the opera is done and even here I am working on the full score". The composer then travelled to Naples and rehearsals of Una vendetta were about to begin when, on 14 January 1858, three Italians attempted to assassinate Emperor Napoleon III in Paris, an event which was to affect the opera's production.

1858: The censor blocks Una vendetta
The imposition of still further, more stringent requirements by the censor incurred Verdi's wrath. He broke his contract, returned to Sant'Agata in April, and was sued by the management of the San Carlo house. This provoked him to lodge a counter-claim against the theatre for damages and, eventually, the legal fight ended.

It was during this period of turmoil that Verdi was to describe the previous sixteen years of his composing life: in a letter to Countess Clara Maffei, he states: "From Nabucco, you may say, I have never had one hour of peace. Sixteen years in the galleys!"

1859: Una vendetta becomes Un ballo in maschera
When the legal issues were resolved within a few months, Verdi was free to present the libretto and musical outline of Gustave III (which was basically Una vendetta with characters' names and locations changed) to the Rome Opera. There, the censors demanded further changes. Removing the action from Europe, the location became Boston during the British colonial period and the leading character became Riccardo, the Count (or Earl) of Warwick. At this point, the opera became Un ballo in maschera set in North America.

Notable productions
Un ballo in maschera received its premiere performance at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 17 February 1859 and was immediately successful. The opera was first seen in the US in New York on 11 February 1861 at the Academy of Music in Manhattan for seven performances, conducted by Emanuele Muzio; the future president Abraham Lincoln attended one of the performances. Two further performances were given at the old Brooklyn Academy of Music on Montague Street. The first performance in the UK was on 15 June of that year.

In the 20th century, especially after a 1935 production in Copenhagen, many modern stagings have restored the original Swedish setting and characters' names. On 7 January 1955, Marian Anderson, singing the role of Ulrica, broke the "color barrier" at the Metropolitan Opera, becoming the first African-American vocal soloist to appear with that company.

A "hypothetical reconstruction" of Gustavo III, based on the unorchestrated original and much of Una vendetta "grafted" onto Un ballo's score, occurred in a production by the Gothenburg Opera in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2002.

The opera has become a staple of the repertoire and is now performed frequently.

Homosexuality of Gustav III
Scribe's libretto for Gustave III includes details that could be understood as signs of the king's homosexuality. Verdi and Somma eliminated many of these coded signals, but new codes take their place, particularly relating to the character of Oscar. David Richards has argued that although the opera was no longer explicitly based on Gustav III, Verdi deliberately deviated from his usual practice and set Oscar for a soprano – despite disliking women singing men's parts: "Verdi goes as far as one could go within the repressive conventions of his period to portray Gustavo (based on a widely known flamboyantly homosexual ruler) as either a gay man or, at a minimum, a bisexual man". Richards believes this therefore demonstrates that "Verdi's art embraces all forms of sexualities". Ralph Hexter has examined the “masking” of homosexual aspects of the main character and how it relates to the idea of masking in the opera as a whole. Several productions have attempted to draw out this suggestion – most notably the staging by Göran Gentele for the Royal Swedish Opera in 1959 where Gustavo is having an affair with his Oscar even while pining for Amelia, and also the 1993 staging by Götz Friedrich for Berlin.

Synopsis

 * Place: Stockholm, Sweden, or Boston, Massachusetts
 * Time: March 1792 in Sweden, or the end of the 17th century in Boston

Act 1
Scene 1: A public audience at Riccardo's palace, attended by his supporters, but also by his enemies who hope for his demise.

Riccardo (Gustavo) reviews the list of guests who will attend an upcoming masked ball. He is elated to see the name of the woman he loves on the list – Amelia, the wife of his friend and advisor, Renato (Count Anckarström). (Aria: La rivedrò nell'estasi / "There I will be in ecstasy to see her again"). When Renato arrives, he tries to warn Riccardo about the growing conspiracy against him (aria: Alla vita che t'arride / "Your life, so full of joy and hope"), but Riccardo refuses to listen to his words.

Next, Riccardo is presented with a complaint against a fortune-teller named Ulrica (Madame Arvidson), accused of witchcraft. A magistrate calls for her banishment, but Oscar the page defends her (Aria: Volta la terrea / "Turning her eyes from the earth"). Riccardo resolves to investigate for himself and tells the members of the court to disguise themselves and to meet him at Ulrica's lodging later that day.

Scene 2: At Ulrica's dwelling

Ulrica summons her magical powers: Re dell'abisso, affrettati / "King of the abyss, make haste". Disguised as a fisherman, Riccardo arrives before the others. He makes the fortune of a sailor named Silvano come true by spiriting a document of promotion into his pouch, convincing the crowd of the truth of Ulrica's powers. When he realizes that Amelia is coming to see Ulrica, he hides and watches. Alone with Ulrica, Amelia confesses that she is tormented by her love for Riccardo, and asks for a means to bring peace to her heart. Ulrica tells her to gather a certain herb with magical powers; Riccardo resolves to be there when she does so. Amelia leaves.

Now Riccardo presents himself again, along with all of the courtiers, and asks to have his fortune told. (Aria: Di' tu se fedele / "Tell me if the sea awaits me faithfully"). Ulrica reveals that he will be killed by the next man who shakes his hand. He laughingly dismisses her prophecy and offers his hand to the courtiers, who refuse to take it. Renato arrives and shakes Riccardo's hand in greeting. Riccardo's true identity is now revealed and he is acclaimed by the people.

Act 2
''On the outskirts of the town, at the gallows-place. Midnight''

Amelia, conquering her fears, has come here alone to pick the herb of which Ulrica told her (Aria: Ma dall'arido stelo divulsa / "But when I have plucked the herb"). She is surprised by Riccardo, who has come to meet her, and the two finally declare their love for each other.

Unexpectedly, Renato arrives, and Amelia covers her face with her veil before he can recognize her. Renato explains to Riccardo that the conspirators are pursuing him, and his life is in danger. Riccardo leaves, making Renato promise to escort the veiled woman safely back to town, not asking her identity. When the conspirators arrive, they confront Renato; in the struggle, Amelia's veil drops. Renato assumes that Amelia and Riccardo have been involved in an adulterous love affair. He asks the two leaders of the conspiracy, Samuel and Tom, to meet him the next day.

Act 3
Scene 1: Renato's house Renato has resolved to kill Amelia for the dishonor she has brought on him. She protests her innocence and begs to see her son one last time. (Aria: Morrò, ma prima in grazia / "I will die, but first, a kindness"). Renato relents, and declares that it is Riccardo, not Amelia, who deserves to die (Aria: Eri tu che macchiavi quell'anima / "You were the one who stained her soul").

Samuel (Count Ribbing) and Tom (Count Horn) arrive, and Renato asks to join their plot, pledging the life of his son as proof of his sincerity. They agree to draw lots to decide who will kill Riccardo. Amelia is forced to draw the winning name – Renato.

Oscar, the page, arrives with invitations to the masked ball; Samuel, Tom and Renato agree that this is where the assassination will take place.

Scene 2: The ball

Riccardo, torn between love and duty, has resolved to renounce his love for Amelia and send her and Renato back to England (Aria: Ma se m'è forza perderti / "But if I am forced to lose her").

At the ball, Renato tries to learn from Oscar what costume Riccardo is wearing. Oscar at first refuses to tell (Aria: Saper vorreste / "You want to know"), but finally answers: a black cloak and a red ribbon. Riccardo manages to identify Amelia and tells her of the decision he has made. As they say goodbye, Renato stabs Riccardo. The wounded Riccardo discloses that though he loved Amelia, she never broke her marriage vows. He pardons all the conspirators, bidding farewell to his friends and his country as he dies.

Music
The prelude to the piece is composed of themes from the opening scene of the opera, with dramatic contrast between the music of Riccardo's devoted courtiers and the dark mutterings of those who hate him. This is followed by a transition to a love theme, the melody of Riccardo's first aria  La rivedrà nell'estasi.

Influence of French opera is felt in the first scene, both in the vocal writing for Oscar the page-boy, sprinkled with coloratura effects, and in the closing ensemble in which Riccardo invites everyone to visit the witch's den in disguise. The music of this ensemble combines French-style elan and a sense of joie de vivre with continued low grumblings from those plotting Riccardo's assassination.

The second scene of the first act is preceded by a dramatic orchestral prelude, with dark instrumental colourings. Riccardo's light-hearted character is developed in the aria he sings in the disguise of a fisherman Di' tu se fedele, with the characteristics of a barcarolle. Ulrica's prophecy of Riccardo's assassination sets off a quintet with chorus in which Riccardo laughingly rejects the warning as nonsense, the conspirators express their dismay at having seemingly been found out, Ulrica insists that her prophecy is no joke and Oscar has the highest vocal line expressing his grief at the thought of Riccardo's murder. The act ends with a patriotic anthem like theme for the chorus juxtaposed with different vocal lines for the principals.

The second act begins with a stormy orchestral introduction. The grand scene for the soprano which follows is multi-sectioned with a slow cantilena accompanied by solo cor anglais, then a dramatic and quick middle section as Amelia is terrified by an apparition, and a slower anguished prayer with a final cadenza calling for an exceptional range from high to low. The following love duet is also multi-sectioned, building to a rapturous climax. A quartet with chorus closes the act, with radically different emotions once again being conveyed simultaneously in a single piece of music – the sardonic, mocking laughter of the conspirators, the anguish of Amelia and the implacable hatred and desire for revenge of her husband.

Act 3, scene 1, is notable for Amelia's mournful aria with cello obbligato Morrò, ma prima in grazia and for the celebrated baritone aria Eri tu, which begins in a fast minor key and ends in a slow major key, reversing the usual order of Italian operatic arias at this time, which had the slow section first. The conspirators return accompanied by the same contrapuntal theme which depicted them in the prelude and accompanied their appearance in the previous scene. With the entrance of Oscar, the music again acquires something of the spirit of French opéra comique, closing with a quintet in which Oscar's glittery and cheerful vocal line is underpinned by the music expressing Amelia's fears and the conspirators' thirst for vengeance.

The music of the aria for Riccardo that opens the final scene delineates the character's evolution from a selfish and light-hearted pleasure seeker to a serious man who will sacrifice his own happiness in order to do what he now recognises as the right thing. An offstage banda is heard playing dance music as the scene switches to the ball. Once again Oscar's music introduces the spirit of French opera-comique with his sparkling song Saper vorreste. A string ensemble onstage plays dance music as Riccardo and Amelia bid farewell in a duet, which is interrupted by Renato's stabbing of Riccardo. The musicians, unaware of what has happened, continue to play their music for some bars after this event. An ensemble with harp develops as Riccardo forgives his murderer and the opera ends with an exclamation of horror from all.

The music of the piece is remarkable for its great variety, its vivid and dramatic combinations of varying emotions into one piece of music as in the ensembles in the first and second acts, and its blending of the conventions of Italian serious opera with the spirit of French opera comique.

Instrumentation
The opera is scored for flute, piccolo, two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, cimbasso, timpani, cymbals, bass drum, harp and strings, together with offstage wind band, offstage bell and small onstage string orchestra (four to six first violins, two second violins, two violas, two cellos and two double basses).

Cultural references
A rehearsal of act 3, scene 2, including the stabbing of Riccardo, is featured in the closing scene of Bernardo Bertolucci's 1979 film La Luna.

It also confused Leslie Titmuss in John Mortimer's novel Titmuss Regained; when a friend said that she was going to see Un ballo in maschera at Covent Garden, he replied "never been one for dancing".

title: Un ballo in maschera


text:
Orillia

Orillia is a city in Ontario, Canada, about 30 km (18 mi) north-east of Barrie in Simcoe County. It is located at the confluence of Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe. Although it is geographically located within Simcoe County, the city is a single-tier municipality. It is part of the Huronia region of Central Ontario. The population in 2021 was 33,411.

It was incorporated as a village in 1867, but the history of what is today the City of Orillia dates back at least several thousand years. Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of fishing by the Huron and Iroquois peoples in the area over 4,000 years ago, and of sites used by Aboriginal peoples for hundreds of years for trading, hunting, and fishing.

Known as the "Sunshine City", the city's large waterfront attracts many tourists to the area every year, as do a number of annual festivals and other cultural attractions. While the area's largest employer is Casino Rama, overall economic activity in Orillia is a mixture of many different industries including manufacturing, government services, customer service and tourism.

Orillia is located on the shores of two connected lakes: Lake Simcoe and Lake Couchiching. Both lakes are part of the Trent-Severn Waterway. Travel north on Lake Couchiching, then through three locks and the only marine railway (Big Chute Marine Railway) still in use in North America leads to Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. Travel south-east across Lake Simcoe, through many locks (including two of the highest hydraulic lift locks in the world, Peterborough Lift Lock and Kirkfield Lift Lock) eventually leads to Lake Ontario. From either of these Great Lakes one can connect to the St. Lawrence and thence to the Atlantic Ocean.

History
The human history of the area extends back several thousand years: in the "Narrows", a small waterway that connects Lake Couchiching and Lake Simcoe, there is marine archaeological evidence of ancient fishing weirs used by Huron and Iroquois people to trap fish over 4,000 years ago. Also, there are several archaeological sites in the surrounding area that provide evidence of trading, fishing, and hunting camps that were visited for hundreds of years by Indigenous people. Although the site of what is now Orillia was originally a settlement of the Huron-Wendat people, it was later inhabited by the Ojibwe people, who settled the land under the leadership of Chief William Yellowhead. The Ojibwe people remained on the land until the arrival of European settlers.

Also of historical note, the famed French explorer Samuel de Champlain visited the area that would later become Orillia in the summer of 1615, travelling over what would become the Coldwater Road centuries later; it was used by the Hurons, Ojibways, French, and British as a fur-trading route. Champlain spent the winter with the Hurons in their chief village of Cahiague (near the current Warminster). Ecole Samuel de Champlain, a local francophone elementary school, is named in his honour. A monument to Samuel de Champlain can also be found in Couchiching Beach Park and is a National Historic Site of Canada.

The government made treaties with the Hurons in 1798, 1815, and 1818 to gain land to the north and west of Lake Simcoe and then made grants to military veterans. In 1840, the government bought extra land from the First Nations and laid out the settlement of Orillia. The population in 1846 was about 200. The settlement had a church, a post office, four stores, three taverns, a tannery, two blacksmiths, four shoemakers, a tailor, and two furniture makers. A grist mill could be found about a mile away.

In 1869, the population was 1200. Construction of the Monck Road began in 1866 and was completed in 1873. A 100-mile stretch allowed for travel to Bancroft, Ontario where other roads could be found for travel to Ottawa.

Transportation links with Toronto and Georgian Bay stimulated Orillia's development as a commercial centre and summer resort. The village of Orillia was incorporated in 1867 (sharing the same birth year as Canada). By 1875, the population was 2,000 and Orillia became a town with a mayor, reeve, deputy reeve, and nine councillors. Orillia was designated a city in 1969.

In Stephen Leacock's 1912 book Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town, Orillia was used as the basis for the fictional town known as "Mariposa", although Leacock stated that the fictional town could really be any town. The book was based on Leacock's experiences in the town and since the book's release, the city has attempted to mimic the fictional location in as many ways as possible. The Leacock Museum and National Historic Site, located in Orillia, is one of the National Historic Sites of Canada.

William E. Bell's 1989 novel Five Days of the Ghost was also set in Orillia, with many readers recognizing popular local spots, including the Guardian Angels Catholic Church, the Samuel de Champlain statue in Couchiching Beach Park as well as Chiefs Island in the middle of Lake Couchiching.

Orillia was the first municipality in North America to introduce daylight saving time and had the first municipal hydroelectric transmission plant in North America.

Etymology
The first recorded use of the name to describe the region, which until then had no officially sanctioned designation, was in 1820 when the name was given in York, Upper Canada by then Lieutenant-Governor Sir Peregrine Maitland. Maitland was a veteran of the British campaign against the French in Spain, called the Peninsular War, during the Napoleonic Wars where he served under the command of the Duke of Wellington.

While there are no records clearly indicating the reason for the name Orillia, the most common explanation holds that the name originates in the Spanish, "orilla," which can mean the shore of either a lake or river. The Spanish pronunciation sounds much like, "oreeya," and since the word itself is spelled almost identically to Orillia, without the second, "i," it has come to be commonly accepted as the source word for the city's name. Further backing the theory of a Spanish origin are the names of surrounding communities and landmarks, which include Oro for gold, Mariposa for butterfly, and Mono for monkey. Historical documents contain a second spelling of the name which was never officially recognised, Aurelia, which when pronounced sounds similar to the name and is considered a clerical error.

Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Orillia had a population of $33,411$ living in $14,422$ of its $15,428$ total private dwellings, a change of NaN% from its 2016 population of $31,166$. With a land area of 28.53 km2, it had a population density of in 2021.

The median household income in 2015 for Orillia was $55,802, which is below the Ontario provincial average of $74,287.

Government
Orillia is governed by the Orillia City Council, which consists of eight city councillors and a mayor.

There are four wards in the city.

From 1875 to 1969 the council was led by a reeve or mayor. Since 1969 the head of the council is the mayor.

Grape Island
Grape Island is a lake island located off Victoria Point in the north end of Lake Simcoe.

Today the island is occupied by about 40 private homes or cottages and residences are part of the Grape Island Property Owners Association (c. 1952). Access is restricted to residents of the island with access by boat from Forest Avenue South dock to private docks on the island. The heavy traffic at the mainland docks have resulted in tensions between island residents and residents of Victoria Point. The city of Orillia is working on finding a solution for access to the island without inconveniencing residents in Victoria Point.

There are no vehicular roads on the island. Only Ivy Lane, a road allowance, serves as path to homes on the island. Water taxi is the main means of transportation to the island (unless residents have their own private vessels) from the GIPOA-owned mainland dock to the island dock (on a vacant lot).

Economy
Initial interest in Orillia came from fur traders who used the gathering place at the Narrows to do business with the many tribes that came there each spring and fall. Subsequently, Orillia's economics has ranged from farming (even downtown) to machinery, to automobiles and even one of the first "campers" (a pop-up tent in a car).

Economic activity in Orillia is a mix of manufacturing, government services, customer service, and tourism. The largest employer in the area is Casino Rama, located in the nearby reserve land of the Chippewas of Rama First Nation. Manufacturing operations in the city include CCI Thermal Technologies (industrial heaters and heating components), Dorr-Oliver Eimco (industrial equipment), Kubota Metal Corporation (petrochemical industry components), Parker Hannifin (moulded rubber products), Pliant Corporation (components for the packaging industry), Smiths Aerospace Components (aerospace industry machining), and TI Group Automotive Systems (automotive components). Call centre Tele Tech Canada also employs approximately 850 people. The Central Operations Headquarters for Ontario Provincial Police is located in Orillia on Memorial Drive along with the regional headquarters.

Heywood-Wakefield seating, which operated from the early 20th century, announced it was closing its doors in September 2007. In late July 2009, Parker Hannifin announced that they were shutting down their operations in Orillia at the end of the year.

G.W.B. Rope & Twine, which was one of the foremost North American producers of braided rope from 1973 to 1985, was also the inventor of the automotive grocery or cargo restraint net. The net was introduced with the launch of the Ford Taurus at Christmas 1985, and shortly thereafter the company was sold and became Polytech Netting Industries, which employed several hundred people until moving to Mexico in 1996–97. G.W.B. Rope and Twine's founders, Gordon W. Brown and family, launched G&B Ropes in 1990. (Their son Sean Brown worked with G&B Ropes until it transferred ownership around 1998. Sean Brown then assisted in the development of Orillia's newest rope-making business, Redpoint Ropes.)

Large public-sector employers include the headquarters for the Ontario Provincial Police, which is located in Orillia. The Huronia Regional Centre, formerly an asylum that later became an institution to house disabled people, was one of the area's largest employers for many decades until the de-institutionalization movement of the 1980s and 1990s.

Recreation and culture
Orillia is known as the "Sunshine City", taking the moniker from its role as the fictional "Mariposa" in the book Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town by Stephen Leacock. Many local businesses also use "Mariposa" in their names.

The city council has actively restricted the construction of large buildings downtown and seeks to maintain a certain "small town" look with regard to signs and decorations. However, in 2017, plans were further discussed to redevelop the waterfront district and other areas underdeveloped or otherwise vacant. A 3D model was developed at the local Royal Canadian Legion to reflect the possible future and is to be on display in city hall.

Orillia's "Arts District" is located on Peter St. S., between Mississauga St. E. and Colborne St. E., and is home to a variety of art galleries, fine dining and shops. At its centre is the Orillia Museum of Art & History, considered the hub of art and culture for the city, playing an instrumental role in municipal cultural events.

The museum occupies all four floors of the historic Sir Sam Steele Building, a landmark destination for both residents and visitors. A collection of over 10,000 artefacts of regional historical significance features in a rotating exhibits schedule. On a separate floor is contemporary art space with exhibits featuring regional and international artists. The museum also features a designated education space and hosts activities including art-making and interpretive programming for children, artists, artisans, historians, etc.

Many tourists and boaters are attracted to the city each year because of its waterfront park Couchiching Beach Park/Centennial Park/Port of Orillia and its position as a gateway to Lake Country, cottage country in Muskoka, Algonquin Provincial Park, the Trent–Severn Waterway, and other natural attractions. The city's waterfront has an extensive lakeshore boardwalk, a large park with two beaches, several playgrounds, an outdoor theatre, a touring ferry, and a children's train.

The city of Orillia also is home to a large number of retirement homes (currently nine, with four more under construction). As such, it is often characterized as a "retirement community", although less than 18% of the city's population is actually over 65 (see below).

Orillia is home to an annual Perch Fishing Festival. Perch are netted, tagged, and released into the local lake, to be caught for prize money. This event also includes a large social gathering consisting of a "perch fry". Other popular annual festivals include the Leacock Festival, Blues Festival, Jazz Festival, Scottish Festival, and Beatles Festival.

The Port of Orillia holds an annual "Christmas in June", which includes a boat decorating contest and turkey buffet. Boat and cottage shows are held in June and August.

Orillia also hosts an annual Canada Day event at Couchiching Beach Park. The day begins with a traditional pancake breakfast served by the Mayor and Council, and ends with a large fireworks display at dusk.

Orillia is the original and current site of the popular Mariposa Folk Festival. Begun in 1961, it is the longest-running folk festival in Canada.

The Stephen Leacock Associates have honoured former Orillia resident and humourist Stephen Leacock's memory since 1947 with the annual Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour, awarded to the best Canadian humorous book published the previous year. The Leacock Medal Gala and Award ceremony is held each June at nearby Geneva Park, with tickets for sale to the public.

The Royal Canadian Legion sponsors a yearly Scottish Festival at Couchiching Beach Park and Centennial Park in July each year. Marching bands from around the country participate.

Since 1963, the Webers hamburger restaurant has been approximately 1 km north of Orillia, next to Ontario Highway 11.

Lake St. George Golf Club is ten minutes north of Orillia.

Education
Both French and English public education is offered in Orillia.

There is one Catholic French-language elementary school, École élémentaire catholique Samuel-de-Champlain, operated by the Conseil scolaire de district catholique Centre-Sud.

Students from this elementary school attend École secondaire catholique Nouvelle-Alliance, which is operated by the same board and is located in Barrie.

English public education in Orillia is provided via the Simcoe County District School Board, which has nine elementary and three secondary schools in the city. The secondary schools are Twin Lakes Secondary School, Orillia Secondary School, formerly OD/Park Secondary School and originally called Orillia District Collegiate and Vocational Institute and Park Street Collegiate Institute. The schools joined together in the summer of 2013. There is also an alternative secondary school, known as OASIS.

Publicly funded Catholic English-language education is available via the Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board through four elementary schools and one secondary school, Patrick Fogarty Catholic Secondary School.

Private schools include the Orillia Christian School.

There are two post-secondary institutions that are based in Orillia. The Orillia campus of Georgian College offers applied arts and technology programmes to 1,600 students. Lakehead University operates a small campus downtown, with the main campus on a new site on University Ave. The Orillia campus opened in the downtown in 2006 and the campus on University Ave. opened in September 2010. The Lakehead University campus located on University Avenue is the first in North America that has been built to meet all LEED® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification standards.

There is also an Adult Learning Centre, where adults may upgrade to receive high school diplomas.

Health care
The Orillia Soldiers' Memorial Hospital is a 230-bed hospital in the city. Opened in 1908 as the 20-bed Orillia General Hospital, it took its current name in 1922 to honour those who died fighting in World War I. Orillia Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital celebrated its 100th anniversary on May 28, 2008. The hospital is located at 170 Colborne Street West, Orillia, ON L3V 2Z3.

Transit
Orillia Transit provides service on five routes throughout the city. All of these routes run on loops which depart and end at the downtown bus terminal at the intersection of West and Mississaga Streets, in front of the Orillia Public Library and Opera House. Orillia Transit services commence at 6:15 a.m., ending at 10:15 p.m. on weekdays with all final departures from the terminal and shorter operating hours on weekends with no holiday service.

In August 2019, Simcoe County LINX began a bus route that connects Orillia with Barrie on weekdays, excluding statutory holidays.

Ontario Northland provides intercity bus service, connecting Orillia to Toronto, Barrie, North Bay and Sudbury, among other destinations. The bus stop was originally located at the site of the former train station, but was moved to the Knights Inn on Front Street in 2020, and subsequently moved to the Orillia Transit terminal in 2024.

Orillia was once a stop for the Northlander train but re-routing resulted in termination of service. The station that served the Northlander still exists but re-adapted for commercial use.

Environmental issues
In 2012, Orillia won the highest municipal honour for its waste diversion efforts. The City of Orillia had a waste diversion rate of 61% in 2011. The Recycling Council of Ontario awarded the city its highest award, the Platinum Municipal Diversion Award.

Ontario Provincial Police headquarters
As part of an initiative to decentralise its services, the provincial government relocated the headquarters of the Ontario Provincial Police to Orillia. The office was initially located in the Tudhope Building downtown (part of which is currently used as the Orillia City Hall) until the new building was opened in 1995. The headquarters, known as the Lincoln M. Alexander Building, is located on Memorial Avenue near the Huronia Regional Centre. The building houses the assorted bureaus and divisions that make up the general headquarters, as well as the Provincial Police Academy, and The OPP Museum.

OPP Central Region Headquarters is located on Hurtubise Road, near the intersection of Hwy 12 and Memorial Avenue.

The OPP also provides municipal policing to the City of Orillia under contract from a detachment located on University Avenue. The city's police force was disbanded when the policing contract began in 1996.

Radio
There are also rebroadcast transmitters for CBC Radio:
 * FM 105.9 - CICX-FM "Pure Country 106", country music
 * FM 89.1 - CISO-FM "MAX FM", Alternative and Rock music
 * FM 98.5 - CIOA-FM - tourist information station
 * FM 90.7 - CBL-FM-3 (CBC Radio 2, repeating CBL-FM Toronto)
 * FM 91.5 - CBCO-FM (CBC Radio One, repeating CBLA-FM Toronto)

TV
Television stations and rebroadcasters based in the vicinity of Orillia are:

The incumbent cable television provider in Orillia is Rogers Cable.

Notable people

 * A. Charles Baillie, chancellor of Queen's University
 * James Bartleman, diplomat and lieutenant governor of Ontario
 * William E. Bell, author
 * David G. Benner, psychologist and author
 * Franklin Carmichael, one of the Group of Seven
 * John French, retired ice hockey centre
 * Leslie Frost, premier of Ontario
 * Jake Gaudaur, football player
 * Jake Gaudaur Sr., champion oarsman
 * Walter Knox, athlete and athletics coach
 * John Lawless, ice hockey player inducted to the British Ice Hockey Hall of Fame
 * Stephen Leacock, humourist
 * Matt Lennox, novelist
 * Doug Lewis, politician and lawyer
 * Rick Ley, hockey player
 * Gordon Lightfoot, singer and songwriter who was born here
 * Robert W. Mackenzie, politician
 * Sam Medysky, kiteboarder
 * Ethan Moreau, Columbus Blue Jackets hockey player
 * Jack Reid, artist, watercolours
 * Ted Roop, Morning Radio Show Host - 104.1 The DOCK
 * John Sissons, politician and judge
 * Sam Steele, soldier and member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
 * Don Tapscott, Member of the Order of Canada and former Chancellor of Trent University
 * Earl Valiquette, football player
 * Luke Wiles, lacrosse player
 * Elizabeth Wyn Wood, sculptor
 * Marnie Woodrow, novelist

title: Orillia


text:
Dorestad

Dorestad (Dorestat, Duristat) was an early medieval emporium, located in the southeast of the province of Utrecht in the Netherlands, close to the modern-day town of Wijk bij Duurstede. It flourished during the 8th to early 9th centuries, as an important port on the northeastern shipping routes due to its proximity to the fork in the Rhine, with access to Germany via the Nederrijn (the northernmost branch of the Rhine), to the southern Netherlands, northern France, and England (via the Lek), and to the northern Netherlands, northern Germany, and Scandinavia (via the Kromme Rijn).

History
The township was established at the base of the former Roman fortress of Levefanum in the 7th century.

The Frankish Carolingian Empire and the Frisians fought for control of the territory, until the Franks gained control of the Frisian Coast in 719.

Dorestad flourished between the 7th century and the mid-9th century. The settlement was well known for minting coins under the control of several Frankish rulers. In the 7th century, it was clear that Dorestad had the potential to become a major port. It was the meeting point for traders at the time. As a result, the Franks and the Frisians fought over control of the township. The Franks won out at the end of the 7th century and closely monitored the growth of Dorestad, which led to Dorestad's economic expansion via international trade and the establishment of a mint in the Upper town. It is assumed that there was a toll as well as harbour fees, collected by the king's representatives at Dorestad. Over time, many coins have been discovered in the Dorestad area, supporting the idea of rapid growth and control of the harbour as well as the presence of a mint. Many of the coins that have been discovered bear resemblance to other Frankish coins of the period. The numismatic evidence supports the victory of the Franks over the Frisians.

It seems that the expansion of Dorestad, Lower Town in particular, lasted until the early 9th century, when the strength of the international trade of luxury items was weakened by the rise of regional trade. The shift in the character of trade occurred as more and more trading towns popped up in the region. The Franks seemed to be networking with Byzantium and the Muslim world. As the trade increased across the board, the Franks required more trading settlements to support the economy. As a result, the Franks slowly lost interest in the town and granted the Church of Utrecht responsibility over a sizeable portion of Dorestad. By expanding the power of the Church, the local élite was weakened providing substantial security for the Franks.

It is generally believed that the township reached its peak around the 820s and 830s and declined considerably thereafter. It is thought that the decline occurred because of Viking raids as well as a decline in the economy.

By the 830s, under the control of Louis the Pious, the expansion of the harbour had halted altogether, but coins continued to be minted for some time. A division occurred in the Frankish Empire, and Louis the Pious was removed from the throne by his son. However, Lothair I was unable to protect Dorestad and the other Frankish territories from economic turmoil. As a result, Louis the Pious quickly took back Dorestad and exiled his son to Italy. At this time, two things occurred in Dorestad that led to its eventual downfall. The first was that the Franks lost even more interest in Dorestad and as a result, even more control was transferred to the Church. The second was that Lothair I was stirring up trouble for the Franks by encouraging Viking raids on the Frisian coast when he was exiled.

Between 834 and 839, there were extensive raids. Although Dorestad was raided only once, in 834, it seems that the town never fully recovered afterwards. To protect the Frisian coastline, Frankish kings enlisted the help of the Danes and appointed Haraldr Junior and his brother, Hroerekr, to protect the emporium. The Franks allowed Hroerekr to take control of the land as long as he protected the coast from Viking invasions. The coast was battered by Viking attacks, but it seems that Dorestad was left relatively unscathed. The Danish rulers held court on the coast for quite some time despite being not well liked by the people that they ruled.

By the 9th century, it seems that the need for international trade was waning as regional trade gained importance. Under Danish control, Dorestad became less significant. Trading had slowed and now was almost nonexistent. The mint was shut down when Hroerekr took control of the lands. As the settlement no longer held much economic or cultural significance. From around 840, the threat of the Vikings receded, as a truce was reached. The Franks no longer needed the help of the Danes and began to look for ways to dispose of them. That created conflict between the Franks and the Danes as Hroerekr established a gang of men to attack the coast.

In 846, Dorestad and two other settlements were plundered once again. While Frankish defence was organized, that did not stop the Danes from capturing Dorestad and a large portion of the Frisian Coast in 850.

According to Forte, Oram, and Pedersen, Dorestad, "...despite the slaughter and sack of the 830s seems quickly to have recovered its prosperity after each episode, and its disappearance in the 860s was a consequence of a shift in the course of the river channel along which its trade flowed rather than a result of Viking raids."

The site remained uninhabited from the later 9th until the construction of a keep, the nucleus of Duurstede Castle, in around 1270, about 800 m south of the old settlement. The modern settlement of Wijk bij Duurstede grew up around the castle, gaining city rights in 1300.

Location
Dorestad grew to be a lively trade city (emporium) because of its location at the crossing of two important river trade routes. Along one route, Dorestad was connected to the Dutch mudflats and Frisian area in the north of the Netherlands via the Kromme Rijn, the Utrechtse Vecht and the Almere Lake. It was a connection of the German Rhineland via the Rhine with Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. The second trade route ran from the Lek to the west coast and formed the connection between the Rhineland and England. This route could also be used to reach the Scheldt river, through which Neustria could be reached.

Vikings
Because of its wealth and success as a trade centre, Dorestad got the attention of Vikings in the 9th century. This resulted in large groups of Vikings attacking and looting the city. The first attack took place in 834 and the last attack in 863.

The Danish King Sigfred felt threatened by the advancement of the Franks under the leadership of Charlemagne. Charlemagne's attempt to subject the Saxons east of the Elbe by annexing Nordalbingia led to a feud between the factions of Halfdan and Godfred, two supposed sons of Sigfred. The throne of Denmark was briefly under control of the son of Halfdan, Harald Klak, but he was driven away by the sons of Godfred.

The eldest son of Louis the Pious, Lothair, made use of the services provided by the Danish clan of the former King Harald Klak, who fled to Francia in 814. Harald was a vassal of King Louis with a place in Saxony. In the year 819 Harald became one of multiple kings in Denmark by the hand of Louis' negotiations with the Danes. In 826 Harald and his clan were baptised in Mainz, after which he received the East-Frisian county Rüstringen, of which the Gaus Östringen, Wangerland, Harlingerland and a part of Norderland may have consisted. Harald was driven from Denmark and spent his last 25 years of his life in the county.

When Lothair got in a feud with his father Louis over his reassignment of the Empire in 829, he gave orders to Harald the Younger, the nephew of Harald Klak, to make Frisia an unviable asset to King Louis by means of making crucial trade routes unsafe to travel and burning Dorestad to the ground. This would stagnate the transport of goods to the main areas of Francia, therefore forcing Louis to admit to the demands of Lothair. This resulted in Dorestad undergoing many attacks and lootings until Louis and Lothair came to terms in Worms in 839. Frisia got divided between Lothair and his half-brother Charles the Bald, where the river Meuse became the border. Lothair gave Dorestad to Harald the Younger and his brother Rorik. With the Treaty of Verdun in 843 the feud between the brothers ended and the Empire got divided once again, and Lothair got to rule over all of Frisia north of the Schelde, which became part of Middle Francia.

After the death of Louis the Pious in 840 a new feud developed between his three sons, but over in Frisia, Lothair had a strong position because of the Danish Warlords that were situated in Rüstringen, Dorestad and Walcheren. The devastating effects of the civil wars were much worse than that of the 'modest' Viking attacks. The Frisians and Danes got along well, and went as far as to exchange goods. Frisia stayed related to the Heathen Baltic Sea culture, and felt threatened and repressed by the centralized way of leadership and the Christian beliefs. The Frisians did not defend Walcheren when the Danes attacked in 837. The Frisian count Gerulf I of Frisia in Westergo was accused of neglect, but regained his possessions in 839.

One of the most famous archaeological finds in the Netherlands is the Dorestad Fibula (see image). It was found in an old well in Dorestad in 1969. The valuable piece of jewellery may have been placed in the well to protect it from danger, for example the attacks of the Vikings on Dorestad.

Excavation
To find out more about the settlement and its prominence in the early Middle Ages the site was excavated. Some excavations took place in the middle of the nineteenth century and the finds from them are now in the National Museum of Antiquities and the British Museum. The most important findings were discovered during an excavation that took place between 1967 and 1977. About 30 hectare were exposed during the excavation and much was learned about the physical parameters of the settlement. It was discovered Dorestad was situated one mile north of Wijk bij Duurstede and was approximately 3 square kilometres in size. This is considered a large settlement for the time period.

It is believed that the settlement was separated into three districts: a harbour ("Lower town"), a trading centre located on the left bank ("Upper town"), and an agricultural area located further inland. Upper and lower town were connected by a single road which acted as the 'backbone' of the town. The remnants of this road can still be seen today.

Only the "lower town" was excavated by archaeologists as much of Dorestad was eroded away by the river bend. When the harbour was excavated the remains of wooden causeways which would have allowed for easy unloading of goods were discovered. These findings correlate to the development of trade on the Rhine. It is believed that wine from the vineyards South of Mainz was one of the most prominent products traded in Dorestad. Old wine barrels have been excavated in Dorestad. It is also thought that glassware and lava querns for grinding corn were also transported to Dorestad for trading. The existence of these imports allowed Dorestad's economy to grow substantially.

While the "upper town" was never excavated, the soil of the site has been examined and tested positive for phosphates that confirm its existence. Some Carolingian artefacts have been found over the years in the trading centre; however, the majority of items discovered date back to the Roman fortress that was established prior to the 7th Century. This may be because the residents of Dorestad used the tufa blocks from the Roman fortress as building material. It is thought that the royal administrators were situated in the Upper Town.

The Christian church was granted a piece of land in both the Upper and Lower Town. Next to the agricultural sector remains of a building were found as well as many graves. It is assumed that this area comprised the Lower church.

The conception of the Upper and Lower township is supported not only by archaeological evidence, but a poem was discovered by the English clergyman Alcuin, written at the end of the 8th century, referring to the town as Dorstada which is a pluralization of the name.

 * Hinc tua vela leva, fugiens Dorstada relinque:
 * Non tibi forte niger Hrotberct parat hospita tecta,
 * Nec amat ecce tuum carmen mercator avarus.

 * Hoist your sails, flee and leave behind the (towns of) Dorestad:
 * You do not have the fortune of a hospitable roof offered by Black Hrotberct,
 * Nor does the greedy merchant love your poem.

title: Dorestad