During the last 25 years at the Gothenburg Opera, the opera genre has almost become indispensable for the people of Gothenburg. However, this has not always been the case, as this documentation of its predecessor, the centenary AB Göteborgs Lyriska Teater, wants to remind us of, as well as its oldest history as a guest performance stage for more than six decades. About fifty once great, but today forgotten stage artists, who were born between 1860-1924 and who have all stood on the grand theatre's stage, show us in gramophone recordings and in Swedish Radio's live glimpses how to squeeze the essence of a Swedish text and make it carry over the edge without the support of microphones.