1.
Manhattan
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Manhattan is the most densely populated borough of New York City, its economic and administrative center, and the citys historical birthplace. The borough is coextensive with New York County, founded on November 1,1683, Manhattan is often described as the cultural and financial capital of the world and hosts the United Nations Headquarters. Many multinational media conglomerates are based in the borough and it is historically documented to have been purchased by Dutch colonists from Native Americans in 1626 for 60 guilders which equals US$1062 today. New York County is the United States second-smallest county by land area, on business days, the influx of commuters increases that number to over 3.9 million, or more than 170,000 people per square mile. Manhattan has the third-largest population of New York Citys five boroughs, after Brooklyn and Queens, the City of New York was founded at the southern tip of Manhattan, and the borough houses New York City Hall, the seat of the citys government. The name Manhattan derives from the word Manna-hata, as written in the 1609 logbook of Robert Juet, a 1610 map depicts the name as Manna-hata, twice, on both the west and east sides of the Mauritius River. The word Manhattan has been translated as island of hills from the Lenape language. The United States Postal Service prefers that mail addressed to Manhattan use New York, NY rather than Manhattan, the area that is now Manhattan was long inhabited by the Lenape Native Americans. In 1524, Florentine explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano – sailing in service of King Francis I of France – was the first European to visit the area that would become New York City. It was not until the voyage of Henry Hudson, an Englishman who worked for the Dutch East India Company, a permanent European presence in New Netherland began in 1624 with the founding of a Dutch fur trading settlement on Governors Island. In 1625, construction was started on the citadel of Fort Amsterdam on Manhattan Island, later called New Amsterdam, the 1625 establishment of Fort Amsterdam at the southern tip of Manhattan Island is recognized as the birth of New York City. In 1846, New York historian John Romeyn Brodhead converted the figure of Fl 60 to US$23, variable-rate myth being a contradiction in terms, the purchase price remains forever frozen at twenty-four dollars, as Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace remarked in their history of New York. Sixty guilders in 1626 was valued at approximately $1,000 in 2006, based on the price of silver, Straight Dope author Cecil Adams calculated an equivalent of $72 in 1992. In 1647, Peter Stuyvesant was appointed as the last Dutch Director General of the colony, New Amsterdam was formally incorporated as a city on February 2,1653. In 1664, the English conquered New Netherland and renamed it New York after the English Duke of York and Albany, the Dutch Republic regained it in August 1673 with a fleet of 21 ships, renaming the city New Orange. Manhattan was at the heart of the New York Campaign, a series of battles in the early American Revolutionary War. The Continental Army was forced to abandon Manhattan after the Battle of Fort Washington on November 16,1776. The city, greatly damaged by the Great Fire of New York during the campaign, became the British political, British occupation lasted until November 25,1783, when George Washington returned to Manhattan, as the last British forces left the city
2.
Chambers Street (Manhattan)
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Chambers Street is a two-way street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs from River Terrace, Battery Park City, in the west, past PS234 and Stuyvesant High School to 1 Centre Street, in the early 20th century the street continued through that buildings archway. Between Broadway and Centre Street, Chambers Street forms the boundary of the grounds surrounding New York City Hall. Opposite the Tweed Courthouse sits the Surrogates Courthouse for Manhattan,280 Broadway the Marble Palace, lies west of there, on the north side of Chambers. Beginning in 2010, Chambers Street was fully reconstructed, john Murray, Chambers law partner, has nearby Murray Street named after him
3.
Broadway (Manhattan)
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Broadway /ˈbrɔːdweɪ/ is a road in the U. S. state of New York. It is the oldest north–south main thoroughfare in New York City, dating to the first New Amsterdam settlement, the name Broadway is the English language literal translation of the Dutch name, Brede weg. Broadway is known widely as the heart of the American theatre industry, Broadway was originally the Wickquasgeck Trail, carved into the brush of Manhattan by its Native American inhabitants. Wickquasgeck means birch-bark country in the Algonquian language and this trail originally snaked through swamps and rocks along the length of Manhattan Island. Upon the arrival of the Dutch, the trail became the main road through the island from Nieuw Amsterdam at the southern tip. The Dutch explorer and entrepreneur David Pietersz. de Vries gives the first mention of it in his journal for the year 1642, the Dutch named the road Heerestraat. Although current street signs are simply labeled as Broadway, in a 1776 map of New York City, in the mid-eighteenth century, part of Broadway in what is now lower Manhattan was known as Great George Street. An 1897 City Map shows a segment of Broadway as Kingsbridge Road in the vicinity of what is now the George Washington Bridge. In the 18th century, Broadway ended at the town north of Wall Street, where traffic continued up the East Side of the island via Eastern Post Road. The western Bloomingdale Road would be widened and paved during the 19th century, on February 14,1899, the name Broadway was extended to the entire Broadway/Bloomingdale/Boulevard road. Broadway once was a street for its entire length. The present status, in which it runs one-way southbound south of Columbus Circle, on 6 June 1954, Seventh Avenue became southbound and Eighth Avenue became northbound south of Broadway. On 3 June 1962, Broadway became one-way south of Canal Street, with Trinity Place, northbound traffic on Broadway now needs to take Amsterdam Avenue to 73rd Street, make a sharp turn on the very narrow 73rd and then right turn on Broadway. Otherwise, and effectively, the traffic on Broadway has been diverted into Amsterdam Avenue. In August 2008, two lanes from 42nd to 35th Streets were taken out of service and converted to public plazas. Additionally, bike lanes were added on Broadway from 42nd Street down to Union Square, the city decided that the experiment was successful and decided to make the change permanent in February 2010. Additionally, portions of Broadway in the Madison Square and Union Square have been dramatically narrowed, Broadway runs the length of Manhattan Island, roughly parallel to the North River, from Bowling Green at the south to Inwood at the northern tip of the island. South of Columbus Circle, it is a southbound street
4.
Opera house
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An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building. While some venues are constructed specifically for operas, other houses are part of larger performing arts centers. In contrast, there was no house in London when Henry Purcell was composing. Early United States opera houses served a variety of functions in towns and cities, hosting community dances, fairs, plays, with the rise of bourgeois and capitalist social forms in the 19th century, European culture moved away from its patronage system to a publicly supported system. In the 2000s, most opera and theatre companies raise funds from a combination of government and institutional grants, ticket sales, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples introduces the plant horseshoe, the oldest in the world, a model for the Italian theater. On this model were built following theaters of Italy and Europe, among others, the theater of the Palace of Caserta. Given the popularity of opera in 18th and 19th century Europe, opera houses are large, with generally more than 1,000 seats. Modern opera houses of the century such as New Yorks Metropolitan Opera. Many operas are better suited to being presented in smaller theatres, in a traditional opera house, the auditorium is U-shaped, with the length of the sides determining the audience capacity. Around this are tiers of balconies, and often, nearer to the stage, are boxes and this is especially true of Wagners Bayreuth Festspielhaus where the pit is almost completely covered. The size of an opera orchestra varies, but for some operas, oratorios and other works, it may be large, for some romantic period works. Similarly, an opera may have a large cast of characters, chorus, dancers, therefore, a major opera house will have extensive dressing room facilities. Opera houses often have on-premises set and costume building shops and facilities for storage of costumes, make-up, masks, and stage properties, major opera houses throughout the world often have highly mechanized stages, with large stage elevators permitting heavy sets to be changed rapidly. At the Metropolitan Opera, for instance, sets are changed during the action, as the audience watches. This occurs in the Mets productions of such as Aida. Much the same happened in the remodeling of Milans La Scala opera house between 2002 and 2004, since the 1990s, however, many opera houses have begun using a subtle form of sound reinforcement called acoustic enhancement. Often, operas are presented in their languages, which may be different from the first language of the audience. For example, a Wagnerian opera presented in London may be in German, therefore, since the 1980s modern opera houses have assisted the audience by providing translated supertitles, projections of the words above or near to the stage
5.
Broadway theatre
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Along with Londons West End theatres, Broadway theatres are widely considered to represent the highest level of commercial theatre in the English-speaking world. The Theater District is a popular tourist attraction in New York City, the great majority of Broadway shows are musicals. They presented Shakespeare plays and ballad operas such as The Beggars Opera, in 1752, William Hallam sent a company of twelve actors from Britain to the colonies with his brother Lewis as their manager. They established a theatre in Williamsburg, Virginia and opened with The Merchant of Venice, the company moved to New York in the summer of 1753, performing ballad operas and ballad-farces like Damon and Phillida. The Revolutionary War suspended theatre in New York, but thereafter theatre resumed in 1798, the Bowery Theatre opened in 1826, followed by others. Blackface minstrel shows, a distinctly American form of entertainment, became popular in the 1830s, by the 1840s, P. T. Barnum was operating an entertainment complex in lower Manhattan. In 1829, at Broadway and Prince Street, Niblos Garden opened, the 3, 000-seat theatre presented all sorts of musical and non-musical entertainments. In 1844, Palmos Opera House opened and presented opera for four seasons before bankruptcy led to its rebranding as a venue for plays under the name Burtons Theatre. The Astor Opera House opened in 1847, booth played the role for a famous 100 consecutive performances at the Winter Garden Theatre in 1865, and would later revive the role at his own Booths Theatre. Other renowned Shakespeareans who appeared in New York in this era were Henry Irving, Tommaso Salvini, Fanny Davenport, lydia Thompson came to America in 1868 heading a small theatrical troupe, adapting popular English burlesques for middle-class New York audiences. Thompsons troupe called the British Blondes, was the most popular entertainment in New York during the 1868–1869 theatrical season, the six-month tour ran for almost six extremely profitable years. Theatre in New York moved from downtown gradually to midtown beginning around 1850, in 1870, the heart of Broadway was in Union Square, and by the end of the century, many theatres were near Madison Square. Broadways first long-run musical was a 50-performance hit called The Elves in 1857, New York runs continued to lag far behind those in London, but Laura Keenes musical burletta The Seven Sisters shattered previous New York records with a run of 253 performances. It was at a performance by Keenes troupe of Our American Cousin in Washington, the production was a staggering five-and-a-half hours long, but despite its length, it ran for a record-breaking 474 performances. The same year, The Black Domino/Between You, Me and the Post was the first show to call itself a musical comedy, Tony Pastor opened the first vaudeville theatre one block east of Union Square in 1881, where Lillian Russell performed. Comedians Edward Harrigan and Tony Hart produced and starred in musicals on Broadway between 1878 and 1890, with book and lyrics by Harrigan and music by his father-in-law David Braham. They starred high quality singers, instead of the women of repute who had starred in earlier musical forms. Plays could run longer and still draw in the audiences, leading to better profits, as in England, during the latter half of the century, the theatre began to be cleaned up, with less prostitution hindering the attendance of the theatre by women
6.
William Evans Burton
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William Evans Burton, who often went by the nickname Billy, was an English actor, playwright, theater manager and publisher who relocated to the United States. Intended for a career in the church, Burton was a pupil at St. Pauls School in London, an institution associated also with the dramatic names of Robert William Elliston and Charles Mathews. At the age of 18, in consequence of the death of his father, the youth was called to take charge of the printing office and his first effort was to establish a monthly magazine. The attempt was a failure, but it brought him theatrical acquaintances, the first step in his theatrical career, as usual, was to join an amateur dramatic society, and it is said that about this time he gave a performance of Hamlet somewhere on the Strand. In 1825 he was associated with a provincial company acting at Norwich, and elsewhere in England, and he played low comedy. His aspirations at the start were for the tragic, and it is known that late in life he still at times entertained the fancy that nature had intended him to be a tragedian. Burton was one of the funniest creatures that lived, but his interior nature was thoughtful. He thought, felt, and understood tragedy, but when he came to act, at the outset of his career he led the usual life of an itinerant actor. There is a tradition that in the course of his wanderings he once played before George IV at Windsor. John Liston was then the favorite in London, and next to Liston stood John Reeve. His talents as a writer likewise displayed themselves at an early age, Burton went on to a large number of plays during his career. On 10 April 1823 Burton had married Elizabeth Loft, by whom in 1824 he had a son. The marriage was not a success, and partly due to this in 1834 Burton relocated to the United States, where he appeared in Philadelphia as Dr. Ollapod in The Poor Gentleman. He took a prominent place, both as actor and manager, in New York City, Philadelphia and Baltimore, the theatre which he leased in New York being renamed Burtons Theatre. He was very successful as Captain Cuttle in John Broughams dramatization of Dombey and Son, in 1837 in Philadelphia he established the Gentlemens Magazine, of which Edgar Allan Poe was for some time the editor. His magazine was intended for an audience, incorporating the standard fare of poetry and fiction. For the September 1837 issue Burton wrote an early example of the story, The Secret Cell, detailing a London policemans efforts to trace an abducted girl. Burton likely served as a critic himself for the magazine
7.
John M. Trimble
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H. P. Phelps writes, Mr. John Montague Trimble…was born in New York, in 1815, …and became stage carpenter at the old Bowery. He, in time, acquired the trades of carpentry and masonry, and also learned something of architecture. He became famous as the Lightning Builder, once, when the Bowery burned down, he re-erected it in sixty days. He built Barnums old museum, Genins hat store, and other buildings, almost without number, during the California excitement, he built many houses which were shipped to the Pacific coast, all ready to be put up. He delighted to make a contract to have a certain number done in a short time, say forty days. He understood, thoroughly, the way to employ a number of men at the same time. His work seemed always done by magic, …While building the New Bowery, in 1859, he went to bed one night and arose the next morning, blind. … bore up bravely under this painful affliction, although he never did much work afterward. One summer, …it was suggested to him to come to Albany and change the old Pearl street theatre, then a church, into its original condition. He thought well of the idea, acted upon it, and so, in 1863, became for the first time in his life, a manager. He died at 4 A. M. June 7,1867, at 31 Beaver street, of consumption, in 1848, he was engaged to enlarge the Albany Museum, a theatre. In 1857, he designed Pikes Opera House in Cincinnati along with Horatio Nelson White, the following year, he designed Thalian Hall in Wilmington, North Carolina, which is still in use. Notes Sources Bishir, Catherine W. and Buchman, Tim North Carolina Architecture, the Historic Preservation Foundation of North Carolina, Inc.2005 Brown, Thomas Allston A History of the New York Stage, Vol.1. Ireland, Joseph N. Records of the New York Stage, morrison, Craig Theaters Phelps, H. P. Players of a Century, A Record of the Albany Stage, steelman, Ben “What is Thalian Hall. ”At website MyReporter. com Thalian Hall at website of Wilmington Downtown, Inc
8.
I puritani
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I puritani is an opera in by Vincenzo Bellini. It was originally written in two acts and later changed to three acts on the advice of Gioachino Rossini, with whom the composer had become friends. Taking from April until its premiere the following January, Bellini had time to ensure that the opera was as close to perfection as possible. In a word, my dear Florimo, it was an unheard of thing, upon his arrival in Paris, Bellini quickly entered into the fashionable world of the Parisian salons, including that run by Princess Belgiojoso whom he had met in Milan. In addition to the writers of the time, among the musical figures which he would have encountered were several Italians such as Michele Carafa and Luigi Cherubini. Thus, for most of the remainder of 1833, Bellinis musical activity was very limited and he pleaded guilty in the letter to Florimo in March 1834 noting that the citys attractions were immense. The contract to write a new opera for the Théâtre-Italien, which was signed in January 1834, in the same letter he tells of working towards finding a subject with the Italian émigré, Count Pepoli, who had not written a libretto before. The chosen source of the libretto was identified as a play performed in Paris only six months before in September 1833. When first shown the play and other subjects by Pepoli, in the opinion of writer William Weaver, it was clearly the heroines madness that attracted the composer. But a month later, he comments to Florimo on what it takes working on the libretto with Pepoli, keeping moving ahead costs me a lot of weariness, he lacks practice which is a great thing. Finally, Bellini stated that he did not want to negotiate with anybody until I see what success my opera will have and this included a proposal from the Opéra-Comique in Paris for a new opera for that company. Pepoli adopts a modern aesthetic agenda, condemning vocal ornamentation as a dilution of dramatic sense and attacking imitation as cheapening musics inherent, quoting Pepoli, Smart continues, for this song the people fight, win, triumph, Europe and the world shouted Liberty. It is beautiful to face death shouting liberty, then she recounts how Bellini reacted to what she describes as Pepoli’s “hotheaded patriotism which appears in librettist’s poetry. Around the middle of April 1834, Bellini became concerned when he learned that Gaetano Donizetti would be composing for the Théâtre-Italien during the season as the one for which he was writing. As it transpired, Bellinis total success and Donizettis moderate one with Marin Faliero was insignificant, throughout his stay in Paris, Bellini had cultivated the older composer and had maintained a friendship with him, I have always adored Rossini, and I succeeded, and happily. Tamed Rossinis hatred, I no longer was frightened and finished work of mine which won me so much honour. Later, the dress rehearsal, he wrote. With rehearsals planned for late December/early January, the dress rehearsal took place on 20 January 1835 and it was attended by all of high society, all the great artists, and everyone most distinguished in Paris were in the theatre, enthusiastic
9.
Emma Albertazzi
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Emma Albertazzi was an English stage contralto. Born Emma Howson, she was the daughter of Francis Howson and she was a pupil of Michael Costa with whom she began studying at the age of 14 in London. She debuted in 1829 at Argyle Rooms, London and she was engaged at Her Majestys Theatre in 1830, and then in Piacenza, Italy in 1831, where she married the Italian lawyer Albertazzi. While in Italy she was a pupil of famed soprano Giuditta Pasta and she sang in La Scala, Madrid, and Paris at the Théâtre des Italiens, her most brilliant period. She reappeared in London in 1837-1839 where she performed in the world premiere of Michael William Balfes Falstaff on 19 July 1838. The Wilis ran for 21 performances, with Albertazzis final performance on 7 January 1847 and she had, however, already given a farewell concert in London in 1846. According to Bakers Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, she had a fine voice, henry Fothergill Chorley expressed the same view in his musical memoirs. However, his contemporary, dramatic author, Edward Fitzball took a different view. Never presented itself to the eye, or tender heart. Her voice was unsurpassable. Her singing of Di Piacer is not to be described, … poor lovely Albertazzi, … died young after a brief career, like a bird that sings sweetly beneath our lattice, then takes flight to more sunny regions. … An Englishwoman by birth … voice and execution have seldom been surpassed by a foreigner. According to Fitzball, Albertazzi died young in a deep decline, the term deep decline possibly period code for tuberculous meningitis. S. in the 1870s with some success, settling there permanently
10.
Beatrice di Tenda
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Beatrice di Tenda is a tragic opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini, from a libretto by Felice Romani, after the play of the same name by Carlo Tedaldi Fores. Initially, a play by Alexandre Dumas was chosen as the subject for the opera, Romani, who had his own concerns, the principal one being the close parallels with the story told in Donizettis Anna Bolena, an opera which had established that composers success in 1830. Against his better judgment, he agreed, although he failed to provide verses for many months. Although unsuccessful at its premiere in Venice in 1833, Bellini felt that he had counteracted the horror of its story by means of the music, colouring it now tremendously and now sadly. Later, after hearing of the success in Palermo, Bellini wrote to his Neapolitan friend Francesco Florimo. Also, it was Pastas performances in the role that overcame the publics hostility to the piece. The opera was Bellinis penultimate work, coming between Norma and I puritani and it was the one of his operas to be published in full score in his lifetime. With the leading role requiring a strong character to be written for Pasta, composer. However, within a month, Bellini had changed his mind and he was writing to Pasta stating that the subject has been changed, I had a hard time persuading Romani, but persuade him I did, and with good reasons. Knowing that the subject pleases you, as you told me the evening when you saw the ballet and he is a man of good will, and I want him to show it also in wanting to prepare at least the first act for me swiftly. Bellinis expectation that he would receive the first act turned out to be a mistake. In spite of Romanis contract deadlines, no progress towards the preparation of the libretto for Beatrice took place in November, Bellini announced that he would arrive in Venice in early December, but after the 10th, he became preoccupied with rehearsals for his stagings of Norma. However, the lack of any verses—for an opera which was supposed to be given its premiere in the half of February—caused him to have to take action against Romani. He lodged a complaint with the governor of Venice who then contacted the governor of Milan, the librettist finally arrived in Venice on 1 January 1833. He holed up to write Bellinis libretto, but, at the same time, when Norma opened on 26 December, it was a success but only because of Pasta, the other singers were not well received. This caused Bellini to fear for how Beatrice would turn out, writing to his friend Santocanale in Palermo on 12 January, the composer was in despair, complaining of the short time to write his opera, whose fault is that. That of my usual and original poet, the God of Sloth and their relationship quickly began to deteriorate, greetings including tu gave way to voi and they lived in different parts of Venice, unusual when they were working together outside their home city. However, by 14 February, Bellini was reporting that he had another three pieces of the opera to do
11.
Belisario
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Belisario is a tragedia lirica in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian libretto after Luigi Marchionnis adaptation of Eduard von Schenks play, Belisarius, first staged in Munich in 1820, the plot is loosely based on the life of the famous general Belisarius of the 6th century Byzantine Empire. However, in spite of its short term success and critical reaction. By April 1836, even the composer himself recognized that the work stood below Lucia in accomplishment, with the success of Lucia di Lammermoor in September 1835, Donizetti moved on to stagings of Maria Stuarda, the first under that name at La Scala in late 1835. There followed discussions with impresario Natale Fabbrici about employing a Venetian librettist, of greater concern to Donizetti was the singers who were to be engaged. Primarily, he was concerned about the identity of the tenor, Until I know for sure, I cannot compose duets, finales and trios. In a review of a 2011 London performance, some of the strengths of Donizettis score are outlined, The central couple are played by bass and soprano, but Donizettis score has none of Verdis furious compression, and dramatically we are in very different territory. Belisario and Antonina, the latter more Regan than Lady Macbeth, are at each others throats rather than united by desire for power and her machinations lead to his being blinded then expelled from Byzantium into the natural world beyond. 19th century The operas popularity continued through the 19th century, with stagings in 31 cities both in Europe and America. Its first performance in London took place on 1 April 1837, after an 1899 performance in Coblenz, the opera disappeared. 20th century and beyond Modern productions have been rare, revivals took place in 1969 at La Fenice, in 1970 at Bergamo, in 1972 in London, in 1973 in Naples, in 1981 in Buenos Aires, and in 1990 at Rutgers University in New Jersey. Most notable amongst performers in the female role has been Leyla Gencer. The opera was presented in January 2005 by the North Carolina School for Arts using a then brand-new performance score prepared by Ottavio Sbragia, the same year saw stagings by Turkish State Opera and Ballet in Istambul. The cast recorded the opera for Opera Rara, place, Byzantium and the Haemus mountains. Time, sixth century A. D. Il Trionfo The hall in the emperors palace Irene, the Emperor Justinian greets his commander and grants his prayer for the release of the prisoners. The captive, Alamiro, who adores Belisarius, refuses to leave him, the general adopts him in place of his long lost son. LEsilio Before the prison Alamiro and his friends lament the fate of Belisarius, whose eyes have been put out by his enemies, Irene clad as a youth arrives to act as guide to her father, who is about to be released from prison. La Morte In the mountains As the clang of weapons is heard, Alamiro now leads the army of the Alanni against Byzantium to avenge Belisarius
12.
The Barber of Seville
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The Barber of Seville, or The Futile Precaution is an opera buffa in two acts by Gioachino Rossini with an Italian libretto by Cesare Sterbini. The libretto was based on Pierre Beaumarchaiss French comedy Le Barbier de Séville, the première of Rossinis opera took place on 20 February 1816 at the Teatro Argentina, Rome. Rossinis Barber has proven to be one of the greatest masterpieces of comedy within music, even after two hundred years, it remains a popular work. Rossinis opera recounts the events of the first of the three plays by French playwright Pierre Beaumarchais that revolve around the clever and enterprising character named Figaro. Mozarts opera Le nozze di Figaro, composed 30 years earlier in 1786, is based on the part of the Beaumarchais trilogy. The first Beaumarchais play was conceived as an opéra comique. The play as it is now known was premiered in 1775 by the Comédie-Française at the Théâtre des Tuileries in Paris, other operas based on the first play were composed by Giovanni Paisiello, by Nicolas Isouard in 1796, and then by Francesco Morlacchi in 1816. Though the work of Paisiello triumphed for a time, only Rossinis version has stood the test of time and continues to be a mainstay of operatic repertoire. On 11 November 1868, two days before Rossinis death, the composer Costantino DallArgine premiered an opera based on the libretto as Rossinis work. The premiere was not a failure, but critics condemned the audacity of the young composer, Rossini was well known for being remarkably productive, completing an average of two operas per year for 19 years, and in some years writing as many as four. The premiere of Rossinis opera at the Teatro Argentina in Rome was a failure, the audience hissed and jeered throughout. Furthermore, many of the audience were supporters of one of Rossinis rivals, Giovanni Paisiello, Paisiello had already composed The Barber of Seville and took Rossinis new version to be an affront to his version. In particular, Paisiello and his followers were opposed to the use of basso buffo, the second performance met with quite a different fate, becoming a roaring success. The original French play, Le Barbier de Séville, endured a similar story, poorly received at first and it was first performed in America on 3 May 1819 in English at the Park Theatre in New York. The cast of eight had three members of his family, including the 17-year-old Maria-Felicia, later known as Maria Malibran. The role of Rosina was originally written for a contralto, according to music critic Richard Osborne, writing in The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, it is important to record the degree to which singers have sometimes distorted Rossini’s intentions. The most serious distortion has been the upward transposition of the role of Rosina,1820 at the Théâtre-Italien in Paris, where it was published. The singing lesson in act 2 has often turned into a show-stopping cabaret
13.
La sonnambula
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The ballet had premiered in Paris in September 1827 at the height of a fashion for stage works incorporating somnambulism. The first performance took place at the Teatro Carcano in Milan on 6 March 1831, non credea mirarti / Sì presto estinto, o fiore from Aminas final aria is inscribed on Bellinis tomb in the Catania Cathedral in Sicily. Writing to his uncle in Sicily, the composer reported that I shall earn almost twice as much as if I had composed. Then Bellini experienced the re-occurrence of an illness which had emerged in Venice due to pressure of work and the bad weather, the gastro-enteric condition—which he described as a tremendous inflammatory gastric bilious fever— resulted in his being cared for by friends. It was not until the summer, when he went to stay near Lake Como and that Pasta owned a house near Como and would be staying there over the summer was the reason that Felice Romani traveled to meet both her and Bellini. Bellini wrote that is now writing La sonnambula, ossia I Due Fidanzati svezzeri. It must go on stage on 20 February at the latest, during Bellinis lifetime another sfogato, Maria Malibran, was to become a notable exponent of the role of Amina. With its pastoral setting and story, La sonnambula was a success and is still regularly performed. The operas premiere took place on 6 March 1831, a little later than the original date. Its success was due to the differences between Romanis earlier libretti and this one, as well as the accumulation of operatic experience which both and Romani had brought to its creation. After its premiere, the opera was performed in London on 28 July 1831 at the King’s Theatre, Herbert Weinstock provides a comprehensive year-by-year listing of performances following the premiere and then, with some gaps, all the way up to 1900. Later, it was a vehicle for showcasing Jenny Lind, Emma Albani and—in the early 20th century—for Lina Pagliughi, weinsteins account of performances given charts those in the 20th century beginning from 1905. While not part of the repertory, La sonnambula is performed reasonably frequently in the 21st century. A production was mounted by The Royal Opera in London in 2011, by the Salzburger Landestheater in Salzburg 2015, the first mezzo-soprano to record the role was Frederica von Stade in 1980, followed by Cecilia Bartoli. As can be seen in the list in the Recordings section, live performances in the 1950s and from the 1990s have been recorded on CD and DVD. Sol per me non non vha contento / All is joy and merriment. She is consumed with jealousy for she had once been betrothed to Elvino and had abandoned by him in favour of Amina. The lovelorn Alessio arrives, but she rejects his advances, All assembled proclaim the beauty of Amina, In Elvezia non vha rosa / fresca e cara al par dAmina / In Switzerland there is no flower sweeter, dearer than Amina. Then Amina comes out of the mill with her foster-mother, Teresa and she is the owner of the mill and had adopted Amina many years before. Amina thanks her, also expressing her thanks to her friends for their kind wishes
14.
L'elisir d'amore
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Lelisir damore is a comic opera in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribes libretto for Daniel Aubers Le philtre, the opera premiered on 12 May 1832 at the Teatro della Canobbiana in Milan. Written in haste in a period, Lelisir damore was the most often performed opera in Italy between 1838 and 1848 and it has remained continually in the international opera repertory. There are a number of recordings. It contains the popular tenor aria Una furtiva lagrima, a romanza that has a performance history in the concert hall. Donizetti insisted on a number of changes from the original Scribe libretto, the best known of these was the insertion of Una furtiva lagrima and the duet between Adina and Nemorino in the first act, Chiedi allaura lusinghiera. The melody to the duet Io son ricco e tu sei bella in Act 2, in general, under Donizettis hands, the subject became more romantic than in the Auber version, Lelisir damore features three big duets between the tenor and soprano. There is also history in this opera. Donizettis military service was bought by a woman, so that. The premiere of Lelisir damore took place at the Teatro della Canobbiana, today, the opera is part of the standard repertory. Place, A small village in the Basque Country Time, The end of the 18th century Nemorino, a peasant, is in love with Adina, a beautiful landowner. When Nemorino hears Adina reading to her workers the story of Tristan and Isolde, the self-important Sergeant Belcore appears with his regiment and immediately sets about courting Adina in front of everyone. Nemorino becomes anxious and, alone with Adina, reveals his love for her, yet Adina rebuffs him, saying she wants a different lover every day and following her example would do Nemorino better. Nemorino declares that his feelings will never change, the travelling quack doctor, Dulcamara, arrives, selling his bottled cure-all to the townspeople. Nemorino innocently asks Dulcamara if he has any of Isoldes love potion, to make a safe escape, Dulcamara tells Nemorino the potion needs 24 hours to take effect — by which time, the doctor will be long gone. Nemorino drinks the potion in a haste in order to watch the effect tomorrow, emboldened by the elixir, Nemorino feigns indifference when he encounters Adina, as he expects that the elixir will facilitate his conquest of Adina the following day. She becomes increasingly annoyed, perhaps she has feelings for Nemorino after all, Belcore returns and proposes marriage to Adina. Still riled by Nemorino and wishing to give him a lesson, yet Nemorino only laughs in response, such confidence is sustained in the belief in the magic potion
15.
L'italiana in Algeri
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Litaliana in Algeri is an operatic dramma giocoso in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San Benedetto in Venice on 22 May 1813, the music is characteristic of Rossinis style, remarkable for its fusion of sustained, manic energy with elegant, pristine melodies. Rossini wrote Litaliana in Algeri when he was 21, the opera was composed in either 18 or 27 days, depending on which source one believes. Rossini entrusted the composition of the recitatives as well as the aria Le femmine dItalia to an unknown collaborator, the opera is notable for Rossinis mixing of opera seria style with opera buffa. The overture is widely recorded and performed today, known for its opening of slow, quiet pizzicato basses. This surprise reflects Rossinis early admiration for Joseph Haydn, whose Symphony No.94 in G major, The Surprise Symphony, is so named for the same shocking, the work was first performed at the Teatro San Benedetto, Venice on 22 May 1813. It was a success and Rossini made progressive changes to the work for later performances in Vicenza, Milan and Naples. The opera was first presented in London at His Majestys Theatre on 28 January 1819 and it is performed regularly in the 21st Century with 48 productions being presented in 43 cities since January 2009. One notable production was given at The Santa Fe Opera in 2002 with Stephanie Blythe as Isabella. Place, Algiers Time, The past The palace of the Bey of Algiers Elvira accompanied by her slave Zulma regrets the loss of the love of her husband, the Turkish Bey Mustafà. Left alone with Haly, Captain of the Corsairs, Mustafà reveals his plan to marry Elvira off to Lindoro, the Bey is bored with his submissive harem, desiring a new challenge to his virility, he wants an Italian girl, and Haly must find one. Lindoro enters alone and sings about Isabella, his true love, Mustafà comes in to explain Lindoros impending marriage. The enthusiastic Bey describes the attractions of the match, while Lindoro struggles to refuse, the seashore A ship has been wrecked in a storm. Its passengers include Isabella, in search of Lindoro, and Taddeo, her travelling companion, Isabella enters with a sorrowful cavatina Cruda sorte. However she is not afraid and will master the situation, Haly and his men take them prisoner. She passes off Taddeo as her uncle, Haly is delighted to learn she is an Italian – exactly what the Bey wanted. Left to consider their fate, Isabella is irritated by Taddeos jealousy of Lindoro, the palace Back in the palace, Lindoro and Elvira do not wish to marry, but Mustafà offers Lindoro passage on a ship returning to Italy if he takes Elvira. Lindoro agrees, admitting a vague possibility of marrying her in Italy, Haly enters with news of the arrival of the Italian beauty
16.
Laure Cinti-Damoreau
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Laura Cinti-Damoreau was a French soprano particularly associated with Rossini roles. There she made her debut in Una cosa rara by Vicente Martin y Soler on 8 January 1816. When Catalanis management went bankrupt in 1818, she was reingaged by the new company that had formed at the Théâtre Louvois. In 1822 she appeared at the Kings Theatre in London, after complementary studies with composer Gioachino Rossini, she sang in the Paris premiere of Elisabetta, regina dInghilterra, and created the role of Countess Folleville in Il viaggio a Reims. She made her debut at the Paris Opera in 1825 in a performance of Louis-Sébastien Lebruns Le rossignol. In 1836, when she felt that the star of Cornelie Falcon might undermine her leading position at the Opera. Thereafter she continued to sing in concerts for years also touring America in 1844. She taught at the Paris Conservatory from 1833 until 1856, and published a Méthode de chant in 1849 and she also produced a notable series of notebooks where she wrote down in music notation her own embellishments to key sections of many roles and arias she performed. These notebooks are kept at the Lilly Library and are a major primary source for the study of bel-canto performance practice. She was married to tenor Vincent-Charles Damoreau from 1828 until 1834, with whom she had a daughter, Maria Cinti-Damoreau, also a soprano, who married the librarian-composer Jean-Baptiste Weckerlin. Notes Sources Giorgio Appolonia, Le voci di Rossini, EDA, Torino 1992, pp. 300–309 Roland Mancini and Jean-Jacques Rouveroux, Guide de l’opéra, Les indispensables de la musique. ISBN 2-213-59567-4 Philip Robinson, Cinti-Damoreau, Laure, in Laura Macy, The Grove book of opera singers, New York, Oxford University Press,2008, pp. 88–89
17.
Linda di Chamounix
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Linda di Chamounix is an operatic melodramma semiserio in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. The Italian libretto was written by Gaetano Rossi and it premiered in Vienna, at the Kärntnertortheater, on 19 May 1842. Linda di Chamounix was first presented in the UK on 1 June 1843 and its 20th and 21st Century presentations have been relatively rare. On 1 March 1934, the received its Metropolitan Opera premiere with Lily Pons in the title role. Through 25 March 1935, the Met presented the opera in seven more performances and it has not been performed there since. The Teatro alla Scala produced the opera in March 1972 conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni with Margherita Rinaldi as Linda, Alfredo Kraus as Carlo, the production was recorded on 17 March. It was given in Geneva in 1975 with the three cast members and also recorded, as was the performance at the 1983 Wexford Opera Festival. However, the 1990s began to see a variety of performances given in several countries, most of which were in concert form. These included two, which were recorded, which appeared in Stockholm and in New York in 1993, the latter presented by the Opera Orchestra of New York with Paul Plishka as Il Prefetto. Another was given on 3 November 1997 at Londons Royal Festival Hall under Mark Elder, in addition, recordings of live stage performances have begun to appear. In February 1999, an English opera company, Opera Omnibus gave three performances using an English translation, place, Chamonix, the French Alps Time,1760 The village square in Chamounix, Savoy, France. It is dawn, and the villagers are singing on their way to church, for this is the day the men go to Paris for the winter. Maddalena Loustolot awaits the return of her husband Antonio from a visit to the Marchesa, Antonio has been anxious that their lease on the farm be renewed, and that the mortgage — held by the Marchesa — not be called in. Antonio arrives, relieved at having been assured that the Marchesas brother, the Marchese duly arrives, greeted enthusiastically by the villagers. He asks to see Linda, the Loustolots beautiful daughter, and her parents assume that she has gone early to church. The Marchese promises Antonio and Maddalena that he will renew- the lease and improve the buildings and farmland. There is, however, an agenda, he has designs on Linda, who is the god-daughter of his sister the Marchesa, and he says that she must come to the castle. She has not been to church, but rather to keep a rendezvous with her beloved Carlo, an impoverished artist, some girls arrive, followed by Pierotto, who sings his latest song while playing his hurdy-gurdy
18.
Giuseppe Verdi
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Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian opera composer. Verdi was born near Busseto to a family of moderate means. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Bellini, Donizetti and Rossini, whose works influenced him. In his early operas Verdi demonstrated a sympathy with the Risorgimento movement which sought the unification of Italy and he also participated briefly as an elected politician. He surprised the world by returning, after his success with the opera Aida. The baptismal register, prepared on 11 October 1813, lists his parents Carlo, additionally, it lists Verdi as being born yesterday, but since days were often considered to begin at sunset, this could have meant either 9 or 10 October. Verdi himself, following his mother, always celebrated his birthday on 9 October, Verdi had a younger sister, Giuseppa, who died aged 17 in 1833. From the age of four, Verdi was given lessons in Latin and Italian by the village schoolmaster, Baistrocchi. After learning to play the organ, he showed so much interest in music that his parents provided him with a spinet. Verdis gift for music was apparent by 1820–21 when he began his association with the local church, serving in the choir, acting as an altar boy for a while. After Baistrocchis death, Verdi, at the age of eight, Carlo Verdi was energetic in furthering his sons education. something which Verdi tended to hide in later life. He picture emerges of youthful precocity eagerly nurtured by a father and of a sustained, sophisticated. Verdi returned to Busseto regularly to play the organ on Sundays, at age 11, Verdi received schooling in Italian, Latin, the humanities, and rhetoric. By the time he was 12, he began lessons with Ferdinando Provesi, maestro di cappella at San Bartolomeo, director of the music school. This information comes from the Autobiographical Sketch which Verdi dictated to the publisher Giulio Ricordi late in life, in 1879, written, understandably, with the benefit of hindsight, it is not always reliable when dealing with issues more contentious than those of his childhood. The other director of the Philharmonic Society was Antonio Barezzi, a grocer and distiller. The young Verdi did not immediately become involved with the Philharmonic, by June 1827, he had graduated with honours from the Ginnasio and was able to focus solely on music under Provesi. By 1829–30, Verdi had established himself as a leader of the Philharmonic, none of us could rival him reported the secretary of the organisation, Giuseppe Demaldè
19.
I Lombardi alla prima crociata
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Its first performance was given at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on 11 February 1843. Verdi dedicated the score to Maria Luigia, the Habsburg Duchess of Parma, in 1847, the opera was significantly revised to become Verdis first grand opera for performances in French at the Salle Le Peletier of the Paris Opera under the title of Jérusalem. Julian Buddens analysis of the operas origins notes, In 1843 any subject where Italians were shown united against an enemy was dangerous. However, given Verdis refusal to any changes to the music. 19th century While the premiere performance was a success, critical reactions were less enthusiastic. However, one noted, If created this young mans reputation. Even in the late 1880s, well after Jérusalem had been given and this was the first of Verdis operas to be heard in the United States, at Palmos Opera House, on 3 March 1847 in New York. 20th century and beyond I Lombardi was presented in 1930 at La Scala in Milan as the opening production. The cast included Matteo Manuguerra, Cristina Deutekom, Juan Pons, carlo Bergonzi and Paul Plishka, along with Cristina Deutekom appeared in the San Diego Operas short-lived summer Verdi Festival in June 1979 and it is claimed that this was a West Coast premiere. Over the years, New York audiences have seen the opera presented first by New York City Opera in 1982, I Lombardi was presented at the Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo in late 2001 with Dimitra Theodossiou in the cast. The Teatro Regio di Parma produced it in January 2009, also as part of a complete Verdi cycle, the Parma performance is preserved on a DVD. Sarasota Operas Verdi Cycle featured the opera during its 2011 season, in March 2013 the UCOpera company gave four performances of I Lombardi in the Bloomsbury Theatre in London. And on 7 April a concert performance was given by the Opera Orchestra of New York with Angela Meade, hamburg State Opera presented a production by David Alden as part of a mini-festival of three Verdi operas in October/November 2013. Pagano, who threatened the life of his brother, has returned from exile. A throng gathers in front of the church of SantAmbrogio to celebrate, Viclinda, now Arvinos wife, and their daughter Giselda are on hand to witness the reconciliation. A crusade to the Holy Land is announced and Arvino is to lead it, Pagano secretly vents his enduring frustration to Pirro, Arvinos squire, he still desires Viclinda. As nuns sing in the background, Pirro and a gang of cut-throats agree to help Pagano take Viclinda for himself, scene 2, The Folco palace Viclinda and Giselda are concerned about Pagano and his supposed reformation. Arvino asks them to watch his father, Lord Folco
20.
Lucrezia Borgia
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Lucrezia Borgia was the daughter of Pope Alexander VI and Vannozza dei Cattanei. Her brothers included Cesare Borgia, Giovanni Borgia, and Gioffre Borgia and her family arranged several marriages for her that advanced their own political position including Giovanni Sforza, Alfonso of Aragon, and Alfonso I dEste. Tradition has it that Alfonso of Aragon was a son of the King of Naples. Rumors about her and her family cast Lucrezia as a femme fatale, Lucrezia Borgia was born at Subiaco, near Rome. Her mother was Vannozza dei Cattanei, one of the mistresses of Lucrezias father, when Rodrigo became Pope Alexander VI, he sought to be allied with powerful princely families and founding dynasties of Italy. As such, he called off Lucrezias previous engagements and arranged for her to marry Giovanni Sforza, Giovanni was an illegitimate son of Costanzo I Sforza and a Sforza of the second rank. He married Lucrezia on 12 June 1493 in Rome, before long, the Borgia family no longer needed the Sforzas, and the presence of Giovanni Sforza in the papal court was superfluous. Alexander asked Giovannis uncle, Cardinal Ascanio Sforza, to persuade Giovanni to agree to an annulment of the marriage, Giovanni refused and accused Lucrezia of paternal incest. The pope asserted that his daughters marriage had not been consummated and was thus invalid, Giovanni was offered her dowry in return for his cooperation. The Sforza family threatened to withdraw their protection should he refuse, Giovanni finally signed confessions of impotence and documents of annulment before witnesses. There has been speculation that during the process of the annulment, Lucrezia consummated a relationship with someone, perhaps Alexanders chamberlain Pedro Calderon. In any case, families hostile to the Borgias would later accuse her of being pregnant at the time her marriage was annulled for non-consummation. She is known to have retired to the convent of San Sisto in June 1497 to await the outcome of the annulment proceedings, the bodies of Pedro Calderon, and a maid, Pantasilea, were found in the Tiber in February 1498. In March 1498, the Ferrarese ambassador claimed that Lucrezia had given birth, a child was born, however, in the Borgia household the year before Lucrezias marriage to Alfonso of Aragon. He was named Giovanni but is known to historians as the Infans Romanus, in 1501, two papal bulls were issued concerning the child, Giovanni Borgia. In the first, he was recognized as Cesares child from an affair before his marriage, the second, contradictory, bull recognized him as the son of Pope Alexander VI. Lucrezias name is not mentioned in either, and rumors that she was his mother have never been proved, the second bull was kept secret for many years, and Giovanni was assumed to be Cesares son. This is supported by the fact that in 1502 he became Duke of Camerino, one of Cesares recent conquests, Giovanni went to stay with Lucrezia in Ferrara after Alexanders death, where he was accepted as her half-brother
21.
Park Theatre (Manhattan)
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The Park Theatre, originally known as the New Theatre, was a playhouse in New York City, located at 21,23, and 25 Park Row, about 200 feet east of Ann Street and backing Theatre Alley. The location, at the end of the city, overlooked the park that would soon house City Hall. French architect Marc Isambard Brunel collaborated with fellow émigré Joseph-François Mangin, construction costs mounted to precipitous levels, and changes were made in the design, the resulting theatre had a rather plain exterior. The doors opened in January 1798, in its early years, the Park enjoyed little to no competition in New York City. Nevertheless, it made a profit for its owners or managers. Under the management of Stephen Price and Edmund Simpson in the 1810s and 1820s, Price and Simpson initiated a star system by importing English talent and providing the theatre a veneer of upper-class respectability. Rivals such as the Chatham Garden and Bowery theatres appeared in the 1820s, blackface acts and melodrama squeezed Italian opera and English drama out of their preferential positions. Nevertheless, the maintained its upscale image until it burned down in 1848. In the late 18th century, New Yorks only playhouse was the decaying, tired of attending such an establishment, a group of wealthy New Yorkers began planning the construction of a new playhouse in 1795. Investors bought 113 shares at $375 each to cover the estimated $42,375 cost, to plan the structure, the owners hired celebrated architect Marc Isambard Brunel, a Frenchman who had fled to New York to avoid the Reign of Terror and was currently the citys engineer. Part way through construction, however, the project ran out of money, the owners sold more shares for what would eventually mount to a construction cost of more than $130,000. As a cost-saving measure, Brunels exterior design for the building was not implemented, the resulting three-story structure measured 80 feet wide by 165 feet deep and was made of plain dressed stone. The overall effect was an air of austerity, the interiors, on the other hand, were quite lavish. The building followed the traditional European style of placing a gallery over three tiers of boxes, which overlooked the U-shaped pit. The section of Manhattan where the theatre stood was not stylish, the New Theatre, as it was called, was neighbor to Bridewell Prison, a tent citys worth of squatters, and the local poorhouse. Lewis Hallam, Jr. and John Hodgkinson, both members of the John Street Theatre company, obtained the buildings lease. They hired remnants of the Colonial Old American Company to form the nucleus of the theatres in-house troupe and thus give the establishment the sheen of tradition, meanwhile, the men quarreled, and construction continued languorously. The theatre finally held its first performance on 29 January 1798, the gross was an impressive $1,232, and, according to theatre historian T. Allston Brown, hundreds of potential patrons had to be turned away
22.
Astor Opera House
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Designed by Isaiah Rogers, the theater was conceived by impresario Edward Fry, the brother of composer William Henry Fry, who managed the opera house during its entire history. Fry engaged the Sanquerico and Patti Opera Company under the management of John Sefton to perform the first season of opera at the house, the opera house opened on November 22,1847 with a performance of Giuseppe Verdis Ernani with Adelino Vietti in the title role. Sefton and his company were not re-engaged by Fry, and the management of the house went to Cesare Lietti for the second season. During his tenure the opera house presented the United States premiere of Verdis Nabucco on April 4,1848. Lietti was also replaced after one season, and the Astors third and longest lasting opera manager, the following year Maretzek founded his own opera company, the Max Maretzek Italian Opera Company, with whom he continued to stage operas at the Astor Opera House through 1852. Under Maretzek the opera house saw the New York premiere of Donizettis Anna Bolena on January 7,1850 with soprano Apollonia Bertucca as the title heroine, after the riot, the theater was unable to overcome the reputation of being the Massacre Opera House at DisAster Place. In 1890, in need of space, the Association tore down the opera house building and replaced it with an 11-story building, also called Clinton Hall. Notes Sources Burrows, Edwin G. & Wallace, Mike, Gotham, A History of New York City to 1898, New York, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-195-11634-8 Ireland, records of the New York Stage, from 1750 to 1860. White, Norval & Willensky, Elliot, AIA Guide to New York City, New York, Three Rivers Press, ISBN 978-0-8129-3107-5 Further reading Hassard, the New York Mercantile Library, Scribner’s Monthly Vol.1 No.4. New York, Scribner & Co. pp. 353–67 Media related to Astor Place Riot at Wikimedia Commons
23.
John Brougham
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John Brougham was an Irish-American actor and dramatist. His father was a painter, and died young. His mother was the daughter of a Huguenot, whom political adversity had forced into exile, John was the eldest of three children. The other two died in youth, and, the father being dead and the mother left penniless. He was prepared for college at an academy at Trim, County Meath, twenty miles from Dublin, there he acquired classical learning, and formed interesting and useful associations and acquaintances, and there also he became interested in private theatricals. Brougham fell in with a crowd that put on their own shows, though he most always traded off larger roles so he could pay attention to his studies, Brougham took quite an interest in acting. He was a frequent attendant, moreover, at the Theatre Royal in Hawkins Street, the impetus toward his theatrical career was, doubtless, received by him at this time and in this way. Before leaving the university he, by chance, had become acquainted with the actress Madame Vestris and he went to London in 1830, and, after a brief experience of poverty, suddenly determined to become an actor. His acquaintance with Madame Vestris led to him being engaged at the theatre, in 1831 he was a member of Madame Vestriss company, and wrote his first play, a burlesque. His success at small or low comic roles such as Dazzle earned him the nickname Little Johnny Brougham, a moniker which he embraced, stone and Edwin Forrests Metamora, or The Last of the Wamponoags, and Irish Yankee, or, The Birthday of Freedom. He was later connected with Wallacks and Dalys theatres, and wrote plays for both, in 1860 he returned to London, where he adapted or wrote several plays, including The Dukes Motto for Fechter. After the American Civil War he returned to New York City and his last appearance was in 1879 as OReilly, the detective, in Boucicaults Rescued, and he died in New York City. Brougham wrote upwards of 120 plays, mostly comedies, earning him the nickname The American Aristophanes from critics of the time and he was the founder of the Lotus Club in New York, and for a time its president. He also edited there in 1852 a comic paper called The Lantern, Brougham is said to have been the original of Harry Lorrequer in Charles Levers novel. He was twice married, in 1838 to Emma Williams, and in 1844 to Mrs Annette Hawley, wilson, James Grant, Fiske, John, eds
24.
Dombey and Son
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Dombey and Son is a novel by Charles Dickens, published in monthly parts from 1 October 1846 to 1 April 1848 and in one volume in 1848. Its full title is Dealings with the Firm of Dombey and Son, Wholesale, Retail, Dickens started writing the book in Lausanne, Switzerland, before returning to England, via Paris, to complete it. Illustrations were provided by Hablot Knight Browne, there is some concern with the railways and the novels conception, and writing, belong to the years of the railway boom, 1844–47. The sea, meanwhile, becomes the image of things of an older fashion yet and that rolls round all the world. The story concerns Paul Dombey, the owner of the shipping company of the books title. The book begins when his son is born, and Dombeys wife dies shortly after giving birth, following the advice of Mrs Louisa Chick, his sister, Dombey employs a wet nurse named Mrs Richards. Dombey already has a six-year-old daughter Florence but, bitter at her not having been the desired boy, he neglects her continually. One day, Mrs Richards, Florence, and her maid, Susan Nipper, during this trip, Florence becomes separated from them and is kidnapped for a short time by Good Mrs Brown, before being returned to the streets. The child, named Paul after his father, is a weak and sickly child and he is intensely fond of his sister Florence, who is deliberately neglected by her father as irrelevant and a distraction. He is sent to the seaside at Brighton for his health and it is here that Paul is befriended by a fellow pupil, the amiable but weak-minded Mr Toots. Here, Pauls health declines even further in this great hothouse and he finally dies, Dombey pushes his daughter away from him after the death of his son, while she futilely tries to earn his love. His boat is reported lost and he is presumed drowned, Walters uncle leaves to go in search of Walter, leaving his great friend Captain Edward Cuttle in charge of the Midshipman. Meanwhile, Florence is now alone with few friends to keep her company. Dombey goes to Leamington Spa with a new friend, Major Joseph B, at the spa, Dombey is introduced via the Major to Mrs Skewton and her widowed daughter, Mrs Edith Granger. After they return to London, Dombey remarries, effectively buying the beautiful but haughty Edith as she, the marriage is loveless, his wife despises Dombey for his overbearing pride and herself for being shallow and worthless. Her love for Florence initially prevents her from leaving, but finally she conspires with Mr Carker to ruin Dombeys public image by running away together to Dijon and they do so after her final argument with Dombey in which he once again attempts to subdue her to his will. When he discovers that she has him, he blames Florence for siding with her stepmother, striking her on the breast in his anger. Highly distraught, she makes her way to The Midshipman where she lodges with Captain Cuttle as he attempts to restore her to health
25.
Dion Boucicault
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Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot, commonly known as Dion Boucicault, was an Irish actor and playwright famed for his melodramas. By the later part of the 19th century, Boucicault had become known on both sides of the Atlantic as one of the most successful actor-playwright-managers then in the English-speaking theatre, the New York Times heralded him in his obituary as the most conspicuous English dramatist of the 19th century. Dionysius Lardner Boursiquot was born and educated in Dublin where he lived on Gardiner Street and his mother was Anne Darley, sister of the poet and mathematician George Darley. The Darleys were an important Dublin family influential in many fields, Anne was married to Samuel Smith Boursiquot, of Huguenot ancestry, but the identity of the boys father is questionable. He was probably Dionysius Lardner, a lodger at his mothers house at a time when she was separated from her husband. Dion went to London and was enrolled at University College School at the age of 13, after a year in London, Boursiquot/Boucicault left to pursue acting in Cheltenham. The young actor used the stage name Lee Morton and he joined William Charles Macready and made his first appearance upon the stage with Benjamin Webster at Bristol, England. Soon afterwards he began to write plays, occasionally in conjunction and his first play, A Legend of the Devils Dyke, opened in Brighton in 1838. Three years later he found success as a dramatist with London Assurance. Produced at Covent Garden on 4 March 1841, its cast included such actors as Charles Mathews, William Farren, Mrs Nesbitt. The last two plays were adaptations of French plays, in his play The Vampire, Boucicault made his début as a leading actor as the vampire Sir Alan Raby. Although the play itself had mixed reviews, Boucicaults characterisation was praised as a dreadful, in 1854 he wrote and played the title character in Andy Blake, or, The Irish Diamond. From 1854 to 1860, Boucicault resided in the United States, Boucicault and his actress wife, Agnes Robertson, toured America. He also wrote successful plays there, acting in most of them. These included the popular Jessie Brown, or, The Relief of Lucknow in 1858, in the summer of 1859, Boucicault took over as manager of Burtons New Theatre on Broadway just below Amity Street. After extensive remodelling, he renamed his new showplace the Winter Garden Theatre, there on 5 December 1859, he premiered his new sensation, the anti-slavery potboiler The Octoroon, in which he also starred. This was the first play to treat seriously the Black American population, on his return to England, he produced at the Adelphi Theatre a dramatic adaptation of Gerald Griffins novel, The Collegians, entitled The Colleen Bawn. This play, one of the most successful of the times, was performed in almost every city of the United Kingdom, although it made its author a handsome fortune, he lost it in the management of various London theatres
26.
John Poole (playwright)
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John Poole, an English playwright, was one of the earliest and best known 19th century playwrights of the comic drama, the farce. Paul Pry is considered his most notable work, while Hamlet Travestie, plays Hamlet travestie, in three acts Othello-travestie in three acts. The hole in the wall, a farce, in two acts Intrigue, or, Married yesterday, an interlude, in one act Whos who. Or, The double imposture, a farce, in two acts A short reign and a one, a petite comedy, in two acts. Paul Prys Journal of a residence at Little Pedlington, Little Pedlington and the Pedlingtonians Christmas festivities, tales, sketches, and characters, with Beauties of the modern drama, in four specimens Stanley W. Wells. Nineteenth-century Shakespeare Burlesques, John Poole and his imitators, diploma Press,1977 Works by John Poole at Google Books Works by or about John Poole at Internet Archive Works by John Poole at The Online Books Page Portraits at the National Portrait Gallery
27.
Edward Loomis Davenport
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Edward Loomis Davenport was an American actor. Born in Boston, he made his first appearance on the stage in Providence, afterwards he went to England, where he supported Mrs. Anna Cora Mowatt, William Charles Macready and others. In 1854 he was again in the United States, appearing in Shakespearian plays, as Bill Sikes he was especially successful, and his Sir Giles Overreach, a role he played at Dalys Fifth Avenue Theatre in 1869, and Brutus were also greatly admired. In 1849 he had married Fanny Vining an English actress and their son Harry Davenport and daughter Fanny Davenport were also actors. Attribution Chisholm, Hugh, ed. Davenport, Edward Loomis
28.
Lester Wallack
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John Lester Wallack, was an American actor and son of James William Wallack. He was born in New York but at an age he was taken to his parents home in London where he was reared and educated. He had chosen a career but became discouraged and went to Dublin where he went upon the stage. He remained for two seasons and then went to Edinburgh, then in 1846, he appeared in London at the Haymarket Theatre under Benjamin Websters management. There he was seen by an American managers agent who had come over to London to engage actors for the Broadway Theatre, by him he was engaged and brought back to America in 1847. In the theatrical world he was primarily as Lester Wallack. But when he made his first stage appearance in New York in 1847 it was under the name of John Lester when he appeared as Sir Charles Coldstream, in Boucicaults adaptation of Used Up. His fathers brother, Henry Wallack, the father of James William Wallack and his second appearance was as Viscount de Ligny in Captain of the Guard by James Planché. Subsequently, he performed at the Bowery Theatre, Burtons Theatre, Niblos Garden and his first appearance at the Bowery Theatre was in 1849 as Don Caesar de Bazan by Adolphe dEnnery and Philippe Dumanoir. He was manager, using the name Wallack, of the second Wallacks Theatre from 1861, among the productions staged at the latter was Margaret Mathers ill-fated production of Cymbeline in 1897. Another Wallacks Theatre at 254 West 42nd Street in New York was named for him in 1924, Wallack joined The Lambs in 1875, which frequently met at Wallacks Theater. He served as its Shepherd, 1878-1879, 1880-1882, 1884-1888, and was one of the founders of The Actors Fund of America. He married a sister of Sir John Millais and he wrote his own Memories of Fifty Years. Actors and Actresses of Great Britain and the United States, volume 5, Edwin Booth and His Contemporaries. Attribution, This article incorporates text from a now in the public domain, Chisholm, Hugh, ed. Wallack. Thurston, H. T. Colby, F. M. eds, the North American Review, Vol.147 No. Moses, Montrose J. Famous Actor-Families in America, crowell & Company, New York, pp. 195–224. Charles Scribner’s Sons, New York Winter, William, publications of the Dunlap Society, No
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New York Herald
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The New York Herald was a large distribution newspaper based in New York City that existed between May 6,1835, and 1924. The first issue of the paper was published by James Gordon Bennett, by 1845, it was the most popular and profitable daily newspaper in the United States. In 1861, it circulated 84,000 copies and called itself the most largely circulated journal in the world, Bennett stated that the function of a newspaper is not to instruct but to startle and amuse. His politics tended to be anti-Catholic and he had tended to favor the Know-Nothing faction, during the American Civil War, his policy as expressed by the newspaper was to staunchly support the Democratic Party. Frederic Hudson served as managing editor of the paper from 1846–1866, Bennett turned over control of the paper to his son James Gordon Bennett, Jr. in 1866. Under Gordon Bennett Jr. the paper financed Henry Morton Stanleys expeditions into Africa to find David Livingstone, the paper also supported Stanleys trans-Africa exploration, and in 1879 supported the ill-fated expedition of George W. DeLong to the arctic region. On October 4,1887, Bennett Jr. sent Julius Chambers to Paris, Bennett himself later moved to Paris, but the New York Herald suffered from his attempt to manage its operation in New York by telegram. In 1924, after Bennett Jr. s death, the New York Herald was acquired by its rival the New York Tribune. In 1959, the New York Herald Tribune and its European edition were sold to John Hay Whitney, in 1966, the New York paper ceased publication. The Washington Post and the New York Times acquired joint control of the European edition, when the Herald was still under the authority of its original publisher Bennett, it was considered to be the most invasive and sensationalist of the leading New York papers. Its ability to entertain the public with timely daily news made it the leading circulation paper of its time, the New York Evening Telegram was founded in 1867 by the junior Bennett, and was considered by many to be an evening edition of the Herald. Frank Munsey acquired the Telegram in 1920, which ceased its connection to the Herald, New Yorks Herald Square is named after the New York Herald newspaper, in the north side of the square there is a sculpture commemorating the Bennetts. The statue of Minerva, the Bellringers, and Owls by Antonin Carles originally graced the New York Herald building and rang every hour until it was moved to Herald Square, the chorus of Give My Regards to Broadway includes the phrase, emember me to Herald Square. North of Herald Square is Times Square, which is named after rival The New York Times, New York Herald Tribune Three months with the New York Herald, or, Old news on board of a homeward. By John Henry Potter Photographs and architectural sketches of the New York Herald Building
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New-York Tribune
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The New-York Tribune was an American newspaper, first established by Horace Greeley in 1841. Between 1842 and 1866, the newspaper bore the name New-York Daily Tribune, from the 1840s through the 1860s it was the dominant Whig Party and then Republican newspaper in the U. S. The paper achieved a circulation of approximately 200,000 during the decade of the 1850s, making it the largest in New York City, the Tribunes editorials were widely read and helped shape national opinion. In 1924 it was merged with the New York Herald to form the New York Herald Tribune, Greeley had previously published a weekly newspaper, The New Yorker, in 1833, and was also publisher of the Whig Partys political organ, Log Cabin. In 1841, he merged operations of two publications into a new newspaper, the New-York Tribune. The Tribune did reflect some of Horace Greeleys idealist views, the journal retained Karl Marx as its London-based European correspondent in 1852. The arrangement provided Marx with much needed income during a period of his life in which his friend, the arrangement, whereby Engels also submitted articles under Marxs by-line, lasted ten years, with the final Marx column being published in February 1862. In 1854 the paper joined the newly formed Republican Party—Greeley chose the partys name—and emphasized opposition to slavery, during the American Civil War the Tribune usually spoke for the Radical Republican faction that was very hostile to the Confederacy and wanted slavery abolished immediately. The paper generated a large readership, with a circulation of approximately 200,000 during the decade of the 1850s. This made the paper the largest circulation daily in New York City and perhaps in the entire United States — gaining commensurate influence among voters and political decision-makers in the process. After the failure of the Peninsular Campaign in the spring of 1862, during the 1863 Draft Riots a mob tried to burn down the Tribune building which lacked the Gatling guns of the nearby New York Times. Following Greeleys defeat by Ulysses S. Grant for the presidency of the United States in 1872, Greeley checked into Dr. Choates Sanitarium where he died a few weeks later. In 1886, the Tribune became the first publication to be printed on a linotype machine, which allowed it to exceed the standard newspaper size of eight pages. Under Reids son, Ogden Mills Reid, the acquired the New York Herald in 1924 to form the New York Herald Tribune. Copies of the New-York Tribune are available on microfilm at large libraries. Also, indices from selected years in the nineteenth century are available on the Library of Congress website. The original paper articles from the newspapers morgue are kept at The Center for American History at the University of Texas at Austin, a new New York Tribune debuted in 1976 in New York City. The paper, which was originally named The News World and later changed to The New York City Tribune, was published by News World Communications, Inc. owned by the Unification Church
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Internet Broadway Database
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The Internet Broadway Database is an online database of Broadway theatre productions and their personnel. It was conceived and created by Karen Hauser in 1996 and is operated by the Research Department of The Broadway League, the website also has a corresponding app for both the IOS and Android. This comprehensive history of Broadway provides records of productions from the beginnings of New York theatre in the 18th century up to today, details include cast and creative lists for opening night and current day, song lists, awards and other interesting facts about every Broadway production. Other features of IBDB include an archive of photos from past and present Broadway productions, headshots, links to cast recordings on iTunes or Amazon, gross. Its mission was to be an interactive, user-friendly, searchable database for League members, journalists, researchers, the League recently added Broadway Touring shows to the database for ease of tracking shows that play in theatres across the country. It is managed by Karen Hauser, Michael Abourizk, and Mark Smith of the Broadway League, Internet Theatre Database – ITDb Internet Movie Database – IMDb Internet Book Database – IBookDb Lortel Archives – IOBDb The Broadway League Official website Broadway League website
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