London: Drury Lane
- Girdham, Jane Catherine. English Opera in Late Eighteenth-Century London:
Stephen Storace at Drury Lane. New York: Oxford U.P., 1997. xiv, 272p.
ISBN 0-19-816254-5. ML1731.8 .L72 G57.
The theater scene, biography of Storace, music at Drury Lane, music publish-
ing. All scenes and numbers of the Storace operas are listed, along with a list of
all works performed. Bibliography of about 250 items, expansive index.
London: King’s (Queen’s) Theatre
- Price, Curtis, et al. The King’s Theatre, Haymarket, 1778–1791.New York:
Oxford U.P., 1995. xxv, 698p. ISBN 0-19-816166-2. ML1731.8 .L72 P76.
A narrative history from 1704; considers the operatic scene, administration
and daily operation of the theater, performance practice, rowdy audiences,
temperamental singers, various directors, ballet, destruction of the building
and its reconstruction in 1789–1791. Seasonal analysis of works performed.
2721.Stahura, Mark W. “Handel’s Haymarket Theatre.” In Opera in Context(#288),
95–116.
The theater was Handel’s venue, 1710–1739; 30 of his 44 operas were written
for it. Plans, dimensions, and illustrations of the building are given, but “little
is known about the working mechanisms of the stage.” A case study of
Rinaldopresents available information about the scenic and mechanical
effects. It is noted that music was always played while the machinery operated,
possibly to absorb the noise. - Nalbach, Daniel. The King’s Theatre, 1704–1867: London’s First Italian Opera
House.London: Society for Theatre Research, 1972. xii, 164p. ISBN 0-8543-
0003-1. ML1731.8 .L8 K52.
Architecture of the first structure, its managers (1710–1789), artists, and audi-
ences. The new building of 1791–1867, with its managers. Scenery of the
entire period. After the second Haymarket theater burned (1867) it was rebuilt
(1897) but was no longer a leading opera house. Nalbach notes that this build-
ing is not the same one as the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, and not the Pan-
theon Theatre (King’s Theatre, Pantheon). Index of names and topics.
London: Sadler’s Wells
For Sadler’s Wells there are two popular accounts: Dennis Arundell, The Story of
Sadler’s Wells(2nd ed., London: Hamish Hamilton, 1977), and Richard Jarman,A
History of Sadler’s Wells Opera(London: English National Opera, 1974).
London: The Royal Academy of Music
- Gibson, Elizabeth. The Royal Academy of Music (1719–1728): The Institu-
tion and Its Directors. Outstanding Dissertations in Music from British Uni-
versities. New York: Garland, 1989. 465p. ISBN 0-8240-2342-0. ML1731.8.
L72 R73.
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