A scholarly survey of musical activity, including opera. French and Italian
companies appeared; some dates and casts are given. Indexed.- Baroncelli, Joseph Gabriel de. Le théâtre français à la Nlle Orleans 1791–
1906.New Orleans: G. Muller, 1906.
Not seen. Kaufmansays it is a narrative account with company rosters and
casts for some performances.
New York City
Ballad operas and similar works were heard in New York in the early 18th century;
the first Italian company arrived in 1825. Various houses and companies competed for
audiences through the 19th century, among them the Astor Place Opera, under Maret-
zek, 1847–1852 (see #316), and the Academy of Music, under Mapleson, 1854–1925
(see #315). The Metropolitan Opera opened on 22 October 1883, with Faust.The Met
moved to its new quarters in Lincoln Center in 1966. The city’s other company is the
New York City Opera, founded in 1944.
New York City: Histories—19th Century
- Odell, George Clinton Densmore. Annals of the New York Stage.New York:
Columbia U.P., 1927–1949. 15v. PN2277 .N5 O4.
A vast chronology for the period 1699–1894, covering spoken plays, opera,
and operetta. Casts are given, with portraits and critics’ comments. Informal
style but rich in detail. Each volume has an expansive index of names, titles,
and topics. - Rogers, Delmer D. “Public Music Performances in New York City from 1800
to 1850.” Anuario interamericano de investigación musical6 (1970): 5–50.
Describes sacred and secular music concerts, opera performances, variety
shows, and dance programs. Casts given, with commentaries and bibliographic
references. Summary in Spanish. - Ahlquist, Karen. Democracy at the Opera: Music, Theater, and Culture in
New York City, 1815–1860.Urbana: U. of Illinois Press, 1997. xvii, 248p.
ISBN 0-252-02272-6. ML1711.8 .N3 A4.
Asserts that opera was a tool of the elite for class domination. The theory does
not account for the fact that the elite already had political and economic
power. Many errors and dubious assumptions were ascribed to the book by its
reviewer in OQ.
See also #2756.
- Krehbiel, Henry Edward. Chapters of Opera: Being Historical and Critical
Observations and Records Concerning the Lyric Drama in New York from Its
Earliest Days Down to the Present Time. 3rd ed. New York: Holt, 1911. xvii,
460p. ML1711.8 .N3 K73.
Surveys the years before 1825 and operatic events of the 19th century. Krehbiel
was a critic for the New York Tribune,a witness to much of what happened. A
chronology for the seasons 1908–1911 is included. See continuation at #2791.
United States 515