New York City: Other Opera Companies
- Cone, John. The First Rival of the Met. New York: Columbia U.P., 1983.
257p. ISBN 0-231-05748-2. ML1711.8 .N32 A22.
A scholarly account of Colonel Mapleson’s opera troupe, which performed in
the New York Academy of Music from 1878. The seasons 1883–1886 are the
only ones covered. Backnotes, bibliography of about 50 items, expansive
index of names and topics. - Sokol, Martin. The New York City Opera: An American Adventure.New
York: Macmillan, 1981. xiv, 562p. ISBN 0-02-612280-4. ML1711.8 .N3 N58
S6.
A general history with little documentation. Useful seasonal chronology, with
all casts. Good photos, tables of broadcasts, television appearances, films, and
recordings. Index of names, titles, and topics.
See also Drummond (#2760).
- Cone, John. Oscar Hammerstein’s Manhattan Opera Company. Norman:
U. of Oklahoma Press, 1966. 399p. ML1711.8 .N3 M153.
An illustrated account of the company, which operated 1906–1910. Chronol-
ogy with casts, bibliography of about 200 items, index of names, titles, and
topics.
Philadelphia
Philadelphia is the home of the oldest opera house in continuous use in the U.S., the
Academy of Music (1857); it is now the home of the Philadelphia Orchestra. Resident
opera companies have not shown comparable longevity.
- Albrecht, Otto. “Opera in Philadelphia, 1800–1830.” JAMS32-3 (Fall 1979):
499–515.
A narrative of the period, with a list of operas performed and references to
other literature on Philadelphia opera. - Armstrong, William. A Record of the Opera in Philadelphia.Philadelphia:
Porter & Coates, 1884. 274p. Reprint, New York: AMS, 1976. ISBN 0-404-
12853-X. ML1711.8 .P5 A7.
A useful history, with a list of operas produced by all major companies, 1827– - Detail on the Academy building and some interesting comparative infor-
mation on world opera houses. (Capacities are given, with internal dimensions
and colors of the interiors. Prague is white, Moscow amber, Philadelphia—like
most of the great houses—crimson.) Lists of Academy directors, 1852–1883.
No bibliography. Name and title index.
San Francisco
The first opera performance in San Francisco took place in 1851; within a few years
11 theaters were presenting many visiting companies. Carmenwas sung—by Enrico
Caruso, Olive Fremstad, and Marcel Journet—on the day of the 1906 earthquake.
518 Opera