Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables
- List of musical examples
- Acknowledgements
- A note on conventions
- Introduction
- 1 The Hobart management
- 2 The new managers take control
- 3 Sacchini and the revival of opera seria
- 4 Recruitment procedures and artistic policy
- 5 The King's Theatre in crisis
- 6 The recruitment of Lovattini
- 7 The English community in Rome
- 8 Lucrezia Agujari at the Pantheon
- 9 Caterina Gabrielli
- 10 Rauzzini's last season
- 11 The King's Theatre flourishes
- 12 The Queen of Quavers satire
- 13 Financial management
- 14 Opera salaries
- 15 The sale of 1778
- Appendices
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
8 - Lucrezia Agujari at the Pantheon
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 22 September 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- List of tables
- List of musical examples
- Acknowledgements
- A note on conventions
- Introduction
- 1 The Hobart management
- 2 The new managers take control
- 3 Sacchini and the revival of opera seria
- 4 Recruitment procedures and artistic policy
- 5 The King's Theatre in crisis
- 6 The recruitment of Lovattini
- 7 The English community in Rome
- 8 Lucrezia Agujari at the Pantheon
- 9 Caterina Gabrielli
- 10 Rauzzini's last season
- 11 The King's Theatre flourishes
- 12 The Queen of Quavers satire
- 13 Financial management
- 14 Opera salaries
- 15 The sale of 1778
- Appendices
- Notes
- Bibliography
- Index
Summary
The long delay in the recruitment of Lovattini meant that the 1774–5 opera buffa season began with something of a rush. It was just as well that the first work was to be La buona figliuola, for which little rehearsal with the singer would have been needed. The advertisements for the opening night suggest that he arrived at the very last moment. In a notice published on 13 December, the managers included his name in a list of singers for that day's performance, but the next day an apology appeared, which blamed the indisposition of the singer for the cancellation of the opening night: ‘The managers of the opera are extremely concerned for the Disappointment of the house last night at Sg Lovatini's illness. As soon as they were apprised of it they took every precaution by posting bills etc. and sent word to as many subscribers as time would permit.’ One has visions of Lovattini hurrying off the cross-Channel boat, rushing up to London for a last-minute dress rehearsal, and then collapsing with exhaustion. In the event La buona figliuola opened a week later on 20 December. A postponed opening night was becoming something of a habit with the Brooke-Yates management. The previous year's opening night had suffered a similar fate.
- Type
- Chapter
- Information
- Opera and Drama in Eighteenth-Century LondonThe King's Theatre, Garrick and the Business of Performance, pp. 105 - 120Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 2001