Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A Grand Serious Opera (1st time in this country [1st performed at Vienna, 1767]), accompanied with Chorusses and Dances. The music entirely by Gluck. With entirely new Scenes, Dresses and Decorations. Books of the Opera now to be had at the Office of the Theatre, and at Beckett, Bookseller, Pall Mall. Morning Chronicle, 28 Apr.: To be performed exactly in the same manner as it was represented at Paris, under the direction of Gluck himself. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 3, Hay-market. Bartolozzi having presented Mme Banti, for her night, with a Ticket designed on purpose and engraved by himself, she proposes to give one of the engravings along with each Box and Pit Tickets, separately from the Ticket which will be admitted at the door. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:15 [see 20 June]

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A New Serious Opera [1st time; SER 2]. The Poetry by Metastasio, and the Music entirely new, composed by an English Gentleman [Richard Edgcumbe, Earl of Mount-Edgcumbe], who has obligingly lent Mme Banti the Score, and kindly consented to its being represented upon that occasion. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 24, St. Alban's-street. "Having granted the use of this opera to Banti only, I withdrew it immediately, and would not permit it to be again represented for the manager, who requested to have it. After this, Roselli sung no more, nor had we ever another soprano [i.e. castrato] at the opera [until 1825]" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 88)

Event Comment: A Serious Opera, altered [by Carlo Francesco Badini] from Metastasio; the Music by Anfossi [a pasticcio, with additions by Sacchini, Piccinni, Gazzaniga, Schuster, Mortellari]. [This was Mme Mara's 1st appearance on the English operatic stage. She had 1st sung in London, in concerts at the Pantheon, in 1784.] "It is with the utmost astonishment we remarked that she unites the talents of an excellent actress with the merit of the most enchanting singer that ever perhaps came forth on any stage" (Morning Herald, 15 Feb.). "Mme Mara delivered the recitatives with a force of expression that produced the strongest interest of character, and the woes of Dido as powerfully engaged the sympathy, as the rich and varied melody of the airs, the admiration of the audience" (Morning Chronicle, 16 Feb.). "The [second] opera was Didone, a pasticcio, for which Mara had made a very judicious selection of songs, introducing four of very different characters, by Sacchini, Piccinni, and other composers, all of which were so much and so equally admired, that two were encored every night, each of them receiving that mark of approbation in its turn. Mara's talents as a singer (for she was no actress and had a bad person for the stage) were of the very first order. Her voice, clear, sweet, distinct, was sufficiently powerful, though rather thin, and its agility and flexibility rendered her a most excellent bravura singer, in which style she was unrivalled" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 59)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A Grand Serious Opera (1st time in this Country [1st performed at Paris, 1779]); the Music by Gluck. Accompanied With Chorusses under the Direction of Kelly. With entirely new Scenes designed by Marinari, and executed under his direction, Dresses and Decorations. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 7, Hay Market. The Company are respectfully entreated not to come upon the Stage this Night, as the Iphigenia is accompanied with a degree of Spectacle on which the effect of the Performance chiefly depends; besides, the Machinery used in this Opera will make it dangerous for the Company to be upon the Stage during the time of the representation. "We never saw a House more splendid, more crowded, nor more gratified...In spite of the request not to crowd upon the stage, it was quite thronged; and it was impossible to move the complicated and superb scenery with effect. We lament that no means can be devised to save the stage from this perpetual intrusion" (Morning Chronicle, 8 Apr.). "Banti had a crowded house for her benefit, and is said to have netted 1500 guineas" (Monthly Magazine, May 1796 p. 321)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A new Opera, with Chorusses. 1st time in this Country [1st performed privately at the Royal Palace, Caserta, 1789; publicly at Naples, 1790]. The Music entirely by Paisiello. Tickets to be had of Mme Banti, No. 10, St. Alban's-street

Event Comment: Benefit for Vestris? Jun. Opera: In 2 acts; the music by Piccinni, and conducted by Bianchi. With new Scenes painted by Novosielski. New Dresses and Decorations both for the Opera and Dances. Mme Simonet will this Evening reassume her station at the Opera House; but as she is not perfectly recovered from the consequences of her late Accidnet, she hopes for the indulgence of the Public, from whom she has already received so many flattering proofs of Approbation. Tickets, 10s. 6d., to be had of Vestris, No. 5, Leicester-street, Leicester-fields. "Last Thursday was the benefit of Vestris and son; the house could not receive and contain the multitudes that presented themselves. Their oblations amounted to fourteen hundred pounds" (Walpole [26 Feb. 1781], XI, 406)

Event Comment: Benefit for Mons and Mme Bithmere, and Le Baruf, Composers and principal Performers of the Dramatic Romance of The Rival Knights. Gazetteer, 7 May: Tickets to be had of Mons and Mme Bithmere and of Le Boeuf at Stacy's, colourman, corner of Long-acre. Receipts: #101 8s. 6d. (73/0/6; tickets: 28/8/0) (charge: #105)

Event Comment: [The playbill retains Mme Mara, but "The severe illness of Mme Mara rendered it impossible for her to appear yesterday evening...Her airs were executed by the other performers, who undertook to sustain her part, with taste and spirit" (Morning Chronicle, 10 Mar.).

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Mara. A new Serious Opera. Under the direction of Federici. Tickets to be had of Mme Mara at her house, No. 8, Golden-square

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Henry Bate]: With new Music, Scenes, Dresses, and Decorations. The Music (with a few exceptions) composed entirely new by Shield. And new Scenery designed and chiefly executed by Richards. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Williamson was formely a chorus singer at this theatre; Mme Pieltain had sung at the king's in the season of 1788-89. Afterpiece in place of The Deaf Lover, advertised on playbill of 25 Feb.] "The author is very little responsible for his part of the entertainment, which he acknowledges was composed chiefly for the purpose of [the music, which] in the taste of the present day is almost the only essential part of such an entertainment" (Gazetteer, 28 Feb.). Oracle, 7 May 1791: Thas Day is published The Woodman (1s. 6d.). Receipts: #243 2s. (239.17.6; 3.4.6)

Event Comment: Afterpiece [1st time; MD 2, by Jeremiah Meyer and William Hayley, "from the German." Larpent MS 941; not published; synopsis of plot in Morning Herald, 18 Apr.]: With new Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations. The Music selected from Ditteus [i.e. Dittersdorf], Rauzzini and Salieri; the Overture and new Music by Reeve. Book of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. [Mme Carnevale had 1st appeared at king's in 1783.] Receipts: #252 3s. 6d. (242.19.6; 9.4.0)

Event Comment: [The playbill announces Nina, but "Last night the grand tragic opera of Semiramide was revived, in which Mme Banti and Viganoni received all their usual applause. [In the new dance] there is a charming pas de deux by Didelot and Rose" (Morning Chronicle, 3 Jan.).

Event Comment: Benefit for Mme Banti. A new Serious Opera [1st performed at Florence, 1795]; the Music by Paisiello [with additions by Benelli, Federici and Guglielmi]

Event Comment: Mainpiece [1st time; CO 3, by Andrew Franklin]: The Scenery, Machinery, Dresses and Decorations entirely new. The Overture and Musick composed by Florio. The Scenes, designed by Greenwood, and painted by him, Banks, and assistants. The Machinery, Dresses and Decorations designed by Johnston, and executed by him, Gay, and Underwood. The Female Dresses designed and made under the direction of Miss Rein. Books of the Songs to be had at the Theatre. "With thy exception of Pizarro, this is one of the most magnificent spectacles the stage has for some time produced. The dresses...are attended with particular accuracy to the costume of the country...and the scenery is locally correct" (Monthly Mirror, Mar. 1800, p. 173). "As a singer [Mme Mara's] powers are indisputable; but as a performer she exhibits herself in a light which alternately provokes our ridicule and pity. Her delivery is an absolute libel on the profession. To the defects of a foreign pronunciation she joins a natural impediment of speech, which partakes too strongly of a lisp to warrant her bearing part in the prose dialogue of a play. What could possibly induce her to appear before the public under such disadvantages, unless she did it in compliment to the composer, we are at a loss to conjecture; nor less are we puzzled to account for the supineness of an audience which can patiently tolerate such puny efforts" (Dramatic Censor, I, 347-48). Morning Chronicle, 14 June 1800: This day is published The Egyptian Festival (2s.). Receipts: #320 18s. 6d. (277.6.6; 42.8.0; 1.4.0)

Event Comment: A Comic Opera; the Music by Paisiello. The Dialogue, for the first time in this Country, will be delivered without the Music of the Recitative. "Nina [Bolla] performed for her benefit in a novel and singular manner, the dialogue being spoken in prose without recitative, which had not a bad effect; but this way of acting it was deemed an infringement of the rights of the English theatres, and after a few nights it was stopped by authority, as unlawful at the Opera" (Mount-Edgcumbe, 111-12). Tickets to be had of Mme Bolla, No. 6, Haymarket

Event Comment: A revived Serious Opera, with Grand Chorusses, New Dresses and Decorations; the Music by Sacchini. "In the second act [Mme Mara, who sang Andromeda] was encored in a song of Bravura . .. The amazing extent of her voice never appeared in a more conspicuous light... As to the Chorusses, we understand that they were under the immediate direction of Mme Mara, which accounts for the uncommon precision with which they were executed" (General Advertiser, 22 Mar.)

Event Comment: Benefit for Kelly. Part of the Pit will be laid into the Boxes. To prevent Confusion, Ladies are desired to send their servants by Half past Four o'Clock. [Mme Mara had sung in concert at the Pantheon in 1784; in opera at the king's in 1786; and in the dl oratorios in 1787 and 1788.] Public Advertiser, 27 Mar.: Tickets to be had of Kelly, No. 48, Rathbone Place. Receipts: #351 5s. 6d. (177.12.0; 9.13.6; 0.5.0; tickets: 163.15.0) (charge: #111 3s.)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 8 years [acted 1 May 1792, Mme Mara had appeared in the oratorios at this theatre in the present season, as well as in 1792-93 and 1793-94]. Receipts: #216 11s. 6d. (210.8.0; 6.3.6)

Event Comment: Among the Principal Instrumental Performers are G. Ashley, Leader of the Band; C. Ashley, Principal Violoncello; Wm. Parke, Sarjant, J. Mahon, Boyce, Bridgtower, Parkinson, Lavenu, Taylor, W. Ware, Flack, Dressler, Gwilliam, Nicks, [the] Munros, I. Sharp, W. Sharp, M. Sharp, J. Sharp, Archer, Cobham, Jackson, Wood, Coyle, Cornish, Purney, Leffler, Woodham, Piele, [the] Cantelos, Skillern, Beale, Lloyd, Franki, Simpson, Jenkinson, &c.; J. Ashley, Organ; R. Ashley, Double Drums (used at Westminster Abbey). The Chorusses will be numerous and complete. The whole under the Direction of Ashley. Boxes 6s. Pit 3s. 6d. Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Brandon at the Office in Hart-street. The Doors to be opened at 6:00. To begin at 7:00 [same throughout oratorio season]. Books of the Performance (with the imprimatur of E. Macleish) to be had at the Theatre. [Sga Galli did not sing in The Messiah when it was originally performed in Dublin in 1742, or in London in 1743, in which year the cg oratories under Handel were established.] "I had the curiosity to go, and heard [Sga Galli] sing, 'He was despised and rejected of men' in the Messiah. Of course her voice was cracked and trembling, but it was easy to see her school was good; and it was pleasing to observe the kindness with which she was received, and listened to; and to mark the animation and delight with which she seemed to hear again the music in which she had formerly been a distinguished performer. The poor old woman had been in the habit of coming to me annually for a trifling present; and she told me on that occasion that nothing but the severest distress should have compelled her so to expose herself, which after all did not answer its end, as she was not paid according to her agreement" (Mount-Edgcumbe, pp. 19-20). [At the rehearsal, 1 Mar., I know that my Redeemer liveth sung by Mme Mara; Comfort ye my people by Braham; But@thou didst not leave by Miss Poole (Morning Herald, 2 Mar.).] "The chorusses are not such as would give satisfaction to a musical amateur: in this department we must endeavour to be content with noise and bawling, instead of sense and science:--they are not, however, worse than usual" (Monthly Visitor, Mar.1797, p. 262)

Event Comment: "We consider Madame Mara, to use vulgar phrase, as upon he last legs...[Her] Polly is downright burlesque; her figure, countenance, and time of life are directly repugnant to our ideas of the character; and her foreign accent and gesticulation complete the absurdity" (Monthly Mirror, Nov. 1797, p. 299). "Mme Mara is merely a singer; her voice is by no means calculated to give effect to the dialogue of the part; and her performance, although she appears to have paid considerable attention to the degree of action necessary for the part, is greatly deficient in point of feeling...Her deficiency in person and performance, however, is amply compensated for in her ability as a singer" (Morning Herald, 26 Oct.) Receipts: #329 16s. (324.6; 5.10)