Reminiscences of the Opera

Reminiscences Of The Opera by Benjamin Lumley is a memoir/history of Her Majesty’s Theatre (the London Italian Opera) during its palmy days and ensuing struggles, focusing on roughly 1835–1845, with broader chapters covering mid-19th century battles for artistic control. The narrative centers on Lumley's management in London’s Haymarket opera world, with forays to Paris, Italy, and Vienna, and a social milieu of royalty, critics, and the opera profession. It chronicles the clash between private enterprise and aristocratic patronage, the legal entanglements over the King’s Theatre ownership, and the influence of the Vieille Garde and star artists such as Grisi, Tamburini, Persiani, Mario, Lablache, and Frezzolini. It also highlights the rising prominence of ballet, the diplomacy of cross-Channel cultural exchange, and the politics of repertoire, subscriptions, and public opinion that shaped 1840s London opera. The book frames a brilliant but volatile era when artistic power and managerial prudence contended against law, finance, and social prestige.