Coronation Opera

Covent Garden is London's vegetable market and its opera centre. For centuries it has been the playhouse centre too. Charles II lost his heart there to an actress named Nell Gwyn. Last winter a more reckless King lost his crown, and for his brother, who will be anointed this month, all Britain is preparing elaborate celebrations. None will be prouder than that of the Covent Garden Opera. For a month painters, carpenters and electricians have busied themselves inside the Opera House.

A dozen rehearsals went on simultaneously. Last week Covent Garden received one of the most elegant audiences in its history. Gentlefolk in tiaras and white ties took shortcuts through fruit lorries as fragrant as they were when Nell Gwyn peddled oranges there. Turbaned Eastern princes spanked themselves going through the Opera House's swingdoors. Tier upon tier of the gold & scarlet boxes* were full of distinguished Britons and foreigners as distinguished. Peppery old Sir Thomas Beecham waved his baton. The curtain rose on a storm-tossed ship, the first scene in Verdi's Otello. Tenor Giovanni Martinelli of the Metropolitan sang his first role at Covent Garden since 1914. The Coronation season of grand opera began.

The season was to last ten weeks instead of the usual six, promised 21 operas in all. Though French and Italian operas predominate, two complete cycles of The Ring are to be sung and Wilhelm Furtwaengler will conduct them both. Besides Beecham, conductors include such notables as Artur Rodzinski, John Barbirolli, Fritz Reiner. Francesco Sain. Eugene Goossens will conduct the world premiere of his Don Juan of Manara, an opera he wrote to the late Arnold Bennett's libretto. Lawrence Tibbett will have the title role, after making his European debut in Tosca.

Covent Garden is grateful to Sir Thomas, for managing what should be its most successful opera season. For the first time in their history the Paris Grand Opera and Opera-Comique will assist there. Metropolitan participants alone include Kirsten Flagstad. Gina Cigna, Kerstin Thorborg. Lauritz Melchior and John Brownlee as well as Tibbett and Martinelli. Sir Thomas once lost -L-1,000,000 of his own in opera. Aloof, disdainful, he ignores summonses and hotel bills, brings audiences to their feet when he leads the London Philharmonic, estranges them when he calls Britons the most unmusical people in the world. Last year Sir Thomas locked the Opera House doors as soon as the overture began. But much as he loves order he could do nothing when, second night of this season. Soprano Germaine Lubin held up Ariane et Barbe-Bleue for a full hour because her nose was bleeding.

*Boxes on the grand tier cost anywhere from $550 to $2.750 for the season. Those who cannot afford the Covent Garden productions will have their own Coronation season of operas at Sadler's Wells Theatre in North London. These will be sung in English, include Vaughan Williams' Hugh the Drover and Gertrude Stein's first ballet, The Wedding Bouquet.

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