OPERA FOR THREEPENCE

Evening Star, Issue 19127, 19 December 1925, Page 15

OPERA FOR THREEPENCE

LONDON’S LATEST VENTURE. Threepence—the price of a cup of tea—is all one need pay to hear grand operas in London. At Lyons Corner House, just off Piccadilly Circus, a re-cently-established novelty is the offering of bits of operas during the afternoon tea, dinner, and supper hours. Loudon revels in music with ils meals (declares a writer in the New York ‘ Herald ’). Every two-by-four chophouse has an orchestra of warts. The institution of grand opera might be considered either a development from the nickel mechanical piano or a throwhack to the day of the hard and minstrel in the banquet hall. There is no appearance of makeshift about the production. The stage is, of course, a minature one, hut the scenery is well designed and the costumes quite 'of a quality with those of established opera companies, William J. Wilson, who has produced Gilbert and Sullivan and Carl Rasa opera all over England, has arranged those productions. The singers are regular members of the opera companies, and have all, at one time or another, appeared at the Co- ' vent Garden and Drury Lane. The artists are close to their audience—■ much closer than in the large houses in which operas are usually given. This intimacy seemed to show itself in the singers’ work. In the first six weeks, the teahouse season having been begun late in the autumn, seven different snatches of operas have been performed—Samson and Delilah,’ second act; ‘ PagHacci,’ second act; ‘ll Trovatore,’ third episode; ‘ Rmoletto,’ ‘ Faust,’ ,‘Cavalleria Rustieana, and ‘Romeo and Juliet.’ Thousands of persons visit the teahouse each day. There is a readv-rnnde audience for the opera. Grand opera is brought to the people; the people not asked to come to it.