GRAND OPERA.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 10 February 1923, Page 5

GRAND OPERA.

A London violinist who has just settled in Wellington, says that there is on grand opera in London. He said: ! "When Meiba attained such a remarkable triumph at the opening of \ .Coven fc Garden a year after the war, j it was confidently anticipated that London would have its regular old-time periods of organised grand opera. But it was not to be. There are many rea- ! sons. Taxation is very high. Lessees have to pay huge rentals. And above all, the old patrons of grand opera have so little money to spare nowadays that , they, can just meet expenses of home management, without room for the luxury of the opera. "The only opera London gets nov,r, is what is provided by touring companies, that spend a short season in the metropolis, and then move about the provin- | eial centres. The national shortage of ! money has resulted temporarily in the throttling of music and the drama, as well as the arts. The National Opera Company, formed last year, is a very good organisation, formed" on a cooperative principle between well-known musicians and singers, but there is no organised season, such as used to attract the world's best operatic singers. "Concert work is not a happy proposition these days. The most illustrious of the greatest orchestras are not even paying concerns. Yet there is also' a certain amount of symphony and choral work.at the Queen's and Albert Halls; but the good old days have passed, it is the same with the theatres, which are four and five deep, in that they are leased and sxib-leased so many times that by the time the production meets the huge rentals charged, there is little left. One effect is that touring companies that visit the j provinces now contain on their cast j actors and singers of a class that would ' be found in a much higher grade of ■ theatrical entertainment before the war."