Benjamin Lumley Her Majesty's Theatre

jenny lind, swedish nightingale, 1850

laporte died suddenly, , benjamin lumley took on management in 1842, introducing london audiences donizetti s late operas, don pasquale , la fille du régiment. initially, relations between lumley , michael costa, principal conductor @ majesty s good. verdi s ernani, nabucco , lombardi received british premieres in 1845–46, , lumley commissioned masnadieri composer. opera received world premiere on 22 july 1847, swedish operatic diva jenny lind in role of amalia, , british premieres of 2 more verdi operas, due foscari , attila, followed in 1847–48. meanwhile, performers had continued feel neglected , disputes continued. in 1847, costa transferred opera company theatre royal, covent garden, , theatre relinquished sobriquet, italian opera house , assume present title, majesty s theatre.

lumley engaged michael balfe conduct orchestra , entered negotiations felix mendelssohn new opera. jenny lind had made english début on 4 may 1847 in role of alice in giacomo meyerbeer s robert le diable, in presence of royal family , composer felix mendelssohn. such press of people around theatre many arrived @ last dresses crushed , torn, , coats hanging in shreds, having suffered bruises , blows in struggle . performed number of acclaimed seasons @ theatre, interspersed national tours, becoming known swedish nightingale. secession of orchestra covent garden blow, , theatre closed in 1852, re-opening in 1856, when fire closed rival. after reopening, lumley presented 2 more british premieres of verdi operas: la traviata in 1856 , luisa miller in 1858.

lithograph a. e. chalon of grisi (left), taglioni (center), grahn (right back), , cerrito (right front) in pas de quatre, 1845

from 1830s until late 1840s majesty s theatre played host heyday of era of romantic ballet, , theatre s resident ballet company considered renowned in europe, aside ballet du théâtre de l académie royale de musique in paris. celebrated ballet master jules perrot began staging ballet @ majesty s in 1830. lumley appointed him premier maître de ballet (chief choreographer) theatre in 1842. among works of ballet staged ondine, ou la naïade (1843), la esmeralda (1844), , catarina, ou la fille du bandit (1846), celebrated divertissement pas de quatre (1845). other ballet masters created works ballet of majesty s theatre throughout period of romantic ballet, notably paul taglioni (son of filippo taglioni), staged ballets including coralia, ou le chevalier inconstant (1847) , electra (1849, first production of ballet make use of electric lighting). arthur saint-léon staged such works la vivandière (1844), le violin du diable (1849), , le jugement de pâris (1850), considered sequel of sorts pas de quatre.

the italian composer cesare pugni appointed composer of ballet music theatre in 1843, position created him lumley. 1843 until 1850, composed every new ballet presented @ theatre. pugni remains prolific composer of genre, having composed more 100 original ballets, composing numerous divertissements , incidental dances performed diversions during intermissions of opera performances @ theatre. throughout era of romantic ballet, theatre presented performances notable ballerinas, including marie taglioni, carlotta grisi, fanny elssler, lucile grahn, , fanny cerrito, performing in works of perrot, taglioni , saint-léon.