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Collection Description
Collection name
London: Royal Opera House
Unique identifier
Description
A collection of programmes from the Royal Opera House from 1793 to the present. The collection consists of 109 boxes of material (from 1793 to 2009) including programmes, newspaper reviews, libretti and Royal Opera House magazines. The collection also includes material for the theatres that preceded the Royal Opera House on the same site: there are programmes from the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden and the Royal Italian Opera House in the collection.
The earliest programme in the collection dates from 1793. This is a programme from a “Grand selection of music” concert. There are ten other items from the Theatre Royal Covent Garden in the collection, before the theatre became an established opera house in 1847. These items are concert bills from concert and oratorio performances dating from 1816 to 1832. There are ca. 55 other nineteenth-century items in the collection, chiefly from opera performances. Non-opera items include programmes from promenade concerts in the 1860s, 1870s and 1880s.
The twentieth century collections are chiefly from performances of opera and ballet. Ballet programmes are from various companies, but a significant amount is from the Sadler’s Wells Ballet and Royal Ballet. Opera performances include "Proms" performances, particularly from the 1970s. In addition, there are programmes from recitals: these are usually, though not exclusively, programmes from recitals by opera singers. There are also programmes from the English Bach festival.
The collection is naturally at its most dense in the second half of the twentieth century, but it is by no means complete. From the 30 years between 1958 and 1988 there are over 70 boxes of material; to compare, there are 7 boxes of material from 1793 until 1947, over 150 years. However, it should be noted that this period includes times when the venue’s function was not a theatre: for example, there is a gap in holdings from 1940 to 1945 when the theatre was used as a servicemen and servicewomen dance venue.
Arrangement:
The programmes are arranged chronologically, with boxes containing the following date ranges:
1793-1905; 1906-1913; 1914-1922; 1923-1927; 1928-1935; 1936-1938; 1939-1947; 1948-1949; 1950-7/1951; 7/1951-1952; 1953-1954; 1954-1955; 1956-1957; 1958-5/1959; 6/1959-9/1960; 10/1960-7/1961; 9/1961-12/1961; 1/1962-5/1962; 6/1962-12/1962; 1/1963-4/1963; 5/1963-9/1963; 10/1963-12/1963; 1/1964-3/1964; 4/1964-10/1964; 11/1964-2/1965; 3/1965-6/1965; 7/1965-11/1965; 12/1965-3/1966; 4/1966-6/1966; 7/1966-11/1966; 12/1966-3/1967; 4/1967-5/1967; 6/1967-7/1967; 9/1967-2/1968; 3/1968-6/1968; 7/1968-12/1968; 1/1969-5/1969; 6/1969-11/1969; 12/1969-4/1970; 5/1970-10/1970; 11/1970-1/1971; 2/1971-3/1971; 4/1971-5/1971; 6/1971-9/1971; 10/1971-11/1971; 12/1971-12/2/1972; 13/2/1972-4/1972; 5/1972-7/1972; 8/1972-11/1972; 12/1972-3/1973; 4/1973-7/1973; 9/1972-12/1973; 1/1974-4/1974; 5/1974-10/1974; 11/1974-2/1975; 3/1975-10/1975; 11/1975-3/1976; 4/1976-11/1976; 12/1976-6/1977; 7/1977-12/1977; 1/1978-6/1978; 7/1978-2/1979; 3/1979-7/1979; 8/1979-3/1980; 4/1980-8/1980; 9/1980-2/1981; 3/1981-7/1981; 8/1981-2/1982; 3/1982-9/1982; 10/1982-12/1982; 1/1983-4/1983; 5/1983-15/7/1983; 16/7/1983-11/1983; 12/1983-3/1984; 4/1984-6/1984; 7/1984-15/11/1984; 16/11/1984-2/1985; 3/1985-4/1985; 5/1985-8/1985; 9/1985-12/1985; 1/1986-3/1986; 4/1986-7/1986; 8/1986-12/1986; 1/1987-4/1987; 5/1987-8/1987; 9/1987-1/1988; 2/1988-4/1988; 5/1988-6/1988; 7/1988-12/1988; 1/1989-6/1989; 7/1989-2/1990; 3/1990-10/1990; 11/1990-5/1991; 6/1991-4/1992; 5/1992-12/1992; 1/1993-6/1993; 9/1993-2/1994; 3/1994-11/1994; 12/1994-5/1995; 6/1995-12/1995; 1/1996-8/1996; 9/1996-7/1997; 8/1997-1998; 1999-2000; 2001; 2002; 2003; 2004-2005; 2006-2009
Date range
1793 - 2003
Associated People and Organisations
English Bach Festival -
Royal Ballet -
Sadler's Wells Ballet -
Associated Places
London [England]
Royal Italian Opera, Covent Garden
Royal Opera House
Theatre Royal, Covent Garden
Associated Times
18th century - late 1776-1799
19th century - early 1800-1836
19th century - early Victorian 1837-1850
19th century - late Victorian 1876-1899
19th century - mid Victorian 1851-1875
20th century - early 1900-1930
20th century - late 1971-1999
20th century - mid 1931-1970
21st century
Associated Content
Press Cuttings
Librettos
Opera
Ballet
Star Item(s)
Strength(s)
Further details
Viewing the Collection
Mon-Fri by appointment
Visiting information
Location details
Royal College Of Music, Library
London SW7 2BS Open Map
DOMUS
Website
http://www.rcm.ac.uk/library/
Email
Telephone
Fax
Building Information
Collections Overview
Display Overview
NEW CONTACT DETAILS: 020 7591 4325; [email protected].; https://www.rcm.ac.uk/library
Star Objects
For details of other collections held at the same location: See the location record
Additional Collection Information
Accrual Status
Open
Legal Status
Custodial History
Related Publications
Management Information (Type)
Collection Owner(s)
Collection Creator(s)
Collection Custodians(s)
