THE NATIONAL OPERA-HOUSE--FOUNDATION DIFFICULTIES--PRIMÆVAL
REMAINS--TITIENS LAYS THE FIRST BRICK--THE DUKE OF EDINBURGH THE
FIRST STONE--THE OPERA AND PARLIAMENT--OUR RECREATION ROOMS.
DURING all this time I was busily engaged selecting plans for the
construction of my new National Opera-house, which I then considered a
most desirable investment, inasmuch as Her Majesty's Theatre, which had
been hastily built, was ill-adapted for the requirements of Italian
Opera, whilst Covent Garden was heavily encumbered with liabilities.
Indeed, more than one negotiation had already taken place with the Duke
of Bedford with a view to its purchase and demolition. I, therefore, saw
that sooner or later London would be without a suitable Opera-house. In
order to expedite the works it was considered desirable that the
foundations should be proceeded with pending the final settlement of the
drawings, taking out the quantities, etc., and deciding who the
contractors should be.
Mr. Webster, who constructed the best part of the Thames Embankment, was
deemed to be the fitting man, and I therefore had an interview with him
on the subject. In this interview he told me he would execute the whole
of the foundations up to the datum level for the sum of £5,000.
On consulting with my architect he advised that it would be more
economical that this preliminary work should be paid for by measurement,
which Mr. Webster ultimately agreed to. No sooner had they dug to a
certain depth than it was discovered that no foundation could be
obtained. Afterwards screw piles were attempted and all other kinds of
contrivances to obviate the expense with which we were threatened in the
prosecution of the works. The digging proceeded to a depth of some 40 or
50 feet without discovering anything but running springs and quicksands,
covered by a large overlying mass of rubbish, being the accumulation of
several ages in the history of Westminster. Many relics of olden times
came to light, including the skulls and bones of wild elks and other
primitive animals that once roamed about the Thames Valley and were
hunted by ancient Britons in the days of the Druids. Various swords,
gold and inlaid, often richly-fashioned, told of the feuds of York and
Lancaster; while many other objects, concealed for centuries, now came
forth to throw a light on the faded scroll of the past.
As the builders had got considerably below the depth of the Thames and
consequently that of the District Railway, the water began to pour in,
which necessitated some fifteen or twenty steam-pumping machines being
kept at work for several months. At length the London Clay was reached,
which necessitated various cuttings, some 16ft. wide, down which had to
be placed some 40ft. of concrete.
At length the foundations were completed, and the sum I had to pay,
according to measurement, was not £5,000, but £33,000. This was really
one of the first blows to my enterprise.
Early in September the first brick of my new National Opera-house, prior
to the commencement of the substructure, was laid. A number of friends
were on the ground at one o'clock, and in a short time a great throng of
spectators had assembled around the spot. Punctually at 1.30 Mdlle.
Titiens arrived, under the escort of Lord Alfred Paget, Mr. Fowler, the
Architect, and myself. The party passed along the wooden platform, and
descended a handsomely-carpeted staircase, which led to the foundation
of concrete upon which the "brick" was to rest. On reaching the bottom,
Mdlle. Titiens, as she leaned on the arm of Mr. Fowler, was presented
with an elaborately-engraved silver trowel by Mr. Webster, the
Contractor. The fair singer was then conducted to the spot, where a
thin, smooth layer of white mortar had been spread on the concrete. The
foreman of the masons placed a brick in the midst of this, and Mdlle.
Titiens then in a formal manner laid the first brick, using the
plumb-line to ascertain that the work had been properly done. Second,
third, and fourth bricks were afterwards laid by Mr. Fowler, Lord
Alfred Paget, and myself. Hearty cheers were then given for Mdlle.
Titiens by the 600 workmen congregated around, who wished the Queen of
Song success and happiness on her approaching Atlantic voyage.
Prior to her departure, Mdlle. Titiens gave four farewell concerts in
Ireland; and it was with great difficulty after the last one, at Cork,
that she escaped from the concert room at all, so numerous were the
encores. The steamer having been signalled, she had to rush straight
from the concert room, in her concert dress, with all her jewellery on,
to catch the train leaving for Queenstown.
In the autumn of 1875 Mdlle. Titiens was replaced on the provincial tour
by Madame Christine Nilsson; and the business again was highly
successful. The tour continued until Christmas. I came up to London on
the 16th December, to be present at the laying of the first stone of the
new Opera-house by H.R.H. the Duke of Edinburgh.
The following was the programme of the ceremonial, which was duly
carried out:--
CEREMONY OF LAYING THE FIRST STONE
OF THE
GRAND NATIONAL OPERA-HOUSE,
_VICTORIA EMBANKMENT_.
_Holders of Cards of Invitation will not be admitted after 1.15_.
"The bands of the Coldstream Guards and Honourable Artillery
Company will be in attendance, and a Guard of Honour will line the
entrance.
"His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh and suite will arrive at
the entrance on the Victoria Embankment at half-past one o'clock.
"His Royal Highness will be received by Mr. W. H. Smith, M.P., Sir
James Hogg, Chairman of the Metropolitan Board of Works, Mr. F. H.
Fowler, the Architect, and Mr. J. H. Mapleson, the Director of the
National Opera.
"On arrival at the platform an address will be read to the Duke of
Edinburgh in the name of the founders of the Grand National
Opera-house.
"His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh will then proceed to lay
the first stone.
"The trowel will be handed to His Royal Highness by Mr. Mapleson,
the Director; the plumb-rule and level by Mr. F. H. Fowler, the
Architect; and the mallet by Mr. W. Webster, the Builder.
"On the completion of the ceremony His Royal Highness will make a
brief reply to the address.
"The Duke of Edinburgh will then be conducted to his carriage at
the entrance by which His Royal Highness arrived, and will drive to
the St. Stephen's Club.
"16th December, 1875."
The following address was then read by Sir James McGarel Hogg:--
"YOUR ROYAL HIGHNESS,--
"On behalf of the founders of the Grand National Opera-house, I have the
honour to present to your Royal Highness the following address in which
the objects of the undertaking are set forth:--
"The establishment of a National Opera-house in London has long been
contemplated, the obstacle to which, however, was the impossibility of
finding a suitable site, and it was not until that vast undertaking was
carried out by the Metropolitan Board of Works, which has resulted in
reclaiming from the Thames large tracts of land, and in throwing open
the great thoroughfare of the Victoria Embankment, that a site
sufficient to meet the requirements of a National Opera-house could be
obtained; and it is this building that your Royal Highness is graciously
pleased to inaugurate to-day.
"The National Opera-house is to be devoted firstly to the representation
of Italian Opera, which will be confined as heretofore to the spring and
summer months; and, secondly, to the production of the works of English
composers, represented by English performers, both vocal and
instrumental.
"It is intended, as far as possible, to connect the Grand National
Opera-house with the Royal Academy of Music, the National Training
School for Music, and other kindred institutions in the United Kingdom,
by affording to duly qualified students a field for the exercise of
their profession in all its branches.
"The privilege, which it is the intention of the Director to grant to
the most promising of these students, of being allowed to hear the works
of the greatest masters performed by the most celebrated artists, will,
in itself, form an invaluable accessory to their general training.
"Instead of being compelled to seek abroad further instruction when
their prescribed course at the various establishments is finished, they
will thus be able to obtain this at home, and more quickly and
efficiently profit by example.
"In Paris, when sufficiently advanced, the students can make a short
step from the Conservatoire to the Grand Opera; so it is hoped that
English students will use the legitimate means now offered and afforded
for the first time in this country of perfecting their general training,
whether as singers, instrumentalists, or composers, according to their
just claims.
"In conclusion I beg leave to invite your Royal Highness to proceed with
the ceremony of laying the first stone of the new Grand National
Opera-house.
"Grand National Opera house,
Victoria Embankment,
16th December, 1875."
In designing this, I intended it to be the leading Opera-house of the
world; every provision had been made. The building was entirely
isolated; and a station had been built beneath the house in connection
with the District Railway, so that the audience on leaving had merely to
descend the stairs and enter the train. In the sub-basement
dressing-rooms, containing lockers, were provided for suburban visitors
who might wish to attend the opera. A subterranean passage, moreover,
led into the Houses of Parliament; and I had made arrangements by which
silent members, after listening to beautiful music instead of dull
debates, might return to the House on hearing the division-bell. The
Parliamentary support thus secured would alone have given an ample
source of revenue.
Having plenty of surplus land, I had arranged with the Lyric Club to
lease one corner, whilst the Royal Academy of Music had agreed to take
another. The buildings, moreover, were to include a new concert room,
together with a large gallery for pictures not accepted by the Hanging
Committee of the Royal Academy, to be called the "Rejected Gallery."
There were recreation rooms, too, for the principal artists, including
billiard tables, etc., besides two very large Turkish baths, which, it
was hoped, would be of service to the manager in cases of sore throat
and sudden indisposition generally.
The throat doctors appointed to the establishment were Dr. Morell
Mackenzie and Mr. Lennox Brown.
Sir John Humphreys had arranged for the purchase of a small steamer to
act as tug to a large house-boat which would, from time to time, take
the members of the Company down the river for rehearsals or recreation.
The steamer was being built by the Thorneycofts. The house-boat was of
unusually large dimensions, and contained a magnificent concert-room.
The nautical arrangements had been confided to Admiral Sir George
Middleton, a member of my acting committee; or, in his absence, to Lord
Alfred Paget.
When about £103,000 had been laid out on the building another £10,000
was wanted for the roofing; after which a sum of £50,000, as already
arranged, could have been obtained on mortgage. For want of £10,000,
however, the building had to remain roofless. For backing or laying
against a horse, for starting a new sporting club or a new music-hall,
the money could have been found in a few hours. But for such an
enterprise as the National Opera-house it was impossible to obtain it;
and, after a time, in the interest of my stockholders (for there was a
ground rent to pay of £3,000), I consented to a sale.
The purchasers were Messrs. Quilter, Morris, and Tod-Heatly, to whom the
building was made over, as it stood, for £29,000.
Later on it was resold for £500; and the new buyers had to pay no less
than £3,000 in order to get the walls pulled down and broken up into
building materials.
The site of what, with a little public spirit usefully applied, would
have been the finest theatre in the world, is now to serve for a new
police-station. With such solid foundations, the cells, if not
comfortable, will at least be dry.