Italy

There are about five hundred theatres in Italy, and quite one half of

these have seasons of opera at various times of the year. The

traditional Italian operatic season begins on the 26th December of each

year at San Stefano Day, and is called the Carnival Season; then follows

Quaresima or Lent Season and Primavera or Spring Season--altogether some

five months of opera. Besides these there exist (_stagioni di fiere_)

short seasons of one or two weeks' duration, at the time of certain

famous fairs. There are autumn seasons, and sporadic performances at

fashionable summer and bathing resorts. I am quite within strict

probability in asserting that in Italy two hundred odd theatres are

devoted to opera the whole year round. These theatres may be briefly

divided into two classes--municipal and private ones. The latter are run

very much on the same lines as private theatres anywhere else, and do

not come within the scope of my consideration.

The State does not interfere in any way with Italian theatres, and such

help as these receive comes either from municipalities, or especially

formed associations of institutions linked by common interest with the

working of a theatre. But the principle of such help is always that of

an act performed for the public good, or, as it is officially termed,

_per ragioni di pubblica utilita_, and it naturally takes the form of a

monetary subsidy. This suesidy varies according to the importance of the

theatre, the rank of the city, the prospects of the season, and its

grant is altogether opportunistic and at times arbitrary. In the

majority of Italian theatres boxes are proprietary, and the

_palchettisti_ (box-holders) have a direct interest and a vote of some

weight in the prospective arrangements of a season. The _impressario_

desirous of running an operatic theatre must submit his prospectus to

the box-holders at the same time he submits it to the municipality from

which he wishes to obtain his contract, and of course, his subsidy. A

theatrical board (_Commissione Teatrale_), composed of local

authorities, and box-holders examines the prospectus, and if the

decision is unfavourable another plan has to be submitted by the same

man, or another aspirant, or perhaps the _Commissione_ has a scheme of

its own. As a rule, stipulations comprise either a novelty or a

favourite opera, called in this case "obligatory" (_opera d'obbligo_), a

ballet, or simply a specified number of performances. The length of the

season varies from eight days (_stagione di fiera_) to two months, the

repertory may consist of one opera or twenty, whilst the figure of the

subsidy is anything between L20 and L8000. The average, however, is

three operas for a medium season of one month--one obligatory, one _di

repiego_ (for a change) and another, _da de Stinarsi_ (to be selected),

at the choice of the _impressario_ or in accord with the _Commissione_.

Five performances weekly are the orthodox number, Mondays and Fridays

being recognised as days of rest.

If an agreement is arrived at, the _impressario_ is put in possession of

the theatre for the period stipulated, and sets about running his

season. He is given but the bare building and seats; he has to provide

scenery, costumes, orchestra and chorus in addition to his company of

artists. Sometimes orchestra and chorus are local institutions, and

there are small places in which the conductor is an _employe_ of the

municipality engaged for a period of years to play the organ in church,

teach music at schools, conduct open-air concerts and also the operatic

season. In such a case a part of the subsidy, equivalent to all the

salaries, is retained to guard against accidents, or else a sum is set

apart for that purpose out of a deposit lodged by the _impressario_ with

the _Commissione_ or the municipality.

The budget of the manager depends on the subsidy and the subscription,

in which box-holders must perforce participate owing to the system of

_ingresso_ or entrance ticket--a system which consists in charging so

much (a uniform price, as a rule) for entrance in addition to the price

of your ticket. _Ingresso_ simply gives you the right to standing room,

or you may join some friends in a box of theirs; and this method has

been devised in view of the _palchettisti_, whose boxes would otherwise

prove a profitless asset. The _palchettisti_ subscribe to the

_ingresso_, and the general public to seats and _ingresso_ combined. But

the _impressario_ does not get his subscription until he has given

one-half of the stipulated performances. There is a further perquisite,

called _adobbo_, in some southern Italian theatres--the Naples San

Carlo, for instance--which brings in a goodish sum of money, and

consists in charging two francs for attendance in every box. Judging

from the name _adobbo_, it must be a relic of a time when attendance

comprised some kind of "fixing" you up in your box. It is nothing of the

sort to-day, and I am unable to explain why, after having paid for your

box and _ingresso_, you are charged for the _adobbo_, which seems to me

first cousin to the obnoxious _petit banc_ in French theatres. Besides

these two elements, subvention and subscription, the _impressario_ has

also the resource of raising the prices of seats, and entrance tickets

how, and when, he pleases during the season, the fluctuation affecting,

however, non-subscribers only. As a rule, the opening night of the

season, and the production of a novelty are generally singled out for

the adoption of this device; but, naturally enough, your manager has

recourse to the measure, whenever an opera of his proves a sure draw,

and results, just as much as customs, are there to justify the

expedient. Should, however, the public fail to respond, the prices are

lowered with the same alacrity with which they were raised. Thus you may

have to pay L4 for your stall, say, at La Scala, day after day, or you

may see on Wednesday for 5 francs (4s.) a performance you would have had

to pay 100 francs (L4) for had you bought your ticket on Monday.

This principle pervades the uses and customs of the Italian theatrical

world, and is applicable to the letting of scores by publishers, who,

untrammelled by such institutions as the Societe des Auteurs in France,

or special laws as in Spain, can charge what they please for the hire of

band parts and scores. There is nothing to prevent the publisher of

_Lucia di Lammermoor_ from letting the music of the opera for 50 francs

(L2) to an _impressario_ at Vigevano and charging 20,000 francs (L800)

to another who produces it, say, at the Argentina of Rome, with Melba in

the title-role.

The music publisher in Italy has a unique position amongst publishers,

but quite apart from this, he enjoys so many prerogatives as to be

almost master of the operatic situation in that country. He can put what

value he pleases on the letting of the score he owns, and has the

absolute right over the heads of the Theatrical Board to reject artists

already engaged, including the conductor. He can take exception to

costumes and scenery and withdraw his score as late as the dress

rehearsal.

This is called the right of _protesta_. It does not follow that such

right is exercised indiscriminately, spitefully or frequently, but it is

sufficient that it exists, and what between the _Commissione Teatrale_,

the _palchettisti_ and the publisher, the _impressario_ in Italy is not

precisely on a bed of roses. Still, in spite of such impedimenta,

Italian opera flourished for well-nigh two centuries, and Italian

singers, repertory and language were considered all but synonymous with

every operatic enterprise, during that period. This ascendency lasted as

long as proper incentives for development of the art were steadily

provided by responsible bodies; in other words, so long as the great

theatres of Italy--La Scala at Milan, San Carlo at Naples, Communale at

Bologna, Apollo at Rome, Fenice at Venice, Carlo Felice at Genoa, Raggio

[transcriber: Regio?] at Turin, Pergola at Florence, etc.--were in

receipt of regular subventions. But political and economical changes in

the country turned the attention of public bodies towards other

channels, and the radical tendencies of most municipalities went dead

against the artistic interests of the country. In spite of warnings

from most authoritative quarters, the opposition, towards subsidising

what was wrongly considered the plaything of the aristocracy grew apace,

and the cry became common that if dukes and counts, and other nobles

wanted their opera, they should pay for it. Subsidies were withdrawn

here, suspended there, cut short in another place, and altogether

municipal administration of theatres entered upon a period the activity

of which I have already qualified, as opportunistic and arbitrary. In

vain did a great statesman, Camillo Cavour, argue the necessity of

maintaining at all costs, the time-honoured encouragement, and help to

pioneers of the Italian opera, bringing the discussion to an absolutely

practical, if not downright commercial, level. "I do not understand a

note of music," said he, "and could not distinguish between a drum and a

violin, but I understand very well that for the Italian nation, the art

of music is not only a source of glory, but also the primary cause of an

enormous commerce, which has ramifications in the whole world. I believe

therefore that it is the duty of the Government to help so important an

industry." The municipalities remained obdurate, and the start of their

short-sighted policy coincided with the gradual decadence of Italian

opera, until this form of entertainment lost prestige, and custom with

the best of its former clients, England, Russia and France. We know how

things on this count stand with us. In Russia, Italian opera, formerly

subsidised from the Imperial purse, was left to private enterprise, and

all available funds and encouragement transferred to national opera

houses; whilst in France the reaction is such, that even the rare

production of an Italian opera in one of the French theatres is

tolerated and nothing more.