A slice of operatic life in the East End of London, 1880–1940: philanthropy, immigration and Italian opera

Abstract

Between 1880 and 1940 paternalist, philanthropic initiatives promoted the arts as an instrument to improve the condition of working people, and offer leisure opportunities to the aspiring classes of East London away from the West End. The foundation of the People’s Palace in 1887 created opportunities for operatic performances which brought together philanthropist volunteers and local people, and attracted audiences from across the new suburbs stretching beyond the Mile End Road. These included from as early as 1893 ‘costume recitals’ of ‘scenes from popular Italian operas’, and later regular seasons by the main touring Italian opera companies. This article uses archive sources from a range of institutions alongside literary and musical periodicals and local press to suggest ways in which Italian opera was viewed in relation to native and other foreign repertoires, and what this operatic ‘slice of life’ reveals about popular ideas of italianità in East London across this period.