The Management of Opera (1861-1918)

The book offers for the first time an in-depth look into the mechanisms that governed opera production in Eastern Adriatic theatres during the late Habsburg era, against the backdrop of a lively cultural mix resulting from the coexistence of Austrian, Italian and Croatian elements. From the archives of the Istrian and Dalmatian coast, a large amount of unpublished documentary material has emerged concerning the operatic activity of coastal theatres during the late Habsburg era. The analysis of the discovered documents has made it possible to meticulously reconstruct the mechanism of subsidising opera seasons, the process of searching for and choosing an impresario by theatre managements, or the way in which a theatre season was proposed. The operatic repertoire performed in individual locations, the movements of artistic staff and stage material were mapped over almost sixty years. The working conditions of singers and musicians were discussed on the basis of the various contracts found in the area. The book is also enriched by an important census of impresarios and agents active on the eastern Adriatic coast, which reveals the identities and strategies of those who personally managed the complex opera networks.