During the Regency Era, when did people most attend Operas? Or did they just attend during the Season. And which was the most famous opera house? How much did it cost around...1815?
Opera - Regency Era?opera sheet music Opera - hugely popular form of entertainment for the Regency upper classes. Though some operas were German and a handful were in English, the prevailing form was the Italian. The typical Regency person’s education included learning at least some Italian in order to enjoy this quintessentially civilized art form. The main place to see/hear opera in London was the King’s Theatre, also known as the Royal Italian Opera House. A season subscription for an opera box could cost as much as ￡2,500. (Contrast this with the annual salary of Jane Austen’s clergyman father, approximately ￡150/year, or a private in the army, at just under ￡18/year.) “The doors opened at six and performances began at seven.” (Hendrickson, Emily. The Regency Reference Book, p. 24.)
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The ton would have gone during the Season, to see and be seen, and perhaps gone for supper at the Piazza afterwards.
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You're right in guessing that the most often attended period was the London Season. The London Season coincided with the sitting of Parliament, and began some time after Christmas, running until lat summer (July/August), when it became too hot, and wealthy city inhabitants took to their Summer homes in the countryside, or on vacations on the continent. They would return by late November, in time for Christmas and the start of the new Season.
The most famous opera house was (and still is) undoubtedly the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. It's competitor, and almost as equally famous and important is the Theatre Royal at Drury Lane.
Theatre admissions were roughly four shillings for the box seats, two for seats in the pit, and one for the gallery.
Hope this helps,
Peace!
