Boston Opera House (1909)
Encyclopedia
The Boston Opera House was an opera house
located on Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. It opened in 1909 as the home of the Boston Opera Company
and was demolished in 1958 after years of disuse.
Speare Hall, a Northeastern University dormitory, now stands on the site at the corner of Opera Place and Huntington Avenue.
stepped forward in 1908 to provide the funds to finish the building and provide a home for the newly formed Boston Opera Company
(BOC) under the leadership of impresario
Henry Russell
. Guido Nincheri
provided interior decoration for the theatre which was located two blocks from Boston Symphony Hall
, and one block from the New England Conservatory of Music.
by the BOC. The production starred Lillian Nordica
in the title role and Louise Homer
as La Cieca. At its opening, the theatre was described as a "perfect jewel-box of an opera house".
for its regular visits.
and World War II
, the Opera House fell into disuse and disrepair.
In 1957, the Boston Redevelopment Authority
, acting on behalf of the Northeastern University Trustees, declared it unsafe, and scheduled it for demolition. The local opera community demonstrated and petitioned the BRA to spare their only venue, but the order stood. The solidly built building was gutted in 1958, but proved difficult to demolish. Two demolition companies gave up in frustration, as the opera house resisted their efforts. Only after a new and larger wrecking derrick arrived, did the walls fall.
A brick rescued from the demolished theater by noted WGBH-FM
announcer Ron Della Chiesa
is preserved in the theater's archives at Northeastern University. The archived plans for the Opera House may be viewed and copied by requesting an appointment with Northeastern University's Facilities or Space Planning and Design Department.
Opera house
An opera house is a theatre building used for opera performances that consists of a stage, an orchestra pit, audience seating, and backstage facilities for costumes and set building...
located on Huntington Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. It opened in 1909 as the home of the Boston Opera Company
Boston Opera Company
The Boston Opera Company was an American opera company located in Boston, Massachusetts that was active from 1909 to 1915.-History:The company was founded in 1908 by Bostonian millionaire Eben Dyer Jordan, Jr. and impresario Henry Russell...
and was demolished in 1958 after years of disuse.
Speare Hall, a Northeastern University dormitory, now stands on the site at the corner of Opera Place and Huntington Avenue.
Construction
Construction began on the Boston Opera House in 1901 but due to financial difficulties the completion of the opera house was delayed. Eventually Bostonian millionaire Eben Jordan, Jr.Eben Dyer Jordan
Eben Dyer Jordan, Sr. was the co-founder of the department store chain Jordan Marsh with Benjamin L. Marsh in 1841.-Early life:...
stepped forward in 1908 to provide the funds to finish the building and provide a home for the newly formed Boston Opera Company
Boston Opera Company
The Boston Opera Company was an American opera company located in Boston, Massachusetts that was active from 1909 to 1915.-History:The company was founded in 1908 by Bostonian millionaire Eben Dyer Jordan, Jr. and impresario Henry Russell...
(BOC) under the leadership of impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Henry Russell
Henry Russell (impresario)
Henry Russell was an English impresario, conductor, opera director, and singing teacher.-Biography:Henry Ronald Russell was born in London. He was the son of Henry Russell, a composer, pianist, and baritone, and his wife Hannah...
. Guido Nincheri
Guido Nincheri
Guido Nincheri was a Canadian artist working mainly in stained glass and fresco.-Biography:Born in Prato, Italy, he studied art in Florence and immigrated to Montreal in 1915 after a short stay in Boston where he decorated the Boston Opera House.Nincheri designed the interior decoration of many...
provided interior decoration for the theatre which was located two blocks from Boston Symphony Hall
Symphony Hall, Boston
Symphony Hall is a concert hall located at 301 Massachusetts Avenue in Boston, Massachusetts. Designed by McKim, Mead and White, it was built in 1900 for the Boston Symphony Orchestra, which continues to make the hall its home. The hall was designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark in 1999...
, and one block from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Opening
The opera house officially opened on November 8, 1909 with a performance of La GiocondaLa Gioconda (opera)
La Gioconda is an opera in four acts by Amilcare Ponchielli set to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Angelo, tyran de Padoue, a play in prose by Victor Hugo, dating from 1835...
by the BOC. The production starred Lillian Nordica
Lillian Nordica
Lillian Nordica was an American opera singer who had a major stage career in Europe and her native country....
in the title role and Louise Homer
Louise Homer
Louise Homer was an American operatic contralto who had an active international career in concert halls and opera houses from 1895 until her retirement in 1932. After a brief stint as a vaudeville entertainer in New England, she made her professional opera debut in France in 1898...
as La Cieca. At its opening, the theatre was described as a "perfect jewel-box of an opera house".
History
It served as the home of the BOC during the company's six years of operation. After the BOC went bankrupt in 1915 the venue was used by other local opera companies, as well as by the Metropolitan OperaMetropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
for its regular visits.
Demise
During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Opera House fell into disuse and disrepair.
In 1957, the Boston Redevelopment Authority
Boston Redevelopment Authority
The Boston Redevelopment Authority is the municipal planning and development agency for Boston, working on both housing and commercial developments.The BRA was established by the Boston city council and the Massachusetts legislature in 1957...
, acting on behalf of the Northeastern University Trustees, declared it unsafe, and scheduled it for demolition. The local opera community demonstrated and petitioned the BRA to spare their only venue, but the order stood. The solidly built building was gutted in 1958, but proved difficult to demolish. Two demolition companies gave up in frustration, as the opera house resisted their efforts. Only after a new and larger wrecking derrick arrived, did the walls fall.
A brick rescued from the demolished theater by noted WGBH-FM
WGBH (FM)
WGBH is a public radio station located in Boston, Massachusetts. WGBH is a member station of NPR and PRI. The license-holder is the WGBH Educational Foundation, which also owns WGBH-TV and WGBX-TV....
announcer Ron Della Chiesa
Ron Della Chiesa
Ron Della Chiesa is a Boston area radio personality. Born in 1938 in Quincy, Massachusetts, he was taken by his father to jazz and Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts in the early 1950s, and developed an ear for both genres. His commentaries on WGBH-FM radio for the Boston Symphony are broadcast on...
is preserved in the theater's archives at Northeastern University. The archived plans for the Opera House may be viewed and copied by requesting an appointment with Northeastern University's Facilities or Space Planning and Design Department.
External links
- "The rise and fall of the original Boston Opera House" Jeremy Eichler, The Boston Globe, November 8, 2009.
See also
- Boston Opera House (1980)Boston Opera House (1980)The Boston Opera House is a performing arts venue located at 538 Washington St. in Boston, Massachusetts. Originally built as a movie palace, it opened on October 29, 1928 and was rededicated in 1980 as a home for the Opera Company of Boston...