Subsidized opera—Opera an educative factor—Objections to subsidies—Advantages—English opera—Opera companies —Covent Garden—The Royal Opera Syndicate—History of opera in this country—Travelling companies—The Carl Rosa Company—The Moody-Manners Company—The outlook 150 CHAPTER XVI. HOW TO LISTEN TO AND ENJOY OPERA. Feelings of disappointment—Expectations—The language difficulty—Why the story is hard to follow—What we go to the opera to hear—Some suggestions—To grasp the story—To realize the style of the music—Re-hearing necessary—How to begin to study opera—What is necessary for its enjoyment 163 CHAPTER XVII. THE CHIEF OPERA HOUSES OF THE WORLD. Covent Garden—La Scala—San Carlo—Venice—Rome—Paris and the Grand Opera—Vienna—Budapest—Prague—Berlin—Dresden —Munich—Bayreuth—Russia—Other European countries— Egypt—America 172 CHAPTER XVIII. OFFSHOOTS AND CURIOSITIES OF OPERA. Operetta—Musical comedy—Ballad opera—Masque—Ballet— Objections thereto—Curiosities of construction— Pasticcio—Mixed language—Stereotyped casts—Curiosities of stage requirements—Wagner’s supernatural requirements —Curiosities of the music—Vocal cadenzas 185 CHAPTER XIX. A CHAPTER OF CHATTER. Opera and politics—_Lohengrin_ in Paris—Opera non-lucrative to the composer—Jenny Lind’s contract—Modern fees— Royalties—Librettists—Metastasio and Scribe— The prima donna—Stories of singers and composers 199 APPENDIX A.—Chronological List of Composers of Opera, Great Singers, Conductors, etc. 215 APPENDIX B.—Financial Aid Granted to Operatic Schemes from State or Municipal Funds 248 APPENDIX C.—Glossary of Terms mainly used in Opera 255 APPENDIX D.—List of Instruments used in the Orchestras of Composers of Different Periods of Opera 260 APPENDIX E.—Bibliography of Opera 263 List of Illustrations. PAGE