With 1861 we come to the English début of the greatest star of the last half of the nineteenth century, for on May 14 Adelina Patti made her first appearance at Covent Garden, as Amina in "La Somnambula," amid such enthusiasm as to ensure her the premier place among the operatic artists of her day. And indeed after this memorable date the diva continued to appear for no less than twenty-five consecutive seasons at Covent Garden, her name proving an infallible draw, no matter in what opera she chose to appear.
During the same season Grisi gave a series of eight farewell performances, creating an enormous furore; moreover, Delle Sedie came over for Mapleson's season at the Lyceum, being afterwards engaged for Covent Garden. At the latter house the autumn season opened with "Ruy Blas," followed later by "Robin Hood," with a cast including Mme. Guerrabella (Geneviève Ward), Haigh, Honey, and Santley, and this in turn gave way to the production of Balfe's new opera, "The Puritan's Daughter," which had a run of no less than fifty-seven performances.
The following February, 1862, saw the production of another of Balfe's operas, the "Lily of Killarney," the plot being that of the "Colleen Bawn," which had just had a huge success at the Adelphi Theatre.
The artists engaged for the Covent Garden season of Italian opera included such names as Patti, Tamberlik, Mario, Faure, Formes, and Gordoni; while in the autumn of the year Mapleson gave a season of opera with Tietjens, Alboni, Giuglini, and Santley.
For 1863 may be writ large the five letters FAUST. Mapleson tells the story of its production in his memoirs. Thomas Chappell had bought the English rights for £40, after seeing it at the Théâtre Lyrique. The music of an opera is worth nothing until the opera itself has become known, and Messrs Chappell opened negotiations with Mr Frederick Gye for its production during the Royal Italian Opera season.
The work had not, however, made much impression at the Lyrique, and Gye, on his return from Paris, assured his stage-manager, Augustus Harris, that there was nothing in it but the "Soldier's Chorus," and refused to have anything to do with it. Mapleson on hearing it felt convinced it would be an immense success; and Chappells were ready to pay £200 towards the cost of its production, and to give £200 more after four representations. He therefore engaged his company, and put it into rehearsal at Her Majesty's.
A few days before the date fixed for the production, he found that only £30 worth of seats had been taken. Then came a Napoleonic scheme. He announced at once four successive performances, and gave the astounding instructions at the office that for the first three out of these four not one place was to be sold beyond those already taken. The rest of the tickets he took home in a carpet-bag and distributed far and wide over a gigantic free list. At the same time he advertised in 'The Times' that, in consequence of a death in the family, two stalls for the first representation of "Faust"—the opera which was exciting so much interest that all places for the first three representations had been bought up—could be had at 25s. each.
Meanwhile demands had been made at the box-office for places, and the would-be purchasers were told that everything had gone up to the fourth night: this they repeated to their friends, and the opera began to be seriously talked of. The first performance was received with applause, the second still more warmly, and the third gained additional favour. No further device was necessary for stimulating curiosity: the paying public flocked, and it was given for ten nights in succession, after which it was constantly repeated until the termination of the season.
The following was the cast of the première at Her Majesty's:—
| Marguerite | Tietjens. |
| Siebel | Trebelli. |
| Faust | Giuglini. |
| Mephistopheles | Gassier. |
| Valentine | Santley. |