The Mapleson Memoirs, 1848-1888, vol II

The narrator chronicles decades of activity staging operatic seasons across Europe and America, describing managerial challenges, star performers' whims, contractual disputes and rival houses, and the logistics of long tours. He blends backstage anecdotes—arrests, scalpers, rivalries, rehearsal conflicts, and fervent audiences—with vivid episodes from frontier stops where civic receptions, lavish hospitality, and encounters with local leaders, including a notable visit to a large Tabernacle, shape performances. Interwoven are accounts of financial pressure, labor unrest, celebrity rituals, and the personal costs of sustaining grand opera amid shifting public tastes.