![]() ![]() Many of his operas and oratorios, including Alcina and Semele, were first performed there, and he bequeathed his theatre organ to John Rich. The first important musical works to be heard at the theatre were by Handel, who, from 1735 until his death in 1759, had close links with Covent Garden both as composer and organist. The other patent theatre was the nearby Theatre Royal Drury Lane, and a keen rivalry soon developed between the venues. At that time, under the terms of a Royal Patent, Covent Garden was only one of two theatres permitted to perform drama in the capital. Both the previous theatres were destroyed by fire, a serious hazard in the era before electricity.Īctor-manager John Rich built the first Theatre Royal, Covent Garden with the fortune he had made from the huge success of The Beggar’s Opera. The magnificent Royal Opera House, with its grand classical portico fronting Bow Street, is actually the third theatre built on the Covent Garden site. ![]()
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