Italian opera it reached the republic of Venice. It was here that the first public opera house, the Teatro di San Cassiano, was opened in 1637 by Benedetto Ferrari and Francesco Manelli. Its success moved opera away from aristocratic patronage and into the commercial world. In Venice, musical drama was no longer aimed at an elite of aristocrats and intellectuals and acquired the character of entertainment. Soon many other opera houses had sprung up in the city, performing works for a paying public during the Carnival season. The opera houses employed a very small orchestra to save money. A large part of
Sterling Opera House Sterling Opera House The Sterling Opera House is in Derby, CT on 104 Elizabeth St across from the town green. The building was constructed in 1889 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 8, 1968. It was initially as a city hall, but then ended up being a hot spot for performances and musical history. On April 2, 1889 the doors of the Sterling Opera House were opened to the public. It was designed by Italianate Victorian style architect H. Edwards Ficken, who also was co-designer of the famous Carnegie Hall located in Manhattan, NY.