La Scala into a costume. As with most of the theatres at that time, La Scala was also a casino, with gamblers sitting in the foyer. Conditions in the auditorium, too, could be frustrating for the opera lover, as Mary Shelley discovered in September 1840: At the Opera they were giving Otto Nicolai's "Templario". Unfortunately, as is well known, the theatre of La Scala serves, not only as the universal drawing-room for all the society of Milan, but every sort of trading transaction, from horse-dealing to stock-jobbing, is carried on in the pit; so that brief and far between are the snatches
Country house opera Country house opera Country house opera is opera performed at a country house, whether in the house itself, in the grounds, or in an adapted or purpose built theatre on the grounds. It is a feature in particular of the English summer. Country house opera is usually initiated by private enthusiasts, and relies almost exclusively upon private funding. This distinguishes it from the UK's state subsidised opera companies which, like most opera houses around the world, are based in city centres. Black tie is often "de rigueur", in contrast with the Royal Opera House in London and other city operas