A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Lumley, Benjamin

LUMLEY, BENJAMIN, born in 1812, was bred to the law, and in Nov. 1832 admitted a solicitor. Being concerned for Laporte he became mixed up with the affairs of the Opera, and on Laporte's death in 1841 was induced to become its manager. Pursuing a policy initiated by his predecessor, he gave prominence to the ballet to the neglect of the opera, and in a few years had so alienated his performers that at the end of the season of 1846 nearly the whole of his principal singers, band, and chorus, seceded and joined the newly formed establishment at Covent Garden. The popularity of Jenny Lind sustained him during the next three seasons; and after her retirement from the stage in 1849, the return of Sontag to public life enabled him to maintain his position for a time, but afterwards the fortune of the house waned, until, at the end of the season of 1852, the manager was compelled to close the theatre until 1856, when the burning of Covent Garden induced him again to try his fortune. He struggled on for three seasons, but at the end of 1858 was forced to submit. He produced during his period of management the following operas for the first time in England—Donizetti's 'Figlia del Reggimento,' 'Don Pasquale,' 'Linda di Chamounix,'and 'Favorita'; Verdi's 'Ernani,' 'Attila,' 'Nabucco,' 'Traviata,' 'Trovatore,' and 'Masnadieri'; Costa's 'Don Carlos,' and Halevy's 'Tempesta': and introduced, among others, the following singers Jenny Lind, Tadolini, Frezzolini, Cruvelli, Parodi, Castellan, Johanna Wagner, Piccolomini, Tietjens, Gardoni, Calzolari, Fraschini, Giuglini, Fornasari, Ronconi, and Belletti. After his retirement he returned to his original profession. In 1864 he published an account of his managerial career, under the title of 'Reminiscences of the Opera' (Hurst and Blackett, 1864). He died March 17, 1875.

[ W. H. H. ]