The great resource of Brunswick was the theatre, such a theatre as
does not exist in any French provincial town, and such a theatre
as has never even been dreamed of in any British town. It was
fully as large as Drury Lane, and was subsidised by the State. I
really believe that every opera ever written was given here, and
given quite admirably. In this town of 60,000 inhabitants, in
addition to the opera company, there was a fine dramatic company,
as well as a light opera company, and a corps de ballet. Sunday,
Tuesday and Saturday were devoted to grand opera, Monday to
classical drama (Schiller or Shakespeare), Wednesday to modern
comedy, Friday to light opera or farce. The bill was constantly
changing, and every new piece produced in Berlin or Vienna was
duly presented to the Brunswick public. There are certainly some
things we can learn from Germany! The mounting of the operas was
most excellent, and I have never seen better lighting effects than
on the Brunswick stage, and this, too, was all done by gas,
incandescent electric light not then being dreamed of even.
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