A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Pantheon

by William H. Husk

PANTHEON. A building in Oxford Street, erected in 1770–71 from the designs of James Wyatt, at a cost of £60,000, for masquerades, concerts, balls, etc., and as 'a Winter Ranelagh.' It occupied a large space of ground, and besides the principal entrance in Oxford Street there were entrances in Poland Street and Great Marlborough Street. The interior contained a large rotunda and fourteen other rooms most splendidly decorated; the niches in the rotunda being filled with white porphyry statues of the heathen deities, Britannia, George III, and Queen Charlotte. The building was opened for the first time Jan. 26, 1772. For some years it proved a formidable rival to the Italian Opera, as the proprietors always provided the best performers. In 1775 the famous songstress, Agujari, was engaged, who was succeeded, a few years later, by the equally-famed Giorgi, afterwards Banti. In 1783 a masquerade took place in celebration of the coming of age of the Prince of Wales, afterwards George IV. The second concert of the Commemoration of Handel was given here, May 27, 1784, the place being specially fitted up for the occasion. Later in the same year the balloon in which Lunardi had made his first successful ascent from the Artillery Ground was exhibited. The King's Theatre having been burnt down in 1788, the Pantheon was fitted up as a theatre and opened for the performance of Italian operas, Feb. 17, 1791. On Jan. 14, 1792, the theatre was destroyed by fire. In 1795 the interior of the building was re-constructed for its original purpose and opened in April with a masquerade, but it met with little success, and in 1812 was again converted into a theatre, and opened Feb. 17, with a strong company, principally composed of seceders from the King's Theatre, for the performance of Italian operas. The speculation however failed, and the theatre closed on March 19. In the following year (July 23, 1813) an attempt was made to open it as an English opera house, but informations being laid against the manager and performers, at the instance of the Lord Chamberlain, for performing in an unlicensed building, and heavy penalties inflicted (although not exacted), the speculation was abandoned. Subsequent efforts to obtain a license failed, and in Oct. 1814 the whole of the scenery, dresses, properties, and internal fittings were sold under a distress for rent, and the building remained dismantled and deserted for nearly 20 years. In 1834 the interior was re-constructed by Sydney Smirke, at a cost of between £30,000 and £40,000, and opened as a bazaar; part being devoted to the sale of paintings, and the back part, entered from Great Marlborough Street, fitted up as a conservatory for the sale of flowers and foreign birds. The bazaar in its turn gave way, and early in 1867 the premises were transferred to Messrs. Gilbey, the well-known wine-merchants, by whom they are still occupied. During all the vicissitudes of the building Wyatt's original front in Oxford Street has remained unaltered.

[ W. H. H. ]