William Saurin Lyster 1828-1880

After more successes the new company moved to Sydney; their place at the Princess was taken by a major visiting Italian troupe directed by Augusto Cagli, appearing under Lyster’s astute management.

In 1873 Lyster set up a new company to acquire and operate the recently-completed Prince of Wales Opera House in Bourke Street, Melbourne. The company purchased his scenery, costumes and scores, and employed him as manager. Cagli recruited more singers in Italy and, again, Lyster alternated Italian repertoire – which he preferred – with more profitable seasons of opera sung in English. By September 1874 he was juggling an Italian company in Adelaide, an English company in Sandhurst (Bendigo), arranging concerts by visiting artists in the Melbourne Town Hall and planning a Christmas pantomime.

In 1877 Lyster presented the first Wagner opera ever staged in Australia – Lohengrin – and also premiered Verdi’s Aida. La Forza del Destino followed in 1878 and Carmen in 1879. By then Lyster’s health was failing and he decided that an overseas trip would be beneficial. During his travels he was offered the Australian rights to HMS Pinafore, Gilbert and Sullivan’s sensational new light opera. Perhaps because a San Francisco production of it by his brother Frederick had not been a success, he turned it down.

Though the trip helped restore some of Lyster’s customary vigour, he announced his intention to retire to his Narree Worron estate. His exit was speeded by a notorious incident in the dress circle of the Melbourne Opera House during a performance of Les Huguenots on 24 July 1880. A Frenchman, Louis Saudry, confronted John Greer and his wife. The three were in Melbourne for the International Exhibition, and had met on the voyage from England – during which Saudry and Mrs Greer had conducted a none-too-secret ‘affair’. Greer drew his pistol, wounded his wife and Saudry, and then killed himself. The audience, naturally, panicked, but no-one else was seriously hurt. The incident did nothing to assist Lyster’s health.

William Saurin Lyster was denied the retirement he sought: he died in Melbourne on 27 November 1880. The Argus paid tribute to ‘a manager who valued public approbation and his own good name more than money.’

Lyster’s company folded soon after his death. There would of course be many opera companies in the future, but it would not be until the 1950s that there was another permanent organisation bringing opera to audiences across the nation.