Maria Jeritza, Who Died July 10, 1982, Had Met Opera Debut Nov. 19, 1921

Summary: Czech soprano Maria Jeritza, who died July 10, 1982, had her Met Opera debut Nov. 19, 1921, in the U.S. premiere of Erich Korngold’s Die Tote Stadt.

Czech soprano Maria Jeritza made her Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 19, 1921, in the United States premiere of Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt; Maria Jeritza as Die tote Stadt’s Marietta/Marie with American operatic tenor Orville Harrold (Nov. 17, 1877-Oct. 23, 1933) as Paul; Bain News Service; George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division: No known restrictions on publication, via Library of Congress

Czech soprano Maria Jeritza, who died July 10, 1982, had her Met Opera debut Nov. 19, 1921, in the United States premiere of Die Tote Stadt by Austrian-born composer Erich Korngold (May 29, 1897-Nov. 29, 1957).

Die Tote Stadt’s first premiere took place Dec. 4, 1920, as two simultaneous premieres in Germany at Cologne Opera and at Hamburg State Opera. Maria Jeritza performed as Juliette, a dancer, in Die Tote Stadt’s premiere at Hamburg State Opera.

Maria Jeritza sang the principal dual roles of Marietta/Marie for her Metropolitan Opera debut. Die Tote Stadt received eight performances during the 1921-1922 Met Opera season.

Including Die Tote Stadt, Maria Jeritza performed in five operas during the 1921-1922 Met Opera season. She sang the title role in the opera house’s staging of Tosca by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). The season’s first performance of Tosca took place Dec. 1, 1921, 12 days after Maria’s Met Opera debut.

She sang the principal role of Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana by Italian composer Pietro Mascagni (Dec. 7, 1863-Aug. 2, 1945). The season’s first performance of Cavalleria Rusticana happened Dec. 10, 1921, nine days after Tosca’s season premiere.

Maria Jeritza performed as Sieglinde in the 1921-1922 Met Opera season’s staging of Die Walküre by German composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883). The season’s first performance took place Dec. 16, 1921, six days after the season’s first performance of Cavalleria Rusticana.

She performed as Elsa in Wagner’s Lohengrin. The season’s first performance, Dec. 27, 1921, took place at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, southeastern Pennsylvania.

Maria Jeritza reprised her debut role for the following season at the Metropolitan Opera. The 1922-1923 Met Opera season featured four performances of Die Tote Stadt. Met Opera has not staged Die Tote Stadt since the 1922-1923 season’s final performance, Feb. 26, 1923.

Including Die Tote Stadt, Maria Jeritza performed in six operas during the 1922-1923 Met Opera season. She also reprised three of her debut season’s roles as Cavalleria Rusticana’s Santuzza, Die Walküre’s Sieglinde and Tosca. She performed as Octavian in Der Rosenkavalier by late Romantic-early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949) and in the title role of Met Opera’s new production of Thaïs by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

David Salazar, OperaWire’s creator and editor-in-chief, notes that Maria Jeritza holds the record for most appearances as Thaïs at the Metropolitan Opera. Her first of 20 performances in the title role happened Dec. 14, 1922. On Jan. 13, 1926, she gave her last Met Opera performance as Thaïs.

During her decade-long association with the Metropolitan Opera, Maria Jeritza sang the title role in the United States premiere of another Korngold opera at the opera house. Met Opera hosted the United States premiere of Violanta on Nov. 5, 1927. Violanta received five performances during the 1927-1928 Met Opera season but the opera house has not performed Violanta since then.

Maria Jeritza’s last role at the Metropolitan Opera was as Elizabeth in the 1931-1932 season’s production of Wagner’s Tannhäuser. She gave her final performance as Elisabeth on Feb. 12, 1932.

She gave a special last performance 19 years later, on Feb. 22, 1951, in a Benefit for the Metropolitan Opera Fund. Maria Jeritza sang Rosalinde in an English language version of Die Fledermaus by Austrian light music composer Johann Strauss II (Oct. 25, 1925-June 3, 1899).

Maria Jeritza was born Thursday, Oct. 6, 1887, in Brünn, Austro-Hungarian Empire (now Brno, Czech Republic). Maria’s birth name was Marie Marcellina Jedlitzková, according to British onomastician (proper name specialist) and toponymist (place name specialist) Adrian Room (Sept. 27, 1933-Nov. 6, 2010). AllMusic biographer Erik Eriksson credits Brünn Musikschule and voice professor Sigmund Auspitzer (Nov. 17, 1861-disappeared after Oct. 15, 1942, in Treblinka, Poland) with Maria Jeritza’s musical training.

Maria Jeritza made her operatic debut Feb. 9, 1905 as Elsa in Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin. Her debut took place at Olomouc Theatre, Olomouc, Moravia, eastern Czech Republic.

The Czech soprano passed away Saturday, July 10, 1982, in St. Mary’s Hospital in Orange, Essex County, northeastern New Jersey. She was buried in the family plot of her fourth husband, New Jersey businessman Irving Peter Seery (May 24, 1890-1966) at Holy Cross Cemetery in North Arlington, Bergen County, northeastern New Jersey.

The takeaway for Maria Jeritza, who died July 10, 1982, is that the Czech soprano had her Met Opera debut Nov. 19, 1921, in the United States premiere of Die Tote Stadt by Austrian-born composer Erich Korngold.

Czech soprano Maria Jeritza in one of her Met Opera signature roles, as Massenet’s Thaïs; costume by Austrian-American costume designer Gretel Urban (Jan. 7, 1898-Dec. 6, 1997); set design by Gretel's father, Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872-July 10, 1933): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Nov. 2, 2017

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Czech soprano Maria Jeritza made her Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 19, 1921, in the United States premiere of Erich Korngold’s Die tote Stadt; Maria Jeritza as Die tote Stadt’s Marietta/Marie with American operatic tenor Orville Harrold (Nov. 17, 1877-Oct. 23, 1933) as Paul; Bain News Service; George Grantham Bain Collection, Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division: No known restrictions on publication, via Library of Congress @ http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2014713688/

Czech soprano Maria Jeritza in one of her Met Opera signature roles, as Massenet’s Thaïs; costume by Austrian-American costume designer Gretel Urban (Jan. 7, 1898-Dec. 6, 1997); set design by Gretel's father, Joseph Urban (May 26, 1872-July 10, 1933): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Nov. 2, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10159661265620533/

For further information:

“Debuts: Maria Jeritza, George Meader.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 79050 United States Premier Die Tote Stadt {1} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/19/1921.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=79050

Eriksson, Erik. “Maria Jeritza.” AllMusic > Artist.
Available @ https://www.allmusic.com/artist/maria-jeritza-mn0002180952

Fetthauer, Sophie. “Biographical Dictionary of Persecuted Musicians 1933-1945.” The Orel Foundation > Articles & Essays. July 2009.
Available @ http://orelfoundation.org/journal/journalArticle/biographical_dictionary_of_persecuted_musicians_19330451945

Kopecký, Jiří; and Lenka Křupková. Provincial Theater and Its Opera: German Opera Scene in Olomouc (1770-1920). Translated by Eva Černínová and Viktor Heumann. Konvikt, vol. 1. Olomouc, Czech Republic: Palacký University, 2015.

Marriner, Derdriu. "Born June 11, 1864, Richard Strauss Dedicated Last Work to Maria Jeritza." Earth and Space News. Monday, June 10, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/06/born-june-11-1864-richard-strauss.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Joseph Urban Designed Sets for 14 U.S. Premieres at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, July 23, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/07/joseph-urban-designed-sets-for-14-us.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Maria Jeritza Sang Title Role in U.S. Turandot Premiere at Met Opera.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 6, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/08/maria-jeritza-sang-title-role-in-us.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Thaïs Is Jan. 20, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Jan. 15, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/01/thais-is-jan-20-2018-met-opera-saturday.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Violanta and Die Tote Stadt Composer Erich Korngold Was Born May 29, 1897.” Earth and Space News. Monday, May 27, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2016/12/hansel-und-gretel-is-dec-24-2016.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Maria Jeritza gave 20 performances as Thaïs, the most in the company’s history, between 1922 and 1926. . . .” Facebook. Nov. 2, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10159661265620533/

Mustermann, Adam; and Eva Musterfrau. “Sigmund Auspitzer.” In: Claudia Maurer Zenck, Peter Petersen and Sophie Fetthauer, eds., Lexicon of Persecuted Musicians of the Nazi Era. 2008; updated July 27, 2017.
Available via University of Hamburg Musicological Institute @ https://www.lexm.uni-hamburg.de/object/lexm_lexmperson_00002843

Room, Adrian. Dictionary of Pseudonyms: 13,000 Assumed Names and Their Origins. Fifth edition. Jefferson NC: McFarland & Company Inc., 2010.

Salazar, David. “Metropolitan Opera 2017-18 Preview: A Look at the 6 ‘Thaïs’ Interpreters in Met History.” OperaWire. Jan. 2, 2019.
Available @ http://operawire.com/metropolitan-opera-2017-18-preview-a-look-at-the-6-thais-interpreters-in-met-history/

Scott, Paul. Die Tote Stadt (The Dead City): Opera in Three Acts Founded on G. Rodenbach’s “Das Trugbild.” English version for R.H. Elkin. Music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Mainz, Germany: B. Scott’s Sohne, 1920 (German version), 1921 (English version).
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/dietotestadtdead00korn

“United States Premiere: Die Tote Stadt.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 79050 United States Premiere Die Tote Stadt {1} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/19/1921.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=79050

“United States Premiere: Violanta.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 97060 United States Premiere (Violanta) New Production (Hänsel und Gretel) Violanta {1} Hänsel und Gretel {93} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1927.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=97060