Antony and Cleopatra Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Second Met Opera Production

Summary: Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra was Franco Zeffirelli’s second Met Opera production, with a world premiere at the opera house’s new Lincoln Center site.

Franco Zeffirelli's production of Samuel Barber's Shakespearean opera, Antony and Cleopatra, featured Leontyne Price's Cleopatra opposite Justin Díaz's Mark Antony and Jess Thomas' Caesar: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook June 22, 2019

Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra was Franco Zeffirelli’s second Met Opera production, making its world premiere in the opera company’s new location in Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan’s Upper West Side (UWS).

The new Metropolitan Opera House opened Friday, Sept. 16, 1966, with the world premiere of Antony and Cleopatra by Samuel Osmond Barber II (March 9, 1910-Jan. 23, 1981). MetOpera Database, the Metropolitan Opera’s online archives, notes that the premiere took place in the composer’s presence.

The Metropolitan Opera had commissioned the American 20th-century composer to create the opera house’s inaugural opera. Music historian Barbara Heyman notes in Samuel Barber: The Composer and His Music, published in 1992, that a sentimental association underlay Antony and Cleopatra’s status as the composer’s favorite play by Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare (bapt. April 26, 1564-April 23, 1616). His sister, Sara Barber Beatty (1913-1961) had played the title role in a performance at the second of the Seven Sisters colleges, Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, southeastern New York.

Shakespeare’s drama about Hellenistic Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra (69-Aug. 12, 30 BCE) and the Roman Republic’s General Marcus Antonius (Jan. 14, 83-Aug. 1, 30 BCE) comprises 42 scenes. The tragedy was first performed around 1607 and first appeared in print in 1623 in Mr. William Shakespeare’s Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies, commonly known as the First Folio.

The Metropolitan Opera’s General Manager, Rudolf Bing (Jan. 9, 1902-Sept. 2, 1997) designated Franco Zeffirelli (Feb. 12, 1923-June 15, 2019) as the opera’s librettist. The Italian film, opera and television director and producer created the English libretto in collaboration with the opera’s composer. They exclusively fashioned the libretto’s text from Shakespeare’s original words and lines.

Zeffirelli directed the new production and also designed costumes and sets. American choreographer and dancer Alvin Ailey (Jan. 5, 1931-Dec. 1, 1989) made his Metropolitan Opera debut as the sumptuously-staged opera’s choreographer.

Antony and Cleopatra received eight performances in the 1966-1967 Met Opera season. Thomas Schippers (March 9, 1930-Dec. 16, 1977) conducted the opera’s world premiere and six of the subsequent seven performances. The American opera and orchestra conductor had made his Metropolitan Opera debut Friday, Dec. 23, 1955, in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Soirée by 19th century Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

Ignace Strasfogel (July 17, 1909-Feb. 6, 1994) conducted the season’s fourth performance, which was offered as a matinee on Saturday, Nov. 5. The Polish composer, conductor and pianist had made his Metropolitan Opera debut May 6, 1957, in the opera house’s 16th performance of La Périchole by by German-born French composer Jacques Offenbach (June 20, 1819-Oct. 5, 1880).

Puerto Rican operatic bass-baritone Justino Díaz (born Jan. 29, 1940) and American soprano Leontyne Price (born Feb. 10, 1927) sang the title roles in all eight performances. Both singers had made their Metropolitan Opera debuts in operas by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). Leontyne Price had made her Metropolitan Opera debut Jan. 27, 1961, as Leonora in the opera house’s 320th performance of Verdi’s Il Trovatore. Justino Díaz’s debut, as Monterone, had taken place Oct. 23, 1963, in the opera house’s 418th performance of Rigoletto.

The 1966-1967 Met Opera season’s eighth and final performance of Antony and Cleopatra took place Dec. 1, 1966. The Metropolitan Opera has not revived Antony and Cleopatra since the opera’s world premiere season.

Over the next eight years after the opera’s final Met Opera performance, Barber made revisions to the musical score. He removed Franco Zeffirelli’s name from the opera and collaborated with Italian-American composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti (July 7, 1911-Feb. 1, 2007) in creating a new libretto.

The Juilliard School’s American Opera Center premiered Barber and Menotti’s Antony and Cleopatra Feb. 6, 1975. The revised opera, with Menotti’s staging, received four performances in The Juilliard Theater, located in the same Lincoln Square neighborhood as Lincoln Center’s Metropolitan Opera House.

The Metropolitan Opera has never performed the revised version of Antony and Cleopatra.

The takeaway for Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra as Franco Zeffirelli’s second Met Opera production is that the Metropolitan Opera has not performed the Shakespearean opera since its premiere season.

Franco Zeffirelli wrote the libretto, designed costumes and sets and directed the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra, the Shakespearean opera that inaugurated the opera company’s new location in Manhattan’s Lincoln Center: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook June 22, 2019new production of Verdi’s Falstaff in the 1963-1964 season: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Aug. 25, 2019

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Franco Zeffirelli's production of Samuel Barber's Shakespearean opera, Antony and Cleopatra, featured Leontyne Price's Cleopatra opposite Justin Díaz's Mark Antony and Jess Thomas' Caesar: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook June 22, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10162094336655533/

Franco Zeffirelli wrote the libretto, designed costumes and sets and directed the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra, the Shakespearean opera that inaugurated the opera company’s new location in Manhattan’s Lincoln Center: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook June 22, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10162094337485533/

For further information:

“Debut: Bruce Scott, Ron Bottcher, Hope Clarke, Alvin Ailey.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 208000 World Premiere In the Presence of the Composer Antony and Cleopatra {1} Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 09/16/1966.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=208000

“Debut: Ignace Strasfogel.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 174990 La Périchole {16} Auditorium, Birmingham, Alabama: 05/6/1957.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=174990

“Debuts: Justino Díaz, Arthur Graham, Joy Clements.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 196080 Rigoletto {418} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/23/1963.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=196080

“Debuts: Leontyne Price, Franco Corelli.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 186960 Il Trovatore {320} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/27/1961.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=186960

“Debuts: Luigi Alva, Leonard Bernstein, Franco Zeffirelli.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 197440 New Production Falstaff {67} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/6/1964.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=197440

“Debuts: Mary Ellen Moylan . . . Thomas Schippers . . .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 170370 Metropolitan Opera Premiere (Soirée) New Production (Don Pasquale) Soirée {1} Don Pasquale {42} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/23/1955.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=170370

Heyman, Barbara B. Samuel Barber: The Composer and His Music. New York NY; Oxford UK: Oxford University Press, 1992.

Marriner, Derdriu. "Falstaff Is the March 16, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, March 11, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/03/falstaff-is-march-16-2019-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Franco Zeffirelli Made His Met Opera Debut in Staging Verdi’s Falstaff.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 1, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/franco-zeffirelli-made-his-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Luigi Alva Made Met Opera Debut in Zeffirelli’s Falstaff Production." Earth and Space News. Monday, June 8, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/luigi-alva-made-met-opera-debut-in.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Only Two of 11 Zeffirelli Productions Are Still Revived at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 25, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/only-two-of-11-zeffirelli-productions.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Legendary director Franco Zeffirelli (1923–2019), who created 11 Met productions between 1964 and 1998, worked with many of opera’s greatest artists, from Leontyne Price to Leonard Bernstein to Plácido Domingo. Look back on his unparalleled career with this collection of snapshots of him at work. Photo: In rehearsal for Barber's Antony and Cleopatra, which opened the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in 1966 Photo courtesy of Met Archives.” Facebook. June 22, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10162094336655533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Legendary director Franco Zeffirelli (1923–2019), who created 11 Met productions between 1964 and 1998, worked with many of opera’s greatest artists, from Leontyne Price to Leonard Bernstein to Plácido Domingo. Look back on his unparalleled career with this collection of snapshots of him at work. Photo: Sculpting a set piece for his monumental staging of Barber's Antony and Cleopatra Photo: On the set of a new production of Verdi's Otello with Sherrill Milnes in 1972.” Facebook. June 22, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10162094337485533/

Paul S. “Sara Barber Beatty.” Find A Grave > Memorial 10716905. April 1, 2005.
Available @ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/10716905/sara-beatty

Plotkin, Fred. “Remembering Franco Zeffirelli (1923-2019).” WQXR > Operavore. June 17, 2019.
Available @ https://www.wqxr.org/story/remembering-franco-zeffirelli-19232019/

“World Premiere: Antony and Cleopatra.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 208000 World Premiere Antony and Cleopatra {1} Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 09/16/1966.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=208000