Met Opera Opened 10th First Season Opera Robert le Diable Nov. 19, 1883

Summary: Met Opera opened 10th first season premiere Robert le Diable on Monday, Nov. 19, 1883, as the first of the season's three Giacomo Meyerbeer operas.

Apotheosis of Giacomo Meyerbeer depicts Robert le Diable's Alice, Robert and Bertram (upper left) among main characters from four major operas; colorized postcard of engraving by French printmaker Joseph Alfred Annedouche (Sept. 13, 1833-Jan. 12, 1922), after painting by Belgian-French artist Edouard Jean Conrad Hamman (Sept. 24, 1819-March 30, 1888), published 1869 by Bulla Frères: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Met Opera opened Robert le Diable on Monday, Nov. 19, 1883, as the first season's 10th premiere and as the first of the season's three operas by German Jewish opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Sept. 5, 1791-May 2, 1864).

The grand opéra in cinque atti (five-act grand opera) received seven performances, sung in Italian, in the Metropolitan Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884. The Metropolitan Opera House hosted the Monday, Nov. 19, premiere and the second performance, Friday, Dec. 7. The third performance, Friday, Feb. 1, was held at Haverly's Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The fourth performance, Wednesday, Feb. 20, took place at in Cincinnati, Ohio. The fifth performance, Wednesday, March 5, was staged at the Boston Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. The Metropolitan Opera House hosted the sixth performance, Friday, March 28. The venue for the seventh, closing performance, Tuesday, April 15, was in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Auguste Vianesi (Nov. 2, 1837-Nov. 4, 1908) conducted all three performances of Les Huguenots in the first season. The French-naturalized, northwestern Italy-born conductor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the first season's first premiere, Faust by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Roberto Stagno (Oct. 18, 1840-April 26, 1897) sang the title role in all seven performances. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 26, 1883, in the title role, Manrico, in the season's third premiere, Il Trovatore by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Alwina Valleria (Oct. 12, 1848-Feb. 17, 1925) appeared in the season's first six performances as Isabelle, who is loved by Robert, then parted from him and finally happily reunited with him. The American soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 26, 1883, as Leonora in the season's third premiere, Verdi's Il Trovatore.

Alwina Valleria shared the role of Isabelle with Ida Corani, who sang Isabelle in the seventh, closing performance, Tuesday, April 15. Ida Corani had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 29, as Enrichetta in the season's fourth premiere, I Puritani by 19th century Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (Nov. 3, 1801-Sept. 23, 1835).

Emmy Fursch-Madi (1847-Sept. 21, 1894) appeared in all performances as Alice, Robert's foster sister, who is balladeer Raimbaut's fianceé. The French operatic soprano made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 7, as Ortrud in the season's seventh premiere, Lohengrin by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Nicola Stagi appeared in all seven performances as Raimbaut, who deserts Alice in favor of gold from monstrously scheming Bertram. The Italian tenor's premiere appearance, Monday, Nov. 19, marked his Met Opera debut.

Vincenzo Fornaris sang the Herald in the season's first three and last three performances of Robert le Diable. The role was not performed in fourth performance, Wednesday, Feb. 20. The Italian tenor had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Arturo in the season's second premiere, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Malvina Cavalazzi (Cavallazzi) (ca. 1851/1862-1924) appeared as the Abbess in all seven performances. She had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 5, in the season's sixth premiere, Verdi's La Traviata.

Imogene Forti sang Princess Isabelle's lady-in-waiting in the season's fourth performance, Wednesday, Feb. 20. The role was not performed in the first in the first three performances or in the last three performances. Imogene Forti had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Alisa in the opening season's second premiere, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Cavalier roles were performed by Giuseppe Barberis, Ludovico Contini, Baldassare Corsini and Amadeo Grazzi in the season's third performance, Friday, Feb. 1. Giuseppe Barberis had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 5, as Giuseppe in the season's sixth premiere, Verdi's La Traviata. Baldassare Corsini had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Wagner in the season's inaugural premiere, Gounod's Faust. Ludovico Contini had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Wagner in the first season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust. Amadeo Grazzi had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Normanno in the season's second premiere, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Cavalier roles also were performed in the season's fourth performance, Wednesday, Feb. 20, by Vincenzo Fornaris, Amadeo Grazzi, Ludovico Contini and Baldassare Corsini. For the fourth performance, the non-performance of Vincenzo Fornaris' regular Robert le Diable role as the Herald allowed him to sing as a Cavalier.

Cavalier roles were not performed in the first two performances. They also were not performed in the last three performances.

In addition to her role as the Abbess, Malvina Cavalazzi is credited for "Dance" in The Metropolitan Opera Archives Database (MetOpera Database). The Italian ballet dancer and teacher was the Metropolitan Opera's first ballerina. The Metropolitan Opera Ballet School opened in 1909 with Malvina Cavalazzi as first director.

Robert le Diable was directed by Mr. Corani (Henry De Courtney Corani, ca. 1849-May 1905) and Mr. Abbiati. The production's sets were designed by Charles Fox, Jr., William Schaeffer, Gaspar Maeder (ca. 1840-Jan. 18, 1892) and Mr. Thompson. Costumes were designed by Henry Dazian (May 3, 1854-May 4, 1937) and D. Ascoli. Robert le Diable's directors, set designers and costume designers had all made their Met Opera debuts Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the first season's inaugural premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Robert le Diable numbered as the first of three Meyerbeer operas staged in Met Opera's opening season, 1883-1884. Le Prophète opened Tuesday, Feb. 12, 1884, as the first season's second Meyerbeer opera and as the 17th premiere in the inaugural season's lineup of 20 operas. Les Huguenots premiered Wednesday, March 19, 1884, as the season's third Meyerbeer opera and as the season's 19th opera.

Il Barbiere di Siviglia, by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868), succeeded Robert le Diable as the 11th first season premiere. Il Barbiere di Siviglia premiered Friday, Nov. 23, 1883.

The takeaways for Met Opera's premiere of Robert le Diable are that the grand opéra in cinque atti (five-act grand opera) was staged as the 10th opera in Met Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884; that the happy-ending opera received seven performances; and that Robert le Diable occurred as the first of three Meyerbeer operas staged in the opera house's opening season.

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Malvina Cavalazzi (Cavallazzi), the Metropolitan Opera's first ballerina and also first director of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School, appeared as the Abbess in the opera house's 10th first season opera, Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable: RoyalAcademyofDance @RADheadquarters, via Twitter March 29, 2020

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Apotheosis of Giacomo Meyerbeer depicts Robert le Diable's Alice, Robert and Bertram (upper left) among main characters from four major operas; colorized postcard of engraving by French printmaker Joseph Alfred Annedouche (Sept. 13, 1833-Jan. 12, 1922), after painting by Belgian-French artist Edouard Jean Conrad Hamman (Sept. 24, 1819-March 30, 1888), published 1869 by Bulla Frères: Public Domain, via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Meyerbeer_Apotheosis.jpg

Malvina Cavalazzi (Cavallazzi), the Metropolitan Opera's first ballerina and also first director of the Metropolitan Opera Ballet School, appeared as the Abbess in the opera house's 10th first season opera, Meyerbeer's Robert le Diable: RoyalAcademyofDance @RADheadquarters, via Twitter March 29, 2020, @ https://twitter.com/RADheadquarters/status/1244219010159382528

For further information:

"Debut: Emily Lablache, Giuseppe Barberis, Malvina Cavalazzi." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID:1080 Metropolitan Opera Premiere La Traviata {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1080

"Debut: Emmy Fursch-Madi." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1090 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Lohengrin {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/7/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1020

"Debut: Giovanni Mirabella, Ida Corani." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1040 Metropolitan Opera Premiere I Puritani {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/29/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1040

"Debut: Nicola Stagi." Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Robert le Diable.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1180 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Robert le Diable {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/19/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1180

"Debut: Roberto Stagno, Alwina Valleria, Zelia Trebelli." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1020 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Il Trovatore {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/26/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1020

"Debuts: Italo Campanini, Christine Nilsson, Franco Novara, Giuseppe Del Puente, Sofia Scalchi, Louise Lablache, Ludovico Contini, Auguste Vianesi, Mr. Corani, Mr. Abbiati, Charles Fox, Jr., William Schaeffer, Gaspar Maeder, Mr. Thompson, D. Ascoli, Henry Dazian." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID:1000 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Faust {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/22/1883. Metropolitan Opera Premiere Opening Night {1}.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1000

"Debuts: Marcella Sembrich, Giuseppe Kaschmann, Achille Augier, Amadeo Grazzi, Imogene Forti, Vincenzo Fornaris." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1010 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Lucia di Lammermoor {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/24/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1010

Letellier, Robert Ignatius, trans., ed., annot. The Diaries of Giacomo Meyerbeer: Volume 4 1857-1864 The Last Years. Madison [NJ]: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2004.

Marriner, Derdriu. "Metropolitan Opera Premiered 20 Operas During Opening Season 1883-1884." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 14, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/10/metropolitan-opera-premiered-20-operas.html

Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Robert le Diable.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1180 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Robert le Diable {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/19/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1180

RoyalAcademyofDance @RADheadquarters. "Silvia Feliciani is an RAD teacher from Italy with a famous distant relative; Malvina Cavallazzi. 'You cannot imagine how surprised I was when I found that Malvina had been a dance teacher of Phyllis Bedells!' Read Sylvia's story and more > http://bit.ly/2VX6y7a #RAD100." Twitter. March 29, 2020.
Available @ https://twitter.com/RADheadquarters/status/1244219010159382528

Rous, Samuel Holland. The Victrola Book of the Opera: Stories of One Hundred and Twenty Operas With Seven-Hundred Illustrations and Descriptions of Twelve-Hundred Victor Opera Records. Fourth revised edition. Camden NJ: Victor Talking Machine Company, 1917.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/victrolabookofop00vict