Mefistofele Opened Dec. 5, 1883, as Met Opera's 13th First Season Opera

Summary: Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele opened Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1883, as Met Opera's 13th first season opera.

Italo Campanini sang Faust in the Metropolitan Opera's first season performances of Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele; portrait of Italo Campanini in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive

Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele opened Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1883, as the 13th of 20 premieres in the Metropolitan Opera's first season, 1883-1884.

The opera in un prologo e quattro atti (opera in a prologue and four acts) by Italian composer and librettist Arrigo Boito (Feb. 24, 1842-June 10, 1918) received four performances, sung in Italian, in the Metropolitan Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1883, premiere and the second performance, Saturday, Dec. 15. The third performance, Friday, Feb. 22, 1884, was offered at the Music Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio. The fourth, closing performance, Tuesday, March 4, was staged at the Boston Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.

Cleofonte Campanini (Sept. 1, 1860-Dec. 19, 1919) conducted the first three performances. The Italian conductor had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 3, 1883, in the second performance of the inaugural season's fifth opera, Mignon by French composer Ambroise Thomas (Aug. 5, 1811-Feb. 12, 1896).

Maestro Campanini shared the conductorship with Auguste Vianesi (Nov. 2, 1837-Nov. 4, 1908), who conducted the fourth, closing performance, March 4. The French-naturalized, northwestern Italy-born conductor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the inaugural season's opening premiere, Faust by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Giovanni Mirabella sang the title role in all four performances. The Florentine bass had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 29, 1883, as Giorgio in the inaugural season's fourth premiere, I Puritani by 19th century Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (Nov. 3, 1801-Sept. 23, 1835).

Italo Campanini (June 30, 1845-Nov. 14, 1896) appeared in all four performances as Faust, who ultimately rejects Mefistofele's temptations. His first three performances placed him in the same performances as his younger brother, conductor Cleofonte Campanini. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the title role in the inaugural season's inaugural premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Christine Nilsson (Aug. 20, 1843-Nov. 20, 1921) sang dual roles in all four performances. She appeared as Margherita, who is seduced by the devilishly-rejuvenated Faust, and as Elena (Helen of Troy), who reciprocates time-traveling Faust's amorous declarations. The Swedish operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, as Marguerite in the inaugural season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Amadeo Grazzi sang dual roles in all four performances. He appeared as Wagner, Faust's student, and as Nereo, a Greek in Elena's coterie. He had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Normanno in the inaugural season's second premiere, Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Zelia Trebelli (Nov. 12, 1836-Aug. 18, 1892) sang dual roles in all four performances. She appeared as Marta, distracted by Mefistofele during Faust's seduction of her neighbor Margherita, and as Pantalis, Elena's companion. Zelia Trebelli had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 26, 1883, as Azucena in the inaugural season's third premiere, Il Trovatore by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

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

Mefistofele premiered Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1883, as the 13th opera in the Metropolitan Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884, and as the only Boito opera in the first season's lineup of 20 premieres. La Gioconda, by Italian opera composer Amilcare Ponchielli (Aug. 31, 1834-Jan. 16, 1886), succeeded Mefistofele as the 14th first season premiere. La Gioconda premiered Thursday, Dec. 20, 1883.

The takeaways for Met Opera's premiere of Mefistofele are that the opera in un prologo e quattro atti (opera in a prologue and four acts) was staged as the 13th opera in Met Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884; and that the opera of devilish temptations received four performances.

Zelia Trebelli appeared in dual roles in the Metropolitan Opera's first season performances of Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele; portrait of Zelia Trebelli in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Italo Campanini sang Faust in the Metropolitan Opera's first season performances of Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele; portrait of Italo Campanini in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/marieburroughsar00chic/page/n261/mode/1up

Zelia Trebelli appeared in dual roles in the Metropolitan Opera's first season performances of Arrigo Boito's Mefistofele; portrait of Zelia Trebelli in The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities (1894): Public Domain, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/marieburroughsar00chic/page/n238/mode/1up

For further information:

“Debut: Cleofonte Campanini.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1070 Mignon {2} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/3/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1070

"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: 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

The Marie Burroughs Art Portfolio of Stage Celebrities. A Collection of Photographs of the Leaders of Dramatic and Lyric Art. Chicago : A.N. Marquis & Company, 1894.
Available via HathiTrust @ https://hdl.handle.net/2027/njp.32101073370700
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/marieburroughsar00chic/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Mefistofele Is First 2018-2019 Saturday Matinee Broadcast Dec. 1." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 26, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/11/mefistofele-is-first-2018-2019-saturday.html

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 Mefistofele." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1290 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Mefistofele {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/5/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1290

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