Met Opera Opened Don Giovanni Nov. 28, 1883, as 12th First Season Opera

Summary: Met Opera opened Don Giovanni Wednesday, Nov. 28, 1883, as the 12th premiere in the opera house's first season, 1883-1884.

The Metropolitan Opera's Don Govanni lineage traces back to Giuseppe Kaschmann's inaugural season (1883-1884) performances in the opera house's 12th opera, Mozart's Don Giovanni: Met Opera Guild @MetOperaGuild, via Twitter July 9, 2020

Met Opera opened Don Giovanni on Wednesday, Nov. 28, 1883, as the 12th premiere in the inaugural 1883-1884 season lineup of 20 operas.

The dramma giocoso in due atti (jocular drama in two acts) by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791) received 12 performances, sung in Italian, in the Metropolitan Opera's first season, 1883-1884. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the Wednesday, Nov. 28, premiere as well as for the second (Saturday, Dec. 8) and third (Wednesday, Dec. 12) performances. The fourth performance, Thursday, Jan. 10, 1884, was held at the Academy of Music in Broolyn, New York. The fifth performance, Thursday, Jan. 17, took place at the Chestnut Street Opera House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The sixth performance, Thursday, Jan. 24, was staged at Haverly's Theatre in Chicago, Illinois. The seventh performance, Saturday, Feb. 9, took place at the Olympic Theater in St. Louis, Missouri. The eighth performance, Saturday, Feb. 16, was offered at the Music Hall in Cincinnati, Ohio. The ninth performance, Thursday, Feb. 28, National Theater in Washington, D.C. The 10th performance, Thursday, March 6, took place at the Boston Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the 11th performance, Wednesday, March 12, and the 12th, closing performance, Thursday, April 10.

Auguste Vianesi (Nov. 2, 1837-Nov. 4, 1908) conducted the first six and the last five performances of Don Giovanni. 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).

Maestro Vianesi shared the condutorship with Cleofonte Campanini (Sept. 1, 1860-Dec. 19, 1919), who conducted the seventh performance, Saturday, Feb. 9. The Italian conductor had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 3, 1883, in the second performance of the first season's fifth opera, Mignon by French composer Ambroise Thomas (Aug. 5, 1811-Feb. 12, 1896).

Giuseppe Kaschmann (July 14, 1850-Feb. 11, 1925) sang the title role in all 12 performances. The Croatian-Austrian operatic baritone, whose birth name was Josip Kašman, had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Enrico in the opening season's second premiere, Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Giovanni Mirabella sang Leporello, Don Giovanni's servant, in all 12 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).

Emmy Fursch-Madi (1847-Sept. 21, 1894) appeared in the first six and last five performances as Donna Anna, whose father, the Commendatore, is killed by Donna Anna's seducer, Don Giovanni. The French operatic soprano made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 7, as Ortrud in the inaugural season's seventh premiere, Lohengrin by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Emmy Fursch-Madi shared the role with Emily Lablache. Emilie Deméric-Lablache (Oct. 6, 1830-?), credited as Emily Lablache, sang Donna Anna in the seventh performance, Saturday, Feb. 9. The French mezzo-soprano-contralto had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 5, as Flora in the inaugural season's sixth premiere, La Traviata by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Roberto Stagno (Oct. 18, 1840-April 26, 1897) sang as Don Ottavio, Donna Anna's fiancé, in the first two performances (Nov. 28, Dec. 8); fourth (Jan. 10), fifth (jan. 17), sixth (Jan. 24), ninth (Feb. 28), 11th (March 12) and 12th, closing (April 10) performances. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 26, 1883, in the title role, Manrico, in the inaugural season's third premiere, Verdi's Il Trovatore.

Roberto Stagno shared the role with Italo Campanini (June 30, 1845-Nov. 14, 1896), who sang Don Ottavio in the third (Dec. 12), seventh (Feb. 9), eighth (Feb. 16) and 10th (March 6) performances. His appearance in the seventh performance placed him in the same opera 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 season's inaugural premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Christine Nilsson (Aug. 20, 1843-Nov. 20, 1921) sang Donna Elvira, one of Don Giovanni's conquests, in the first three performances (Nov. 28, Dec. 8, Dec. 12); eighth (Feb. 16), 10th (March 6) and 11th (March 12) performances. 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.

Christine Nilsson shared the role with Alwina Valleria and Emily Lablache. Alwina Valleria (Oct. 12, 1848-Feb. 17, 1925) sang Donna Elvira in the fourth (Jan. 10), fifth (Jan. 17), sixth (Jan. 24) and seventh (Feb. 9) performances and again in the ninth (Feb. 28) performance. The American soprano had made her Met Opera debut as Leonora in the inaugural season's third premiere, Verdi's Il Trovatore.

Emily Lablache sang Donna Elvira in the 12th, closing performance, April 10. Donna Elvira numbered as the second of her two, one-performance roles in Don Giovanni. She made her first appearance in the opera two months earlier as Donna Anna.

Marcella Sembrich (Feb. 15, 1858-Jan. 11, 1935) sang Zerlina, whose marriage celebration is interrupted by Don Giovanni's seduction schemes, in the first three performances (Nov. 28, Dec. 8, Dec. 12) and also in the eighth (Feb. 16) and again in the 10th (March 6) and the 11th (March 12) performances. The Polish coloratura soprano had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, in the title role in the inaugural season's second premiere, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Marcella Sembrich shared the role with Zelia Trebelli and Sofia Scalchi. Zelia Trebelli (Nov. 12, 1836-Aug. 18, 1892) sang Zerlina in the fourth (Jan. 10) and fifth (Jan. 17) performances. She had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 26, 1883, as Azucena in the inaugural season's third premiere, Verdi's Il Trovatore.

Sofia Scalchi (Nov. 29, 1850-Aug. 22, 1922) sang Zerlina in the sixth (Jan. 24), seventh (Feb. 9), ninth (Feb. 28) and 12th, closing (April 10) performances. The Italian operatic contralto-mezzosoprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the trouser role of Siebel in the opening season's first premiere, Gounod's Faust.

Baldassare Corsini sang Masetto, Zerlina's husband, in all 12 performances. He had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 31, 1883, as Laërte in the inaugural season's fifth premiere, Mignon by German Jewish opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Sept. 5, 1791-May 2, 1864).

Achille Augier sang the avenged Commendatore in all 12 performances. He had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, as Raimondo in the inaugural season's second premiere, Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor.

Don Giovanni was directed by Mr. Corani (Henry De Courtney Corani, ca. 1849-May 1905) and Mr. Abbiati. The production's set designers were Charles Fox, Jr., William Schaeffer, Gaspar Maeder (ca. 1840-Jan. 18, 1892) and Mr. Thompson. The production's costumes were designed by Henry Dazian (May 3, 1854-May 4, 1937) and D. Ascoli. Don Giovanni'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.

Don Giovanni premiered Wednesday, Nov. 28, 1883, as the first season's 12th opera and as the only Mozart opera staged in the Metropolitan Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884. Mefistofele, by Italian composer and librettist Arrigo Boito (Feb. 24, 1842-June 10, 1918), succeeded Don Giovanni as the 13th first season premiere. Mefistofele premiered Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1883.

The takeaways for Met Opera's premiere of Don Giovanni are that the dramma giocoso in due atti (jocular drama in two acts) was staged as the 12th opera in Met Opera's inaugural season, 1883-1884; that the opera of inexorable fate received 12 performances; and that Don Giovanni was the only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart opera included in the inaugural season lineup of 20 operas.

Marcella Sembrich originated the Met Opera role of Mozart's Zerlina in Don Giovanni's Nov. 28, 1883, premiere in the opera house's inaugural season, 1883-1884: The Sembrich @TheSembrich, via Facebook May 27, 2020

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

The Metropolitan Opera's Don Govanni lineage traces back to Giuseppe Kaschmann's inaugural season (1883-1884) performances in the opera house's 12th opera, Mozart's Don Giovanni: Met Opera Guild @MetOperaGuild, via Twitter July 9, 2020, @ https://twitter.com/MetOperaGuild/status/1281343640036683777

Marcella Sembrich originated the Met Opera role of Mozart's Zerlina in Don Giovanni's Nov. 28, 1883, premiere in the opera house's inaugural season, 1883-1884: The Sembrich @TheSembrich, via Facebook May 27, 2020, @ https://www.facebook.com/TheSembrich/photos/a.481908958541300/2920203491378489/br />
For further information:

"Debut: Baldassare Corsini." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID:1050 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Mignon {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/31/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1050

“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: 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: 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

Marriner, Derdriu. "Don Giovanni Is the Feb. 16, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 11, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/02/don-giovanni-is-feb-16-2019-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Don Giovanni Was Franco Zeffirelli’s Ninth Met Opera Production." Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 17, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/08/don-giovanni-was-franco-zeffirellis.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

Met Opera Guild @MetOperaGuild. "Today's #OperaThroughTheYears throwback features the infamous antihero #DonGiovanni -- with tights galore! #GiuseppeKaschmann (1883) #TheodorReichmann (1889) #EzioPinza (1929) #JamesMorris (1978) #GeraldFinley (2005) #LucaPisaroni (2019) #TBT #Mozart #DaPonte." Twitter. July 9, 2020.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOperaGuild/status/1281343640036683777

The Metropolitan Opera Guild @metropolitanoperaguild. "Today's #OperaThroughTheYears throwback features the infamous antihero Don Giovanni- with tights galore! Giuseppe Kaschmann (in the Met Opera Premiere 1883) Theodor Reichmann (1889) Ezio Pinza (1929) James Morris (1978) Gerald Finley (2005) Luca Pisaroni (2019) #TBT #DonGiovanni #Mozart #DaPonte #GiuseppeKaschmann #TheodorReichmann #EzioPinza #JamesMorris #GeraldFinley #LucaPisaroni." Facebook. July 9, 2020.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/metropolitanoperaguild/photos/a.10150144873997754/10158867215567754/

"Metropolitan Opera Premiere Don Giovanni." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1240 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Don Giovanni {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/28/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1240

Petit, Pierre. "Christina Nilsson." Oslo Museum DigitaltMuseum (DM).
Available @ https://digitaltmuseum.no/021016831869/christina-nilsson

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