Marcella Sembrich Sang Mozart's Susanna as Last Met Role Feb. 4, 1909

Summary: Polish coloratura soprano Marcella Sembrich sang Mozart's Susanna as her last Met Opera role on Feb. 4, 1909.

Polish coloratura soprano Marcella Sembrich quoted Susanna's rose aria, "Deh, vieni, non tardar" (Le Nozze di Figaro's last act, Act IV), in an autograph dated April 27, 1915, six years two months after her last Met Opera performance: Musical Notation is Beautiful @NotationIsGreat, via Twitter Aug. 18, 2020

Polish coloratura soprano Marcella Sembrich sang Mozart's Susanna as her last Met Opera role on Thursday, Feb. 4, 1909, during the opera house's 27th season, 1908-1909.

Marcella Sembrich (Feb. 15, 1858-Jan. 11, 1935) added Susanna to her Met Opera portfolio on Monday, Nov. 21, 1898. The 1898-1899 season's first performance of Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791) was staged at the Metropolitan Opera House.

Le Nozze di Figaro received five performances in the 1898-1899 season. The Metropolitan Opera House also was the venue for the second (Saturday, Dec. 17), third (Friday, Jan. 6, 1899) and fourth (Monday, March 6) performances. The fifth, closing performance took place Tuesday, April 4, 1899, in Boston, Massachusetts.

Marcella Sembrich sang Susanna for all five performances. She had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 24, 1883, in the title role in the inaugural season's second premiere, Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Marcella Sembrich's Susanna garnered 32 performances over eight seasons, between seasons 1898-1899 through 1908-1909. Le Nozze di Figaro was not performed in seasons 1900-1901, 2006-2007 and 2007-2008.

Marcella Sembrich's second Susanna season immediately followed her first season. The 1899-1900 season presented nine performances. The first two performances (Tuesday, Nov. 14, 1899; Wednesday, Nov. 29) were staged at The Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois. The third and fourth performances (Tuesday, Dec. 5; Thursday, Dec. 14) were held in Boston, Massachusetts. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the fifth performance (Friday, Dec. 22). The sixth performance (Jan. 11, 1900) took place at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the seventh (Monday, Jan. 29), eighth (Wednesday, Feb. 28) and ninth, closing (Saturday, March 24) performances.

Marcella Sembrich sang Susanna in the first, second, sixth, seventh and eighth performances. She shared Susanna with Clémentine De Vere (Dec. 12, 1864-Jan. 1, 1954). The French-American soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Jan. 1, 1897, as Ophélie in the opera house's ninth performance of Hamlet by French composer Ambroise Thomas (Aug. 5, 1811-Feb. 12, 1896).

The 1901-1902 season offered eight performances. The first three performances (Tuesday, Nov. 19, 1901; Monday, Dec. 2; Thursday, Dec. 5) were staged at the Grand Opera House in San Francisco, California. The Metropolitan Opera was the venue for the fourth (Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1902) and fifth (Saturday, Jan. 11) performances. The sixth performance (Tuesday, Jan. 14) was given in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The seventh performance (Tuesday, March 18) took place in Boston, Massachusetts. The eight, closing performance (Thursday, April 17) was held at Duquesne Garden in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Met Opera season 1902-1903 held only one performance of Le Nozze di Figaro. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the Wednesday, Dec. 17, performance.

Three performances took place in the 1903-1904 season. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the first (Friday, March 4) performance. The second performance (Thursday, March 24) was offered at The Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois. The third, closing performance (Friday, April 15) was staged at the Boston Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts.

The following season, 1904-1905, included two performances. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for both the first (Wednesday, Nov. 30) and second, closing (Saturday, Dec. 31) performances.

The succeeding season, 1905-1906, saw one performance. The Wednesday, March 28, 1906, performance was staged in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Marcella Sembrich's eighth and final season as Susanna occurred three seasons later. The 1908-1909 season offered nine performances. Marcella Sembrich sang in the first six performances. The Metropolitan Opera House hosted the first four performances (Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1909; Saturday, Jan. 16; Monday, Jan. 18; Thursday, Jan. 21). The fifth performance (Tuesday, Jan. 26) was held at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Marcella Sembrich's last Met Opera performance took place in the sixth performance (Thursday, Feb. 4), which was staged at the Academy of Music in Brooklyn, New York. The Metropolitan Opera House was the venue for the seventh Saturday, Feb. 27) and eighth (Friday, March 26) performances. The ninth, closing performance (Monday, April 19) was staged at The Auditorium in Chicago, Illinois.

Bernice de Pasquali (Dec. 7, 1873-April 3, 1925) sang Susanna for the season's last three performances. The American coloratura soprano and pianist had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Jan. 2, 1909, as Violetta in La Traviata by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Over her eight seasons as Susanna, Marcella Sembrich sang opposite three Figaros. Her first Figaro was Giuseppe Campanari (Nov. 17, 1855-May 31, 1927). He appeared in six seasons (1898-1899, 1899-1900, 1901-1902, 1902-1903, 1903-1904, 1905-1906) as Figaro, Susanna's fiancé, who becomes her husband in Act III. The first Italian, then American, operatic baritone and cellist had made his Met Opera debut Nov. 30, 1894, as Count di Luna in the opera house's 18th performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore.

Marcella Sembrich's second Figaro was Robert Blass (Oct. 7, 1867-Dec. 3, 1930). He sang opposite Marcella Sembrich in the 1904-1905 season. The American bass had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Nov. 13, 1900, as Hermann in the opera house's 96th performance of Tannhäuser by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Marcella Sembrich's third and last Figaro was Adamo Didur (Dec. 24, 1874-Jan. 7, 1946), who sang opposite her in the 1908-1909 season. The Polish operatic bass had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 14, 1908, as Méphistophélès in the opera house's 256th performance of Faust by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Marcella Sembrich worked with six conductors in her eight Susanna seasons. Her first season's conductor was Enrico Bevignani (Sept. 29, 1841-Aug. 29, 1903). He returned to the conductor's stand for the next season's second and fifth performances. The Italian conductor and composer had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 29, 1893, in the opera house's premiere of Gounod's Philémon et Baucis.

Her second maestro, Luigi Mancinelli (Feb. 5, 1848-Feb. 2, 1921), conducted the first, third, fourth and fifth through ninth performances in the 1899-1900 season and returned to conduct the 1902-1903 season's single performance. The Italian conductor, cellist and composer had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 27, 1893, in the opera house's 50th performance of Gounod's Faust.

Armondo Seppilli (Armando Seppilli; Aug. 19/29, 1860-Jan. 23, 1931) led the 1901-1902 season's eight performances as Marcella Sembrich's third Susanna conductor. The Italian conductor and composer had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Dec. 7, 1895, in the opera house's 28th performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore.

Felix Mottl (Aug. 24, 1856-July 2, 1911) conducted the 1903-1904 season's three performances as Marcella Sembrich's fourth Susanna maestro. The Austrian conductor and composer had made his Met Opera debut Nov. 25, 1903, in the opera house's 96th performance of Wagner's Die Walküre.

Marcella Sembrich's fifth Susanna conductor, Nahan Franko (July 23, 1861-June 7, 1930), held the baton in the 1904-1905 and 1905-1906 seasons. The American conductor and violinist had made his Met Opera debut Nov. 4, 1901, in the opera house's 181st performance of Wagner's Lohengrin.

Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860-May 18, 1911) appeared in the 1908-1909 season as Marcella Sembrich's sixth and last Susanna conductor. The Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer and conductor had made his Met Opera debut Jan. 1, 1908, in the opera house's 84th performance of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde.

The Metropolitan Opera premiere's Le Nozze di Figaro had taken place Wednesday, Jan. 31, 1894. The opera had received seven performances in its premiere season. Three performances were offered in the succeeding, 1894-1895 season.

The takeaways for Marcella Sembrich's last Met Opera performance as Mozart's Susanna are that the Polish coloratura soprano appeared in 32 performances of Le Nozze di Figaro over eight seasons; that her Susanna sang opposite three Figaros (Giuseppe Campanari, Robert Blass, Adamo Didur); and that her sixth and last Susanna conductor was Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer and conductor Gustav Mahler.

Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer and conductor Gustav Mahler conducted Marcella Sembrich's eighth and last season (1908-1909) as Mozart's Susanna: The Metropolitan Opera Guild @metropolitanoperaguild, via Facebook June 28, 2011

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Polish coloratura soprano Marcella Sembrich quoted Susanna's rose aria, "Deh, vieni, non tardar" (Le Nozze di Figaro's last act, Act IV), in an autograph dated April 27, 1915, six years two months after her last Met Opera performance: Musical Notation is Beautiful @NotationIsGreat, via Twitter Aug. 18, 2020, @ https://twitter.com/NotationIsGreat/status/1295644727505805312/photo/1

Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer and conductor Gustav Mahler conducted Marcella Sembrich's eighth and last season (1908-1909) as Mozart's Susanna: The Metropolitan Opera Guild @metropolitanoperaguild, via Facebook June 28, 2011, @ https://www.facebook.com/metropolitanoperaguild/posts/10150301794997754

For further information:

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The Sembrich @TheSembrich. "Donate today and be a part of preserving these incredible costumes! We’re almost to our goal! Every donation & share counts! https://secure.givelively.org/donate/marcella-sembrich-memorial-association-inc/help-preserve-the-sembrich-costume-collection The costume below was worn by Madame Sembrich for her portrayal of Rosina in Rossini’s 'The Barber of Seville.'" Facebook. Dec. 26, 2019.
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