Marcella Sembrich Made Last Met Opera Appearance Feb. 6, 1909

Summary: Polish coloratura soprano Marcella Sembrich made her last Met Opera appearance Saturday, Feb. 6, 1909, in a farewell ceremony celebrating her 25th anniversary at the opera house.

Marcella Sembrich created Met Opera's Rosina in the opera house's inaugural season premiere of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and then reprised the role for nine more seasons; she sang Rosina in her 25th anniversary, farewell gala at Met Opera Saturday, Feb. 6, 1909; ca. 1898 photograph of Marcella Sembrich as Rosina by Belgian-born American photographer and sculptor Aimé Dupont (Dec. 6, 1841-Feb. 16, 1900), Library of Congress (LOC) Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.: LOC Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC), Public Domain, via LOC

Marcella Sembrich made her last Met Opera appearance Saturday, Feb. 6, 1909, in farewell ceremonies celebrating her 25th anniversary at the opera house.

The Metropolitan Opera House's farewell gala for Marcella Sembrich (Feb. 15, 1858-Jan. 11, 1935) took place two days after the Polish coloratura soprano's last Met Opera performance. She sang Susanna Thursday, Feb. 4, in the opera house's 45th performance of Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). 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 sang three roles in the farewell gala. She appeared first as Donizetti's Norina, secondly as Rossini's Rosina and lastly as Verdi's Violetta.

The gala presented Act I, scene 2 of Don Pasquale by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848). In the scene set on Norina's terrace, the young widow (Marcella Sembrich) agrees to impersonate the non-existent sister of Dr. Malatesta, sung by Antonio Scotti (Jan. 25, 1866-Feb. 26, 1936). The Italian baritone had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 15, 1899, as the Count de Nevers in the opera house's 78th performance of Les Huguenots by German Jewish opera composer Giacomo Meyerbeer (Sept. 5, 1791-May 2, 1864).

The gala's second vignette came from the Music Lesson scene of Act II of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by 19th-century Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868). Giuseppe Campanari (Nov. 17, 1855-May 31, 1927) sang opposite Marcella Sembrich in the title role of Figaro the barber. He had appeared in six seasons with Marcella Sembrich as the first of her three Figaros in Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-June 3, 1875). The first Italian, then American, operatic baritone and cellist had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 30, 1894, as Count di Luna in the opera house's 18th performance of Il Trovatore by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Alessandro Bonci (Feb. 10, 1870-Aug. 9, 1940) sang Count Almaviva, disguised as music teacher Don Alonso. The Italian lyric tenor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 22, 1907, as the Duke of Mantua in the opera house's 52nd performance of Verdi's Rigoletto.

The Metropolitan Opera Archives Database (MetOpera Database) notes that, in the Lesson Scene, Marcella Sembrich sang Don Pasquale's Act II Duet, "Voci di primavera," with Alessandro Bonci, La Sonnambula's "Ah non giunge" and Chopin's "A Maiden's Wish" with her own piano accompaniment.

Also appearing in the vignette were Concetto Paterna as scheming Dr. Bartolo, Marie Mattfeld as Dr. Bartolo's housekeeper and Adamo Didur as Rosina's music teacher Don Basilio. Italian buffo bass Concetto Paterna (1870-?1940) had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Nov. 17, 1908, as Alcindoro in the opera house's 64th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). American mezzo-soprano Marie Mattfeld (1870-1927) made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, April 11, 1906, in the title trouser role of Hänsel in the opera house's 16th performance of Hänsel und Gretel by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (Sept. 1, 1854-Sept. 27, 1921).

Adamo Didur (Dec. 24, 1874-Jan. 7, 1946) had been singing opposite Marcella Sembrich in the 1908-1909 season as her third and last Figaro. The Polish operatic bass had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 14, 1908, as in the opera house's 256th performance of Faust by 19th-century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

The last vignette, Act I of Verdi's La Traviata, marked Marcella Sembrich's last Met Opera appearance. Enrico Caruso (Feb. 25, 1873-Aug. 2, 1921) sang Violetta's beloved Alfredo. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 23, 1903, as the Duke of Mantua, with Marcella Sembrich as Gilda, in the opera house's 35th performance of Verdi's Rigoletto.

Geraldine Farrar (Feb. 28, 1882-March 11, 1967) sang Violetta's friend Flora. The American lyric soprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 26, 1906, in the title role of Juliette in the opera house's 102nd performance of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.

Angelo Badà (May 27, 1876-March 23, 1941) sang Alfredo's friend Gastone. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 16, 1908, as the Messenger in Verdi's Aida.

Pasquale Amato (March 21, 1878-Aug. 12, 1942) sang Flora's lover, Marquis d'Obigny. The Italian operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 20, 1908, as Germont in the opera house's 67th performance of Verdi's La Traviata.

Antonio Scotti and Adamo Didur sang dual roles in the gala ceremony. Antonio Scotti sang Violetta's former lover, Baron Douphol, and Adamo Didur sang Violetta's physician, Dr. Grenvil.

Francesco Spetrino (July 2, 1857-July 27, 1948) conducted the three vignettes. The Italian conductor and composer had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 14, 1908, in the opera house's 256th performance of Gounod's Faust.

The production director was Jules Speck, Met Opera's stage manager for French and Italian operas from 1908 to 1917. He also had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 14, 1908, in the opera house's 256th performance of Gounod's Faust.

The Act III March from Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro was conducted by Gustav Mahler (July 7, 1860-May 18, 1911). The Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer and conductor had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Jan. 1, 1908, in the opera house's 84th performance of Tristan und Isolde by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883). Maestro Mahler had been the conductor of Marcella Sembrich's last six Susanna performances in the 1908-1909 season.

The takeaways for Marcella Sembrich's last Met Opera appearance Feb. 6, 1909, are that, in the Metropolitan Opera House's gala farewell celebrating the Polish coloratura soprano's 25th Met Opera anniversary, Marcella Sembrich appeared in three vignettes as Donizetti's Norina, Rossini's Rosina and Verdi's Violetta; and that the gala's Act III March from Mozart's Il Barbiere di Siviglia was conducted by Gustav Mahler, who had conducted the soprano's last six Met Opera performances.

Marcella Sembrich gave her last Met Opera performance Feb. 4, 1909; two days later, on Saturday, Feb. 6, the opera house celebrated the Polish coloratura soprano's 25th anniversary and last Met Opera appearance in a farewell gala; photograph of Marcella Sembrich by Belgian-born American photographer and sculptor Aimé Dupont (Dec. 6, 1841-Feb. 16, 1900), in The World's Work, vol. XVII, no. 6 (April 1909), page 11406: 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:

Marcella Sembrich created Met Opera's Rosina in the opera house's inaugural season premiere of Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia and then reprised the role for nine more seasons; she sang Rosina in her 25th anniversary, farewell gala at Met Opera Saturday, Feb. 6, 1909; ca. 1898 photograph of Marcella Sembrich as Rosina by Belgian-born American photographer and sculptor Aimé Dupont (Dec. 6, 1841-Feb. 16, 1900), Library of Congress (LOC) Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C.: LOC Prints & Photographs Online Catalog (PPOC), Public Domain, via LOC @ https://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003665643/

Marcella Sembrich gave her last Met Opera performance Feb. 4, 1909; two days later, on Saturday, Feb. 6, the opera house celebrated the Polish coloratura soprano's 25th anniversary and last Met Opera appearance in a farewell gala; photograph of Marcella Sembrich by Belgian-born American photographer and sculptor Aimé Dupont (Dec. 6, 1841-Feb. 16, 1900), in The World's Work, vol. XVII, no. 6 (April 1909), page 11406: via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/stream/worldswork17gard#page/11406/mode/1up

For further information:

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=37620

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Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=42050

"Debuts: Adamo Didur, Jean Noté, Paolo Ananian, Francesco Spetrino, Jules Speck." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 42000 Faust {256} Academy of Music, New York, Brooklyn: 11/14/1908.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=42000

"Debuts: Emmy Destinn, Giulio Rossi, Angelo Badà, Lenora Sparkes, Gina Torriani, Arturo Toscanini, Mario Sala, Angels." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 42010 New Production Aida {126} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/16/1908. (Opening Night {24} Giulio Gatti-Casazza, General Manager.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=42010

"Debuts: Enrico Caruso, Ellen Förnsen, Arturo Vigna, Karl Schroeder, Baruch & Co." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 32000 New production Rigoletto {35} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/23/1903. (Opening Night {19} Heinrich Conried, General Manager.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=32000

"Debuts: Geraldine Farrar, Charles Rousselière, Jules-Charles Simard." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 38000 Roméo et Juliette {102} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/26/1906. (Opening Night {22} Heinrich Conried, General Manager.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=38000

"Debuts: Isabelle L'Huillier, Concetto Paterna, Edoardo Missiano." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 42020 La Bohème {64} Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 11/17/1908.
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