Queena Mario Sang Gretel in Met Opera's First Broadcast, Dec. 25, 1931

Summary: Queena Mario sang Gretel in Met Opera's first full broadcast, Friday, Dec. 25, 1931, an event inaugurating the opera house's weekly radio matinees.

On Friday, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1931, NBC aired Humperdink's "Hänsel und Gretel" as the first complete broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera; pictured (left to right) NBC President Merle H. Aylesworth, Deems Taylor, Karl Riedel (Conductor), Henrietta Wakefield (Gertrud), Editha Fleischer (Hänsel), Queena Mario (Gretel), Gustav Schuzendorf (Peter), Pearl Besuner (Dew Fairy), Giulio Gatti-Casazza (General Manager); photograph by assistant Met Opera conductor Carlo Edwards (1891-Jan. 15, 1948): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook March 19, 2012

Queena Mario sang Gretel in Met Opera's first full broadcast, Friday, Dec. 25, 1931, an event that launched the opera house's popular form of weekly outreach, currently close to its ninth decade of presentations.

On Friday, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1931, the National Broadcasting Company (NBC) aired Hänsel und Gretel by German composer Engelbert Humperdinck (Sept. 1, 1854-Sept. 27, 1921) as the Metropolitan Opera's first full radio matinee broadcast. The matinee presentation numbered as the third of the 1931-1932 season's five performances of Humperdinck's fairy tale opera and as the opera house's 125th performance of Hänsel und Gretel.

Karl (Carl) Riedel (Oct. 6, 1827-June 3, 1888) conducted Hänsel und Gretel during the broadcast. The German conductor and composer had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 20, 1929, in the opera house's 368th performance of Lohengrin by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Maestro Riedel's appearance in the radio broadcast marked his eighth conductorship of Hänsel und Gretel at the opera house. His first Met Opera conductorship of the Humperdinck opera had taken place Thursday, Feb. 27, 1930, in the opera's 114th Met Opera performance. His 23rd and last Met Opera Hänsel und Gretel conductorship occurred Monday, Dec. 26, 1938, in the opera's 140th Met Opera performance, which also registered as his last Met Opera performance.

Queena Mario, stage name of Queena Marian Tillotson (Aug. 21, 1896-May 28, 1951), sang Gretel in the radio matinee broadcast. The American lyric soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Nov. 30, 1922, as Micaela in the opera house's 277th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Queena Mario's appearance as the radio broadcast's Gretel marked her 29th Met Opera performance of the role and her fifth season as Met Opera's Gretel. She sang her first Met Opera Gretel on Saturday, Nov. 5, 1927, for the opera house's 93rd Hänsel und Gretel performance. Her last Met Opera Gretel performance, which took place Monday, Dec. 26, 1938, numbered as her 43rd appearance in the Met Opera role, marked her 12th Met Opera season as Gretel and registered as her last Met Opera performance.

Editha Fleischer (April 5, 1898-1957?) sang Hänsel in the opera house's first radio matinee broadcast. The German operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 6, 1926, as the First Lady in the opera house's 62nd performance of Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Editha Fleischer's radio matinee Hänsel marked her 22nd Met Opera appearance in the opera with Queena Mario and her 26th Met Opera performance as Hänsel. She added Hänsel to her Met Opera portfolio on Saturday, Nov. 5, 1927, the date of Queena Mario's first Met Opera Gretel. Editha Fleischer's last Met Opera performance as Hänsel took place Saturday, Feb. 8, 1936, in the opera house's 136th performance of Hänsel und Gretel. Her last Met Opera Hänsel performance marked her 31st appearance with Queena Mario's Gretel and her 36th Met Opera performance as Hänsel.

Henriette Wakefield (1878-Oct. 23, 1974) appeared as Gertrud, Hänsel and Gretel's mother, in the NBC radio matinee broadcast. The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Jan. 18, 1907, as a Youth in the opera house's premiere of Manon Lescaut by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Henriette Wakefield's radio matinee Gertrud numbered as the 30th of her 38 Met Opera appearances in the role. She added Gertrud to her Met Opera portfolio on Saturday, Nov. 5, 1927, the date of Queena Mario's first Met Opera Gretel and Editha Fleischer's first Met Opera Hänsel. She sang her 38th and last Met Opera Gertrud on Tuesday, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1934, during the opera house's 134th performance of the fairy tale opera.

Gertrud was one of Henriette Wakefield's three Met Opera Hänsel und Gretel roles. She claimed the Sandman as her first Met Opera Hänsel und Gretel role on Thursday, April 22, 1909, in the opera's 40th performance at the opera house. She tallied 14 Sandman appearances, with her 14th and last Met Opera Sandman being sung Thursday, March 7, 1912, in the opera's 67th Met Opera performance. She added her third Met Opera Hänsel und Gretel role, as the Witch, on Tuesday, April 8, 1930, in the opera house's 116th Hänsel und Gretel performance. She sang her second and last Humperdinck Witch on Friday, Dec. 30, 1932, during the opera's 129th Met Opera performance.

Gustav Schützendorf (1883-April 27, 1937) sang the radio matinee broadcast's Peter, the children's father. The German baritone had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 17, 1922, as Faninal in the opera house's 28th performance of Der Rosenkavalier by German composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949).

Gustav Schützendorf's radio broadcasted Peter numbered as the 22nd of his 29 Met Opera appearances in the role. He had added Peter to his Met Opera portfolio on Saturday, Nov. 5, 1927, the date of Queena Mario's first Met Opera Gretel and Editha Fleischer's first Met Opera Hänsel. He sang his 29th and last Met Opera Peter on Tuesday, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1934, in the opera's 134th Met Opera performance.

Dorothee Manski (March 11, 1895-Feb. 24, 1967) sang the Witch in Met Opera's first radio matinee broadcast. The German-born American operatic soprano reprised the role in which she had made her Met Opera debut, Saturday, Nov. 5, 1927, in the opera's 93rd Met Opera performance.

Dorothee Manski claimed her 32nd Met Opera Humperdinck Witch performance in the opera house's first radio matinee broadcast. She sang her Met Opera debut role in 46 performances. She offered her 46th and last Met Opera Humperdinck Witch on Monday, Dec. 26, 1938, in the opera's 140th Met Opera performance. Her last Humperdinck Witch appearance at the opera house coincided with the last Met Opera performances by conductor Karl Riedel and Queena Mario.

Dorothea Flexer (1901-1989) sang the radio broadcast's Sandman. The American contralto had made her Met Opera debut March 5, 1926, as Madelon in the opera house's 32nd performance of Andrea Chénier by Italian verismo (“realism”) composer Umberto Giordano (Aug. 28, 1867-Nov. 12, 1948).

Dorothea Flexer's radio-broadcasted Sandman numbered as her 17th Met Opera performance in the role. She had added Humperdinck's Sandman to her Met Opera portfolio on Saturday, April 7, 1928, in the opera's 102nd Met Opera performance. She sang her 24th and last Met Opera Humperdinck Sandman on Saturday, Feb. 8, 1936, during the opera's 136th Met Opera performance.

Pearl Besuner (Nov. 4, 1901- Oct. 2, 1991) appeared as the Dew Fairy in Met Opera's first full opera radio broadcast. The American operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Dec. 1, 1928, as Siebel in the opera house's 369th performance of Faust by 19th-century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

Pearl Besuner's radio-broadcasted Dew Fairy was sung in her third Met Opera performance in the role. She had added the Dew Fairy to her Met Opera portfolio on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 1931, in the opera's 123rd Met Opera performance. Her Met Opera Dew Fairy career comprised 14 performances. She sang her 14th and last Met Opera Dew Fairy on Monday, Dec. 26, 1938, in the opera's 140th Met Opera performance, which also marked last Met Opera performances by Karl Riedel and Queena Mario.

The next day, Saturday, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1931, NBC aired Acts III and IV of Norma by 19th-century Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (Nov. 3, 1801-Sept. 23, 1835). Norma marked the first Saturday matinee broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera and also commemorated the 100th anniversary of the opera's first production, Monday, Dec. 26, 1831, at Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Lombardy region, north central Italy.

The takeaways for Queena Mario as Gretel in Met Opera's first broadcast, Friday, Dec. 25, 1931, are that the event launched the first season of the opera house's still active, popular weekly outreach; that the radio matinee broadcast captured Hänsel und Gretel's third 1931-1932 season performance and 125th career Met Opera performance; that Queena Mario (Gretel), Editha Fleischer (Hänsel), Gustav Schützendorf (Peter) and Henriette Wakefield (Gertrud) reprised roles added to their Met Opera portfolios on the same date, Saturday, Nov. 5, 1927; that Henriette Wakefield's Gertrud was the second of three Hänsel und Gretel roles in her Met Opera portfolio; and that airing of the last two acts of Bellini's Norma on the next day, Dec. 26, 1931, marked the opera house's first Saturday broadcast.

NBC's second Met Opera radio broadcast, on Saturday, Dec. 26, 1931, aired the last two acts of Bellini's Norma, with American operatic soprano Rosa Ponselle (Jan. 22, 1897-May 25, 1981) in the 28th of her 29 Met Opera performances of the title role: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter May 25, 2017

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

On Friday, Christmas Day, Dec. 25, 1931, NBC aired Humperdink's "Hänsel und Gretel" as the first complete broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera; pictured (left to right) NBC President Merle H. Aylesworth, Deems Taylor, Karl Riedel (Conductor), Henrietta Wakefield (Gertrud), Editha Fleischer (Hänsel), Queena Mario (Gretel), Gustav Schuzendorf (Peter), Pearl Besuner (Dew Fairy), Giulio Gatti-Casazza (General Manager); photograph by assistant Met Opera conductor Carlo Edwards (1891-Jan. 15, 1948): The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook March 19, 2012, @ https://www.facebook.com/20807115532/posts/10151394147405533/

NBC's second Met Opera radio broadcast, on Saturday, Dec. 26, 1931, aired the last two acts of Bellini's Norma, with American operatic soprano Rosa Ponselle (Jan. 22, 1897-May 25, 1981) in the 28th of her 29 Met Opera performances of the title role: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter May 25, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/867837992756363264

For further information:

Arakelyan, Ashot. "Gustav Schützendorf (Baritone) (b Cologne, 1883; d Berlin, 27 April 1937)." Forgotten Opera Singers. Aug 8, 2015.
Available @ http://forgottenoperasingers.blogspot.com/2015/08/gustav-schutzendorf-baritone-b-cologne.html

Browner, Christopher. "Spirit of Radio." The Metropolitan Opera > Discover > Articles.
Available @ https://www.metopera.org/discover/articles/spirit-of-radio/

"Debut: Dorothea Flexer." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 92660 Andrea Chénier {32} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/5/1926.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=92660

"Debut: Editha Fleischer." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 94060 New production Die Zauberflöte {62} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/6/1926.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=94060

"Debut: Karl Riedel." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 103310 Lohengrin {368} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/20/1929.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=103310

"Debut: Pearl Besuner." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 100450 Faust {369} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/1/1928.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=100450

"Debut: Queena Mario." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 82200 Carmen {277} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/30/1922.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=82200

"Debuts: Freida Altmann, Miriam Cardoza, Margaret Dunlap, Anna Gress, Margaret Sumner, Henriette Wakefield." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 38550 Metropolitan Opera Premiere In the presence of the composer Manon Lescaut {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/18/1907.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=38550

"Debuts: Mildred Parisette, Dorothee Manski." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 97060 United States Premiere (Violanta) New Production (Hänsel und Gretel) Violanta {1} Hänsel und Gretel {93} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1927. (United States Premiere).
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=97060

"Debuts: Paul Bender, Gustav Schützendorf, Muriel Tindal, Augusto Monti, Wilhelm von Wymetal." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 82040 Der Rosenkavalier {28} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/17/1922.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=82040

Marriner, Derdriu. "Anima Allegra's 10th, Last Met Opera Performance Was March 28, 1924." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 3, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/05/anima-allegras-10th-last-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Queena Mario Sang Her 10th and Last Met Opera Juliette on Feb. 3, 1933." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 10, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/05/queena-mario-sang-her-10th-and-last-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Queena Mario Sang Her 43rd and Last Met Opera Gretel on Dec. 26, 1938." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 17, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/05/queena-mario-sang-her-43rd-and-last-met.html

"Matinee Broadcast Acts III, IV Norma." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 109700 Norma {34} Matinee Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/26/1931. Broadcast (Broadcast [Acts III, IV]).
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=109700

"Matinee Broadcast: Hänsel und Gretel." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 109680 Hänsel und Gretel {125} Pagliacci {304} Matinee Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/25/1931. Broadcast December 25, 1931 Matinee Broadcast.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=109680

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "First Matinee Broadcast December 25, 1931 NBC broadcasts Humperdink's 'Hänsel und Gretel', the first complete broadcast from the Metropolitan Opera." Facebook. March 19, 2012.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/20807115532/posts/10151394147405533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "#TBT This 1931 performance of Hänsel und Gretel marked the Met's first Saturday matinee radio broadcast. Hansel and Gretel returns in an English-language, holiday presentation this December. bit.ly/2vwlxbQ Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera Archives." Facebook. Aug. 3, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/10159249548425533

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "#TBT To the 1927 production of Norma starring Rosa Ponselle. Bellini's Norma opens the 17-18 season on 9/25. More: http://bit.ly/2qkjAZX." Twitter. May 25, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/867837992756363264

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "#TBT To the 1927 production of Bellini’s Norma starring soprano Rosa Ponselle in the title role. The 17–18 season opens on Sept. 25 with a new production of Norma starring Sondra Radvanovsky and Joyce DiDonato. bit.ly/2qkjAZX. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Opera Archives." Facebook. May 25, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10158858118580533/?type=3

"Metropolitan Opera Premiere: Hänsel und Gretel." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 36030 Metropolitan Opera Premiere in the presence of the composer Hänsel und Gretel {1} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/25/1905.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=360300

"New Production Hänsel und Gretel." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 97060 United States Premiere (Violanta) New Production (Hänsel und Gretel) Violanta {1} Hänsel und Gretel {93} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1927. (United States Premiere).
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=97060

warren smith. "Pearl Besuner." Find A Grave > Find A Grave Memorial 106677477. March 13, 2013.
Available @ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/106677477/pearl-besuner