Met Opera First Staged Greek Myth of Orfeo ed Euridice in April 1885

Summary: Met Opera first staged the Greek myth of Orfeo ed Euridice in April 1885, over 136 years before the 2021-2022 season's staging of Aucoin's Eurydice.

Jules Speck's new production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice debuted in the 1909-1910 season and experienced four revivals; sets designed by French artist Paul Paquereau; S.H. Rous, The Victrola Book of Opera (1917), page 344: Internet Archive Book Images, No known copyright restrictions, via Flickr

The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Orfeo ed Euridice by German classical composer Christoph von Gluck (July 2, 1714-Nov. 15, 1787) took place Saturday, April 11, 1885, at Boston Theatre in Boston, Massachusetts, during the opera company's 1884-1885 tour. Gluck's opera was sung in German instead of the opera's original Italian libretto, which had been written by Italian librettist Ranieri de' Calzabigi (Dec. 23, 1714-July 31, 1795; death date according to King's College London's Department of Music's Mozart and Material Culture Souvenirs website). The Metropolitan Opera Archives Database (MetOpera Database) notes the German libretto's creator as unknown. Orfeo ed Euridice numbered as the 13th of 13 operas presented in the 1884-1885 season and received one performance in the opera company's second season.

Walter Damrosch (Jan. 30, 1862-Dec. 22, 1950) conducted Orfeo ed Euridice's Metropolitan Opera premiere. The German-born American conductor and composer had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Feb. 11, 1885, in the opera company's eighth performance of Tannhäuser by German Romantic era composer and librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Marianne Brandt (Sept. 12, 1842-July 9, 1921) created the opera company's trouser title role of Orfeo in the opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere. The Austrian mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 19, 1884, as Leonore in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Fidelio by German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven (bapt. Dec. 17, 1770-March 26, 1827).

Anna Slach (Nov. 12, 1855-April 20, 1903) created Met Opera's Euridice, whose death precipitates the Greek myth-inspired plot. The German operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 17, 1884, in the opera company's first season, as Venus in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Wagner's Tannhäuser.

Marie Hock created Met Opera's Amore, who contradicts the traditional Greek myth's ending by bringing Euridice back to life for Earthly reunion with Orfeo. The German operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, March 10, 1885, as Siegrune in the opera company's eighth performance of Wagner's Die Walküre.

Wilhelm Hock (April 22, 1832-1904) directed Orfeo ed Euridice's Metropolitan Opera premiere. The German director had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 17, 1884, alongside Anna Slach.

Six seasons (1885-1886 through 1890-1891) passed between the solitary performance of the opera's premiere season and its inclusion on the opera company's performance roster. Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice reappeared on the roster in the 1891-1892 season as a new production.

The first of seven new productions in Orfeo ed Euridice's Met Opera performance history debuted Wednesday, Nov. 11, 1891, in the opera company's second performance of the opera. Orfeo ed Euridice received eight performances in the 1891-1892 season. German-born operatic tenor and stage manager Theodore Habelmann (April 20, 1834-June 6, 1920) directed the new production. MetOpera Database notes that Habelmann's production ". . . utilized sets from two defunct Met productions," Merlin by Hungarian-Jewish, then Viennese composer Karl Goldmark (born Károly Goldmark; May 18, 1830-Jan. 2, 1915) and Asrael by Italian opera composer Alberto Franchetti (Sept. 18, 1860-Aug. 4, 1942). Met Opera's United States premiere of Goldmark's Merlin had taken place Monday, Jan. 3, 1887. The opera's Met Opera history of five performances was confined to its premiere season, 1886-1887. Met Opera's United States premiere of Franchetti's Asrael had been held Wednesday, Nov. 26, 1890. The opera's Met Opera history of five performances did not extend beyond the 1890-1891 season.

After a season of non-performance, Orfeo ed Euridice emerged in the 1893-1894 season as a new production under the directorship of French operatic bass and stage manager Armand Castelmary (Aug. 16, 1834-Feb. 10, 1897). Castelmary's production debuted Monday, Dec. 11, 1893, in the opera company's 10th performance of the opera. Castelmary's production received two performances in the 1893-1894 season. His production experienced its first revival, with one performance, Wednesday, Dec. 11, 1895, in the 1895-1896 season, in the opera company's 12th performance of the opera.

Thirteen seasons (1896-1897 through 1908-1909) separated the first, and only, revival of Castelmary's production and Met Opera's third new production of Orfeo ed Euridice. The opera's new staging, directed by Jules Speck, Met Opera's stage manager for French and Italian operas from 1908 to 1917, debuted Thursday, Dec. 23, 1909, in the opera company's 13th performance of the opera. Speck's production received five performances in the 1909-1910 season.

Jules Speck's production experienced four revivals, occurring over the next four successive seasons. The first revival took place, with seven performances, in the 1910-1911 season. The second revival was held, with five performances, in the 1911-1912 season. The third revival happened, with four performances, in the 1912-1913 season. The fourth, and last, revival, was offered, with four performances, in the 1913-1914 season.

After an absence of 21 seasons (1914-1915 through 1934-1935), Orfeo ed Euridice reappeared on Met Opera's performance roster. Met Opera's fourth new production of the opera debuted Friday, May 22, 1936, in the opera company's 38th performance of the opera. MetOpera Database credits Georgian-American ballet choreographer George Balanchine (Jan. 22, 1904-April 30, 1983) and Russian surrealist painter and costume and set designer Pavel Tchelitchev (Oct. 3 [Old Style: Sep. 21, 1898-July 31, 1957) as co-directors. The fourth new production's Met Opera history of two performances was confined to the 1935-1936 season.

Two seasons (1936-1937 through 1937-1938) elapsed between the opera's fourth and fifth new productions at Met Opera. Orfeo ed Euridice's fifth new production debuted Saturday, Nov. 26, 1938, in the opera company's 40th performance of the opera, under the directorship of Austrian-American opera producer Herbert Graf (April 10, 1903-April 5, 1973). Graf's production received five performances in the 1938-1939 season.

Met Opera launched five revivals of Graf's production of Orfeo ed Euridice. The first revival, with four performances, was held in the 1939-1940 season. The production experienced its second revival, with four performances, in the 1941-1942 season. The third revival took place, with five performances, in the 1954-1955 season. The fourth revival was held, with five performances, in the 1957-1958 season. The fifth, and last, revival of Met Opera's fifth new production of Orfeo ed Euridice occurred, with five performances, in the 1961-1962 season.

MetOpera Database lists the fifth production's fourth and fifth revival directors as American opera and stage director Nathaniel Merrill (Feb. 8, 1927-Sept. 9, 2008) and Michael Manuel (Sep. 9, 1928-April 5, 1999), respectively. The fifth production's sets and costumes are credited to Graf's production team designers, Czech production designer Harry Horner (July 24, 1910-Dec. 5, 1994) and American production designer Frank Bevan (Dec. 9, 1903-Nov. 22, 1976), respectively.

Eight seasons elapsed between the fifth production's fifth revival and Met Opera's sixth new production of Orfeo ed Euridice. The sixth new production debuted Friday, Sep. 25, 1970, in the opera company's 68th performance of the opera, under the directorship of Slovenian-born Croatian choreographer and stage director Milko Sparemblek (Šparemblek; born Dec. 1, 1928). Sparemblek's production received 10 performances in the 1970-1971 season.

After skipping a season (1971-1972), Sparemblek's production experienced its first, and only, revival in the 1972-1973 season. The sixth production's first revival received five performances.

Thirty-three seasons of non-performance passed between the sixth production's first revival and Met Opera's seventh, and most recent, new production. Met Opera debuted the seventh new production Wednesday, May 2, 2007, in the opera company's 83rd performance of the opera, under the directorship of American choreographer, dancer and director Mark Morris (born Aug. 29, 1956). The seventh new production received four performances in the 2006-2007 season.

After a season's skip (2007-2008), Morris's production experienced its first revival in the 2008-2009 season. The first revival received seven performances.

After another skipped season (2009-2010), the seventh production's second revival took place. The second revival received five performances in the 2010-2011 season.

Eight seasons of nonperformance (2011-2012 through 2018-2019) succeeded the second revival. The seventh production's third revival was held in the 2019-2020 season. The third revival offered seven autumn performances in the 2019-2020 season.

As Met Opera's first staging of the Greek myth of Orpheus and Euridice, Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice, with its happy ending, has appeared in, disappeared from and reappeared in the opera company's active repertory. Between the opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere in the 1994-1885 season and its last performance in the 2019-2020 season, Orfeo ed Euridice claims seven Met Opera productions, comprising the premiere and seven new productions.

Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice revisits the myth as Met Opera's third Orpheus-and-Eurydice-themed opera in its Metropolitan Opera premiere Tuesday, Nov. 23, 2021, 2021-2022 season. The opera company's United States premiere of its second opera about the death-separated couple, L'Orfeo by Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi (May 9, 1567-Nov. 29, 1643), took place Sunday, April 14, 1912, in the 1911-1912 season. L'Orfeo's Met Opera history has been confined to the premiere's solitary performance.

The takeaways for April 1885 as Met Opera's first staging of the Greek myth of Orfeo ed Euridice are that Gluck's happily ending opera premiered in the opera company's second season, and received its most recent performance in the 2019-2020 season; that Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice's premiere staging plus seven new productions account for eight Met Opera productions of the opera; that approximately 136 years seven and one-half months separate the Metropolitan Opera premieres of Orfeo ed Euridice and Eurydice; and that about 109 years seven and one-third months separate the opera company's second and third operas about the death-themed myth.

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Met Opera's most recent production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice debuted in the 2006-2007 season, under the directorship of Mark Morris and experienced first, second and third revivals in seasons 2008-2009, 2010-2011 and 2019-2020, respectively; sets designed by Allen Moyer, costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, lighting by James F. Ingalls and choreography by Mark Morris: Hempstead Library @Hempstead_PL, via Twitter June 3, 2020

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Jules Speck's new production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice debuted in the 1909-1910 season and experienced four revivals; sets designed by French artist Paul Paquereau; S.H. Rous, The Victrola Book of Opera (1917), page 344: Internet Archive Book Images, No known copyright restrictions, via Flickr @ https://www.flickr.com/photos/internetarchivebookimages/14761421784/in/photolist-ouzs3B-ouq9q9; via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/victrolabookofop00vict/page/344/mode/1up; via Wikimedia Commons @ https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gluck_-_Orfeo_ed_Euridice,_act_II_-_Elysium_-_Lande_-_The_Victrola_book_of_the_opera.jpg

Met Opera's most recent production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice debuted in the 2006-2007 season, under the directorship of Mark Morris and experienced first, second and third revivals in seasons 2008-2009, 2010-2011 and 2019-2020, respectively; sets designed by Allen Moyer, costumes by Isaac Mizrahi, lighting by James F. Ingalls and choreography by Mark Morris: Hempstead Library @Hempstead_PL, via Twitter June 3, 2020, @ https://twitter.com/Hempstead_PL/status/1268232262312697861

For further information:

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