Met Opera Held Die Meistersinger's U.S. Premiere Monday, Jan. 4, 1886

Summary: Met Opera held Die Meistersinger's U.S. premiere Monday, Jan. 4, 1886, as the opera house's first United States premiere of an opera by Richard Wagner.

Hungarian Wagner conductor Anton Seidl conducted the U.S. premiere of Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger, held Monday, Jan. 4, 1886, at the Metropolitan Opera House; "Anton Seidl 1888, from a photograph by Wilhelm"; H.T. Finck, Anton Seidl (1899), between pages 34 and 35: No known copyright restrictions, via Internet Archive

Met Opera staged Die Meistersinger's U.S. premiere Monday, Jan. 4, 1886, as the opera house's first United States premiere of an opera by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883).

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg ("The Master-Singers of Nuremburg") received eight performances, including the premiere, at the Metropolitan Opera House in the 1885-1886 season. The second through eighth, closing performances were held Friday, Jan. 8; Monday, Jan. 11; Saturday, Jan. 16; Friday, Jan. 29; Wednesday, Feb. 3; Saturday, Feb. 6; and Monday, Feb. 22.

Anton Seidl (May 7, 1850-March 28, 1898) conducted all eight of the opera's premiere season performances. The Hungarian Wagner conductor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 23, 1885, in the opera house's 25th performance of Wagner's Lohengrin.

Emil Fischer (June 13, 1838-Aug. 11, 1914) created the title role of historical meistersinger ("master-singer") and cobbler Hans Sachs (Nov. 5, 1494-Jan. 19, 1576) at Met Opera and sang the role in all eight performances. The German dramatic bass had made his Met Opera debut, alongside conductor Anton Seidl, Monday, Nov. 23, 1885, as King Heinrich in the opera house's 25th performance of Wagner's Lohengrin.

Auguste Seidl-Kraus (Aug. 27, 1854-July 15, 1939) created the role of Eva Pogner at Met Opera and sang Eva in all eight performances. The Austrian operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 17, 1884, as Elisabeth in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Wagner's Tannhäuser. Auguste Kraus had become the conductor's wife Friday, Feb. 29, 1884.

Albert Stritt (born Albert Friedrich Louis Stritzel; Oct. 9, 1847-Feb. 11, 1908) created Met Opera's Walther von Stolzing, a knight who becomes a meistersinger for love of Eva, and sang Walther in all eight performances. The German operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut, alongside conductor Anton Seidl and Emil Fischer's King Heinrich, Monday, Nov. 23, 1885, in the title role in the opera house's 25th performance of Wagner's Lohengrin.

Marianne Brandt (Sep. 12, 1842-July 9, 1921) created Met Opera's Magdalene and sang as Eva's companion in all eight performances. 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).

Felix Krämer created Met Opera's David, apprentice to cobbler and meistersinger Hans Sachs, and sang the tenor role in all eight performances. Felix Krämer's appearance in the opera's U.S. premiere marked his Met Opera debut.

Otto Kemlitz created Met Opera's Beckmesser, town clerk and meistersinger, and sang the tenor role in all eight performances. He had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 17, 1884, as Henrich, alongside Auguste Seidl-Kraus's Elisabeth, in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Wagner's Tannhäuser.

Philip Lehmler created Met Opera's Kothner and sang the bass role of baker-meistersinger in all eight performances. He had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Nov. 25, 1885, as Zuniga in the opera house's 11th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

The U.S. premiere's production was directed by Mr. Van Hell. The Metropolitan Opera Archives Database (MetOpera Database) does not provide Mr. Van Hell's first name in any of the 27 entries associated with him. Mr. Van Hell's Met Opera debut had coincided with that of Anton Seidl.

The production's set designer was Henry E. Hoyt. He had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 2, 1885, in the United States premiere of Die Königin von Saba by Hungarian-born Viennese composer Karl Goldmark (Károly Goldmark; May 18, 1830-Jan. 2, 1915).

Henry Dazian (May 3, 1854-May 4, 1937) was the production's costume designer. He had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Oct. 22, 1883, in the first premiere, Faust by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893) of the opera house's opening season, 1883-1884.

James Stuart Jr. was the production's lighting designer. He had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Jan. 30, 1885, in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Wagner's Die Walküre.

The takeaways for Met Opera's holding Die Meistersinger's U.S. premiere Monday, Jan. 4, 1886, are that the opera by German Romantic Era composer-librettist Richard Wagner received eight performances in the 1885-1886 season; that Hungarian Wagner maestro Anton Seidl conducted all eight performances of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; that the conductor's wife, Auguste Seidl-Kraus, created the role of Eva Pogner, who marries the meistersinger guild's newest member, at Met Opera; and that German dramatic bass Emil Fischer created the title role of the historical meistersinger and cobbler Hans Sachs at Met Opera.

The role of Die Meistersinger's Eva Pogner was created at Met Opera by Auguste Seidl-Kraus, whose husband, Hungarian Wagner conductor Anton Seidl, conducted the opera's U.S. premiere Monday, Jan. 4, 1886, at the Metropolitan Opera House; "Mrs. Seidl as Eva in 'Meistersinger' 1886, from a photograph by Falk" (Benjamin J. Falk, Oct. 14, 1853-March 19, 1925); H.T. Finck, Anton Seidl (1899), between pages 28 and 29: No known copyright restrictions, 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:

Hungarian Wagner conductor Anton Seidl conducted the U.S. premiere of Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger, held Monday, Jan. 4, 1886, at the Metropolitan Opera House; "Anton Seidl 1888, from a photograph by Wilhelm"; H.T. Finck, Anton Seidl (1899), between pages 34 and 35: No known copyright restrictions, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/cu31924022428597/page/n72/mode/1up

The role of Die Meistersinger's Eva Pogner was created at Met Opera by Auguste Seidl-Kraus, whose husband, Hungarian Wagner conductor Anton Seidl, conducted the opera's U.S. premiere Monday, Jan. 4, 1886, at the Metropolitan Opera House; "Mrs. Seidl as Eva in 'Meistersinger' 1886, from a photograph by Falk" (Benjamin J. Falk, Oct. 14, 1853-March 19, 1925); H.T. Finck, Anton Seidl (1899), between pages 28 and 29: No known copyright restrictions, via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/cu31924022428597/page/n62/mode/1up

For further information:

cl880. "Anton Seidl." Columbia University Libraries Blogs > Rare Books and Manuscript Library. Dec. 17, 2008.
Available @ https://blogs.cul.columbia.edu/rbml/2008/12/17/anton-seidl/

Clark, Peter. "From the Archives: Wagner at the Met." The Metropolitan Opera > Discover > Articles.
Available @ https://www.metopera.org/discover/archives/notes-from-the-archives/from-the-archives-wagner-at-the-met/

D'Amico, Gwen L. "Die Meistersinger, New York City, and the Metropolitan Opera: The Intersection of Art and Politics During Two World Wars". New York NY: City University of New York (CUNY), June 2016.
Available via CUNY Academic Works @ https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/1221

"Debut: Albert Stritt, Emil Fischer, Alexander Alexy, Jaro Dworsky, Carl Kaufmann, Emil Sänger, Anton Seidl, Mr. Van Hell." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 4250 Lohengrin {25} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/23/1885. Opening Night {3} Edmund C. Stanton, General Manager.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=4250

"Debuts: Anton Schott, Auguste Seidl-Kraus, Adolf Robinson, Anna Slach, Joseph Kögel, Emil Tiferro, Otto Kemlitz, Joseph Miller, Ludwig Wolf, Anna Stern, Leopold Damrosch, Wilhelm Hock." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 3000 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Tannhäuser {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/17/1884. Opening Night {2} Leopold Damrosch, General Manager.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=3000

"Debuts: Felix Krämer, Mr. Hoppe, Mr. Langer, Mr. Klaus, Mr. Anlauf." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 4530 United States Premiere Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/4/1886.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=4530

"Debuts: Italo Campanini, . . . 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: Lilli Lehmann, Carrie Goldsticker, Philip Lehmler, Max Alvary." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 4260 Carmen {11} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/25/1885.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=4260

"Debuts: Marianne Brandt, Josef Staudigl." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 3010 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Fidelio {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/19/1884.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=3010

"Debuts: Marie Krämer-Wiedl, Henry E. Hoyt." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 4300 United States Premiere Die Königin von Saba {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/2/1885.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=4300

"Debuts: Miss Kemlitz, Josef Hoffmann, Carl Doepler, James Stuart, Jr." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 3450 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Die Walküre {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/30/1885.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=3450

donna. "Auguste Seidl-Kraus." Find A Grave > Find a Grave Memorial 142058888. Jan. 31, 2015.
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Finck, Henry Theophilus. Anton Seidl, a Memorial by His Friends. New York NY: Charles Scribner's Sons, MDCCCXCIX (1899).
Available from Cornell University Library via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/cu31924022428597

h5ringer. "Anton Seidl: Conductor." h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition. Mar 3, 2009. Last updated Mar 9, 2009.
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Available @ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/73344036/anton-seidl

Marriner, Derdriu. "Die Meistersinger Is the Met's May 14, 2022, Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 9, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/05/die-meistersinger-is-mets-may-14-2022.html

"United States Premiere: Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 4530 United States Premiere Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/4/1886.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=4530