Philadelphia Opera Company
Encyclopedia
The Philadelphia Opera Company was the name of two different American
opera
companies active during the twentieth century in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
. The first company was founded by impresario
Oscar Hammerstein I
in 1908. That company disbanded only two years later as a result of financial problems. The second company was founded by conductor Sylvan Levin
in 1938 and was active for six years before it too closed due to financial reasons in 1944.
was built over the course of just a few months at 858 North Broad Street
. The structure was built specifically for Hammerstein's latest artistic venture, his new opera company, the Philadelphia Opera Company (POC).
The opera house officially opened on November 17, 1908 with a production of Georges Bizet
's Carmen
for the opening of the POC's first season. The cast included Maria Labia
in the title role, Charles Dalmorès
as Don José, Andrés de Segurola
as Escamillo, Alice Zeppilli
as Micaëla, and Cleofonte Campanini
conducting. At that time the Philadelphia Opera House was the largest theater of its kind in the world, seating more than 4,000 people. The POC continued to use the house for their productions through March of 1910. The company's last performance at the house was of Giuseppe Verdi
's Rigoletto
of March 23, 1910 with Giovanni Polese
in the title role, Lalla Miranda
as Gilda, Orville Harrold
as the Duke of Mantua, and Giuseppe Sturani
conducting.
On April 26, 1910, Arthur Hammerstein
, with his father’s power of attorney, sold the Philadelphia Opera House to the Metropolitan Opera
. The theater was renamed the Metropolitan Opera House at this time. The Met, which had frequently toured to Philadelphia annually with performances at the Academy of Music
, had been the POC's biggest competition for opera audiences. In spite of two sold-out seasons of grand opera for the POC, Hammerstein ran into debt and had to sell his highly popular opera house to his competitor.
Notable singers to have performed with the POC during its short history include Lina Cavalieri
, Armand Crabbé
, Giuseppe de Grazia, David Devriès
, Hector Dufranne
, Minnie Egener
, Mary Garden
, Alice Gentle
, Jeanne Gerville-Réache
, Charles Gilibert, Gustave Huberdeau
, John McCormack, Carmen Melis
, Maurice Renaud
, Mario Sammarco
, Marguerite Sylva
, Emma Trentini
, Emilio Venturini
, Giovanni Zenatello
, and Nicola Zerola
.
founded the second Philadelphia Opera Company, serving as its artistic director and principal conductor for the next six years. The company mounted almost all of its productions at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia until its last season when it staged it productions at the Erlanger Theatre. The POC's first performance was of Giacomo Puccini
's La bohème
on January 19, 1939 with Barbara Thorne as Mimì, Fritz Krueger as Rodolfo, Frank Cappelli as Marcello, Frances Greer
as Musetta, and Levin conducting. The company's last performance was of Johann Strauss II
's Die Fledermaus
on February 18, 1944 with Robert Stuart as Alfred, Jayne Cozzens as Adele, Helena Bliss
as Rosalinde, and Joseph Laderoute as Gabriel von Eisenstein. Highlights in the POC's performance history were the first staged production of Gian Carlo Menotti
's The Old Maid and the Thief
in February 1941, and the world premiere of Deems Taylor
's Ramuntcho on February 10, 1942.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
companies active during the twentieth century in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
. The first company was founded by impresario
Impresario
An impresario is a person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays or operas; analogous to a film producer in filmmaking, television production and an angel investor in business...
Oscar Hammerstein I
Oscar Hammerstein I
Oscar Hammerstein I was a businessman, theater impresario and composer in New York City. His passion for opera led him to open several opera houses, and he rekindled opera's popularity in America...
in 1908. That company disbanded only two years later as a result of financial problems. The second company was founded by conductor Sylvan Levin
Sylvan Levin
Sylvan Levin was an American concert pianist and conductor. He notably served as the assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Symphony under Leopold Stokowski for many years...
in 1938 and was active for six years before it too closed due to financial reasons in 1944.
Hammerstein's Philadelphia Opera Company: 1908-1910
In 1907 Oscar Hammerstein I hired architect William H. McElfatrick of the firm J.B. McElfatrick & Son to design a new opera house for the city of Philadelphia. The plans were approved and in 1908 the Philadelphia Opera HouseMetropolitan Opera House (Philadelphia)
The Metropolitan Opera House is a historic opera house located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at 858 North Broad Street. Built over the course of just a few months in 1908, it was the ninth opera house built by impresario Oscar Hammerstein I. It was initially the home of Hammerstein's Philadelphia...
was built over the course of just a few months at 858 North Broad Street
Broad Street (Philadelphia)
Broad Street is a major arterial street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and is nearly 13 miles long.It is Pennsylvania Route 611 along its entire length with the exception of its northernmost part between Old York Road and Pennsylvania Route 309 and the southernmost part south of Interstate 95...
. The structure was built specifically for Hammerstein's latest artistic venture, his new opera company, the Philadelphia Opera Company (POC).
The opera house officially opened on November 17, 1908 with a production of Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet
Georges Bizet formally Alexandre César Léopold Bizet, was a French composer, mainly of operas. In a career cut short by his early death, he achieved few successes before his final work, Carmen, became one of the most popular and frequently performed works in the entire opera repertory.During a...
's Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
for the opening of the POC's first season. The cast included Maria Labia
Maria Labia
Maria Labia was an Italian operatic soprano who was particularly associated with roles of the verisimo repertoire.-Career:...
in the title role, Charles Dalmorès
Charles Dalmorès
Charles Dalmorès was a French tenor. He enjoyed an international operatic career, singing to public and critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic during the first two decades of the 20th century.-Biography:...
as Don José, Andrés de Segurola
Andrés de Segurola
Andrés Perelló de Segurola was a Spanish operatic bass who performed as Andrés de Segurola.-Biography:...
as Escamillo, Alice Zeppilli
Alice Zeppilli
Alice Zeppilli was a French operatic soprano of Italian heritage who had an active international singing career from 1901 to 1930. The pinnacle of her career was in the United States where she enjoyed great popularity between 1906 and 1914; particularly in the cities of Chicago, New York, and...
as Micaëla, and Cleofonte Campanini
Cleofonte Campanini
Cleofonte Campanini was an Italian conductor. His brother was the tenor Italo Campanini.Born in Parma, Campanini studied music at that city's conservatory, making his debut with a performance of Carmen, also in Parma, in 1883...
conducting. At that time the Philadelphia Opera House was the largest theater of its kind in the world, seating more than 4,000 people. The POC continued to use the house for their productions through March of 1910. The company's last performance at the house was of Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
's Rigoletto
Rigoletto
Rigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
of March 23, 1910 with Giovanni Polese
Giovanni Polese
Giovanni Polese was an Italian operatic baritone who had an active international singing career from 1894-1928. He achieved the height of his success in the United States in the years 1908-1916 in the cities of Boston, Chicago, New York, and Philadelphia, and again from 1926-1928 in Chicago...
in the title role, Lalla Miranda
Lalla Miranda
Lalla Miranda was an Australian coloratura soprano who was primarily active in Belgium, France, and Great Britain. Born in Melbourne, she was the daughter of opera singers David Miranda and Annetta Hirst and the older sister of opera singer Beatrice Miranda. After studies in London and Paris, she...
as Gilda, Orville Harrold
Orville Harrold
Orville Harrold was an American operatic tenor and musical theatre actor. He began his career in 1906 as a performer in operettas in New York City, and was also seen during his early career in cabaret, musical theatre, and vaudeville performances...
as the Duke of Mantua, and Giuseppe Sturani
Giuseppe Sturani
Giuseppe Sturani was an Italian conductor who was known for his work in the field of opera. Born in Ancona, Sturani worked as a conductor at La Fenice in Venice and the Teatro Regio in Turin before moving to the United States in 1908 to join the conducting staffs of two opera companies opperated...
conducting.
On April 26, 1910, Arthur Hammerstein
Arthur Hammerstein
Arthur Hammerstein , was the son of Oscar Hammerstein I and uncle of Oscar Hammerstein II, was an opera producer and one of the writers of the song "Because of You," a major hit for Tony Bennett in 1951. Hammerstein wrote the song in 1940. It was used in the film I Was an American Spy...
, with his father’s power of attorney, sold the Philadelphia Opera House to the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
. The theater was renamed the Metropolitan Opera House at this time. The Met, which had frequently toured to Philadelphia annually with performances at the Academy of Music
Academy of Music (Philadelphia)
The Academy of Music, also known as American Academy of Music, is a concert hall and opera house located at Broad and Locust Streets in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was built in 1857 and is the oldest opera house in the United States that is still used for its original purpose...
, had been the POC's biggest competition for opera audiences. In spite of two sold-out seasons of grand opera for the POC, Hammerstein ran into debt and had to sell his highly popular opera house to his competitor.
Notable singers to have performed with the POC during its short history include Lina Cavalieri
Lina Cavalieri
Lina Cavalieri was an Italian operatic soprano and diseuse known for her grace and beauty.-Biography:...
, Armand Crabbé
Armand Crabbé
Armand Crabbé was a Belgian operatic baritone. In 1904 he made his professional opera debut at La Monnaie as the Nightwatchman in Richard Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. He was a leading performer at the Royal Opera House in London from 1906-1914 and again in 1937...
, Giuseppe de Grazia, David Devriès
David Devriès
David Devriès was a French operatic lyric tenor noted for his light, heady tone, and polished phrasing...
, Hector Dufranne
Hector Dufranne
Hector Dufranne was a Belgian operatic bass-baritone who enjoyed a long career that took him to opera houses throughout Europe and the United States for more than four decades...
, Minnie Egener
Minnie Egener
Minnie Egener was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. She made her professional opera debut in 1904 at the Metropolitan Opera as one of the flower maidens in Richard Wagner's Parsifal. In 1906 she moved to Italy and spent the next several years performing in operas with various theaters throughout...
, Mary Garden
Mary Garden
Mary Garden , was a Scottish operatic soprano with a substantial career in France and America in the first third of the 20th century...
, Alice Gentle
Alice Gentle
Alice Gentle was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. She began her career in 1908 as a member of the opera chorus in Oscar Hammerstein I's Manhattan Opera Company...
, Jeanne Gerville-Réache
Jeanne Gerville-Réache
Jeanne Gerville-Réache was a French operatic contralto from the Belle Époque. She possessed a remarkably beautiful voice, an excellent singing technique, and wide vocal range which enabled her to perform several roles traditionally associated with mezzo-sopranos in addition to contralto parts...
, Charles Gilibert, Gustave Huberdeau
Gustave Huberdeau
Gustave Huberdeau was a French operatic bass-baritone who had a prolific career in Europe and the United States during the first quarter of the twentieth century...
, John McCormack, Carmen Melis
Carmen Melis
Carmen Melis was an Italian operatic soprano who had a major international career during the first four decades of the 20th century. She was known, above all, as a verismo soprano, and was one of the most interesting singing actresses of the early 20th century...
, Maurice Renaud
Maurice Renaud
Maurice Renaud , was a cultured French operatic baritone. He enjoyed an international reputation for the superlative quality of his singing and the brilliance of his acting.-Early years:...
, Mario Sammarco
Mario Sammarco
Mario Sammarco was an Italian operatic baritone noted for his histrionic ability.-Biography:...
, Marguerite Sylva
Marguerite Sylva
Marguerite Sylva was a Belgian born mezzo-soprano who achieved fame not only on the opera stage but also in operetta and musical theatre. She was particularly known for her performances in the title role of Bizet's Carmen, which she sang over 300 times in the course of her career...
, Emma Trentini
Emma Trentini
Emma Trentini was an Italian soprano opera singer who came to the United States in December 1906.-Early life:She was from Mantova, Italy . Her parents were poor and could not afford to give her money to attain an operatic career. At the age of 12 she was welcomed into the church choir of Mantova...
, Emilio Venturini
Emilio Venturini
Emilio Venturini was an Italian operatic lyric tenor known for his portrayal of character roles. He made his professional opera debut in 1900 in Italy where he remained for the next several years. In 1901 he sang the role of Brighella in Mascagni's Le maschere at the Teatro Regio in Turin...
, Giovanni Zenatello
Giovanni Zenatello
Giovanni Zenatello was an Italian opera singer. Born in Verona, he enjoyed an international career as a dramatic tenor of the first rank. Otello became his most famous operatic role but he sang a wide repertoire. In 1904, he created the part of Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly.-Career:Zenatello...
, and Nicola Zerola
Nicola Zerola
Nicola Zerola was an Italian operatic tenor who had an active international career from 1898-1928. He began his career in his native country, but was soon heard in concerts and operas internationally during the first years of the 20th century...
.
Levin's Philadelphia Opera Company: 1938-1944
In 1938, Sylvan LevinSylvan Levin
Sylvan Levin was an American concert pianist and conductor. He notably served as the assistant conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra and the New York City Symphony under Leopold Stokowski for many years...
founded the second Philadelphia Opera Company, serving as its artistic director and principal conductor for the next six years. The company mounted almost all of its productions at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia until its last season when it staged it productions at the Erlanger Theatre. The POC's first performance was of Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Puccini
Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini was an Italian composer whose operas, including La bohème, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, and Turandot, are among the most frequently performed in the standard repertoire...
's La bohème
La bohème
La bohème is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions quadro, a tableau or "image", rather than atto . by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa, based on Scènes de la vie de bohème by Henri Murger...
on January 19, 1939 with Barbara Thorne as Mimì, Fritz Krueger as Rodolfo, Frank Cappelli as Marcello, Frances Greer
Frances Greer
Frances Greer was an American soprano. A leading performer at the Metropolitan Opera and the Philadelphia Opera Company, she recorded 13 albums, mostly musical operattas with RCA Victor, and made several concert appearances at Carnegie Hall...
as Musetta, and Levin conducting. The company's last performance was of Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II
Johann Strauss II , also known as Johann Baptist Strauss or Johann Strauss, Jr., the Younger, or the Son , was an Austrian composer of light music, particularly dance music and operettas. He composed over 500 waltzes, polkas, quadrilles, and other types of dance music, as well as several operettas...
's Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus
Die Fledermaus is an operetta composed by Johann Strauss II to a German libretto by Karl Haffner and Richard Genée.- Literary sources :...
on February 18, 1944 with Robert Stuart as Alfred, Jayne Cozzens as Adele, Helena Bliss
Helena Bliss
Helena Bliss is a retired American actress and singer. A talented soprano, she actively performed in musicals, operettas, and operas in the United States, both on stage and on television and radio, from the 1930s through the 1950s...
as Rosalinde, and Joseph Laderoute as Gabriel von Eisenstein. Highlights in the POC's performance history were the first staged production of Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti
Gian Carlo Menotti was an Italian-American composer and librettist. Although he often referred to himself as an American composer, he kept his Italian citizenship. He wrote the classic Christmas opera, Amahl and the Night Visitors, among about two dozen other operas intended to appeal to popular...
's The Old Maid and the Thief
The Old Maid and the Thief
The Old Maid and the Thief is an opera in one act by Italian-American composer Gian Carlo Menotti. The work uses an English language libretto by the composer which tells a twisted tale of morals and evil womanly power...
in February 1941, and the world premiere of Deems Taylor
Deems Taylor
Joseph Deems Taylor was a U.S. composer, music critic, and promoter of classical music.-Career:Taylor initially planned to become an architect; however, despite minimal musical training he soon took to music composition. The result was a series of works for orchestra and/or voices...
's Ramuntcho on February 10, 1942.