[Met Concert/Gala] CID:110660
Grand Operatic Surprise Party. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/6/1932.


Metropolitan Opera House
March 6, 1932


GRAND OPERATIC SURPRISE PARTY

Iris: Hymn of the Sun
Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra
Conductor: Giulio Setti

Mignon: Act I Finale
Mmes. Queena Mario, Thalia Sabanieeva
MM. Armand Tokatyan, Léon Rothier, Angelo Badà,
Conductor: Mr. Louis Hasselmans

Aida: Act II Finale
Mmes. Elisabeth Rethberg, Carmela Ponselle
MM. Giovanni Martinelli, Mario Basiola, Ezio Pinza, Joseph MacPherson
Conductor: Mr. Tullio Serafin

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg: Act III Finale
Mr. Friedrich Schorr
Conductor: Mr. Artur Bodanzky

Remarks: Mr. Walter Damrosch

INTERNATIONAL OVERTURE
Conducted by Louis Hasselmans, Wilfred Pelletier, Artur Bodanzky,
Tullio Serafin, Karl Riedel, Giulio Setti, and Giuseppe Sturani.
Music included Wagner, Von Suppé (The Poet and Peasant Overture),
Wagner (again), and Francis Scott Key.
The Star-Spangled Banner was sung by audience and participants onstage.

AN OPERATIC HEAVEN
with many angels and one devil
Corps de Ballet
MM. August Berger, Giuseppe Cesati, Wilfred Pelletier

A TRYOUT AT THE METROLITAN
before Giulio Gatti-Casazza and Edward Ziegler

Scene 1: RUSSIAN CAVIAR AND SAMOVAR

Mmes. Ina Bourskaya, Faina Petrova. Thalia Sabanieeva
MM. Max Altglass, George Cehanovsky, Adamo Didur.
Marek Windheim, James Wolfe

Scene 2: BOOTLEGGING FRENCH CHAMPAGNE

Mmes. Minnie Egener, Philine Falco, Florence Morton,
Lily Pons, Maria Savage, May Savage [First appearance],
MM. Paolo Ananian, Jules Judels, Louis Hasselmans,
Wilfred Pelletier, Léon Rothier, Georges Thill

Lily Pons sang the Bell Song from Lakmé

Scene 3: WIENER SCHNITZEL AND WUERZBURGER

Mmes. Julia Claussen, Editha Fleischer, Gertrude Kappel,
Göta Ljungberg, Dorothee Manski, Elisabeth Rethberg
MM. Michael Bohnen, Hans Clemens, Arnold Gabor, Rudolf Laubenthal,
Pavel Ludikar, Lauritz Melchior, Friedrich Schorr, Gustav Schützendorf,
Siegfried Tappolet

Scene 4: ITALIAN MINESTRONE

Mmes. Santa Biondo, Mary Bonetti [Last appearance], Lucrezia Bori,
Aida Doninelli, Rosina Galli, Nina Morgana, Carmela Ponselle, Elda Vettori
MM. Armando Agnini, Angelo Badà, Pietro Cimara, Giuseppe Bonfiglio,
Louis D'Angelo, Giuseppe De Luca, Beniamino Gigli, Giuseppe Paltrinieri,
Antonio Scotti, Alfio Tedesco

Dressed as Carmen, Beniamino Gigli sang the Habanera.

Scene 5: AMERICAN FLAG

Mmes. Pearl Besuner, Leonora Corona, Rita De Leporte, Dorothea Flexer,
Nannette Guilford, Queena Mario, Grace Moore, Gladys Swarthout,
MM. Arthur Anderson, Frederick Jagel, Edward Johnson, Joseph Macpherson,
Deems Taylor [First Appearance], Lawrence Tibbett, Clarence Whitehill

(This section was in the form of a radio program with Ray Knight of
the Cuckoo Hour as announcer.
Selections included:
Frederick Jagel as Al Jolson
Nannette Guilford: The Last Rose of Summer
Grace Moore and Lawrence Tibbett: Lover, Come Back
Gladys Swarthout (sitting on the piano): Good Night, Sweetheart
(with Leonora Corona dancing)


Finale: Surprise Auld Lang Syne
Great artists of the past and "Metropolitan Opera Family Parade" by all the
artists, chorus, ballet, stagehands, ushers, and entire personnel.

Marcella Sembrich and Ernestine Schumann-Heink were brought on stage as honored guests.

Traditional: Auld Lang Syne
Faust: Soldier's Chorus


Conductor...............Giulio Setti

Producers: Armando Agnini, August Berger, Hanns Niedecken-Gebhard,
Alexander Sanine, Deems Taylor

Musical assistance: Otello Ceroni, Giuseppe Cesati, Pietro Cimara,
Fausto Cleva, Giuseppe Conca, Riccardo Dellera, Antonio Dell'Orefice,
Carlo Edwards, Armando Petrucci, Karl Riedel, Kurt Ruhrseitz, Frederick Vajda

Program committee: Vincenzo Bellezza
Armando Agnini, August Berger, Walter Damrosch,
Giulio Setti, Giuseppe Sturani


Added Index Entries for Subjects and Names


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