Metropolitan Opera House Opens
The Metropolitan Opera House, located in New York City, opened its doors on October 22, 1883, serving as the primary venue for the Metropolitan Opera Company. Designed by the architectural firm Cady, Berg, and See, its establishment arose from the desires of affluent patrons who were dissatisfied with the limited availability of opera boxes at the Academy of Music. Initially, the opera company performed works solely in Italian, later including German, before ultimately deciding to present operas in their original languages. The inaugural performance featured Charles Gounod’s "Faust," a tale inspired by Goethe's poetic drama about a man who sells his soul for earthly pleasures. The venue remained the home of the Metropolitan Opera Company until 1966, when it relocated to Lincoln Center. Throughout its history, the Metropolitan Opera House has hosted some of the most renowned performers in the opera world, including Enrico Caruso and Marian Anderson, solidifying its reputation as one of the premier opera houses globally. Today, it continues to be celebrated for its rich cultural contributions and legacy in the performing arts.
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Metropolitan Opera House Opens
Metropolitan Opera House Opens
The Metropolitan Opera House, home to the Metropolitan Opera Company, opened in New York City on October 22, 1883. Designed by the architectural firm of Cady, Berg, and See, it was founded by wealthy businessmen who were frustrated by their inability to obtain boxes at the Academy of Music. In the first year of the company, all operas were performed in Italian, and then, for a while, they were presented only in German, until eventually the company decided to present each work in the language in which it was originally composed, with just a few exceptions. Then as now, the Metropolitan Opera was the United States' leading opera company, and today it is recognized as one of the finest in the world.
Featured on that first evening was a production of Charles Gounod's Faust, the story of a German magician who sells his soul to the Devil in a dubious bargain for worldly pleasures and advantages. Gounod's opera, completed in French in 1858, is based on part 1 of the original poetic drama of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, who wrote the play from 1808 to 1832. It was sung in Italian by Christine Nilsson as Marguerite, Faust's forsaken lover, and Italo Campanini in the title role. The first season was directed by Henry Abbey.
The Metropolitan Opera House, located at Broadway and 39th Street, accommodated the opera company from the time of its formation in 1883 until 1966, when it moved to Lincoln Center on 65th Street. All of the world's leading performers have appeared at Met productions over the decades, including the legendary Italian tenor Enrico Caruso in 1903, the noted African-American singer Marian Anderson in 1955, and, in recent years, the tenors Luciano Pavarotti and Placido Domingo.