Analytic Table of Contents for "Chapters of Opera" -- an excellent book.

by Luigi Speranza for "Gli Operai" jlsperanza@aol.com

Chapters of Opera, by Krehbiel

CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION OF OPERA IN NEW YORK

1. The Introduction of Italian Opera in New York
2. English Ballad Operas and Adaptations from French and Italian Works
3. Hallam's Comedians and "The Beggar's Opera"
4. The John Street Theater and Its Early Successors
5. Italian Opera's First Home
6. Manuel Garcia
7. The New Park Theater and Some of Its Rivals
8. Malibran and English Opera
9. The Bowery Theater, Richmond Hill, Niblo's and Castle Gardens

CHAPTER II
EARLY THEATERS, MANAGERS, AND SINGERS

2.1 Of the Building of Opera Houses

2.2. A Study of Influences

2. 3. The First Italian Opera House in New York
Early Impresarios and Singers

Da Ponte, Montressor, Rivafinoli

Signorina Pedrotti and Fornasari

Why Do Men Become Opera-Managers?

Addison and Italian Opera

The Vernacular Triumphant

CHAPTER III

THE FIRST ITALIAN COMPANY

Manuel del Popolo Vicente Garcia

"Il Barbiere di Siviglia"

Signorina Maria Garcia's Unfortunate Marriage

Lorenzo da Ponte

His Hebraic Origin and Checkered Career

"Don Giovanni"

An Appeal in Behalf of Italian Opera

CHAPTER IV

HOUSES BUILT FOR OPERA

More Opera Houses

Palmo's and the Astor Place

Signora Borghese and the Distressful Vocal Wabble

Antognini and Cinti-Damoreau

An Orchestral Strike

Advent of the Patti Family

Don Francesco Marty y Torrens and His Havanese Company

Opera Gowns Fifty Years Ago

Edward and William Henry Fry

Horace Greeley and His Musical Critic

James H. Hackett and William Niblo

Tragic Consequences of Canine Interference

Goethe and a Poodle

A Dog-Show and the Astor Place Opera House

CHAPTER V: MARETZEK, HIS RIVALS AND SINGERS

Max Maretzek

His Managerial Career

Some Anecdotes

"Crotchets and Quavers"

His Rivals and Some of His Singers

Bernard Ullmann

Marty Again

Bottesini and Arditi

Steffanone

Bosio

Tedesco

Salvi

Bettini

Badiali

Marini

CHAPTER VI: THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MUSIC

Operatic Warfare Half a Century Ago

The Academy of Music and Its Misfortunes

A Critic's Opera and His Ideals

A Roster of American Singers

Grisi and Mario

Annie Louise Cary

Ole Bull as Manager

Piccolomini and Réclame

Adelina Patti's Début and an Anniversary Dinner Twenty-five

Years Later

A Kiss for Maretzek

CHAPTER VII: MAPLESON AND OTHER IMPRESARIOS

Colonel James H. Mapleson

A Diplomatic Manager

His Persuasiveness

How He Borrowed Money from an Irate Creditor

Maurice Strakosch

Musical Managers

Pollini

Sofia Scalchi and Annie Louise Cary Again

Campanini and His Beautiful Attack

Brignoli

His Appetite and Superstition

CHAPTER VIII: THE METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

The Academy's Successful Rival

Why It Was Built

The Demands of Fashion

Description of the Theater

War between the Metropolitan and the Academy of Music

Mapleson and Abbey

The Rival Forces

Patti and Nilsson

Gerster and Sembrich

A Costly Victory

CHAPTER IX: FIRST SEASON AT THE METROPOLITAN

The First Season at the Metropolitan Opera House

Mr. Abbey's Singers

Gounod's "Faust" and Christine Nilsson

Marcella Sembrich and Her Versatility

Sofia Scalchi

Signor Kaschmann

Signor Stagno

Ambroise Thomas's "Mignon"

Madame Fursch-Madi

Ponchielli's "La Gioconda"

CHAPTER X: OPERATIC REVOLUTIONS

The Season 1883-1884 at the Academy of Music

Lillian Nordica's American Début

German Opera Introduced at the Metropolitan Opera House

Parlous State of Italian Opera in London and on the Continent

Dr. Leopold Damrosch and His Enterprise

The German Singers

Amalia Materna

Marianne Brandt

Marie Schroeder-Hanfstängl

Anton Schott, the Military Tenor

Von Bülow's Characterization: "A Tenor is a Disease"

CHAPTER X: GERMAN OPERA AT THE METROPOLITAN

First German Season

Death Struggles of Italian Opera at the Academy

Adelina Patti and Her Art

Features of the German Performances

"Tannhäuser"

Marianne Brandt in Beethoven's Opera

"Der Freischütz"

"Masaniello"

Materna in "Die Walküre"

Death of Dr. Damrosch

CHAPTER XII: END OF ITALIAN OPERA AT THE ACADEMY

The Season 1885-1886
End of the Mapleson Régime at the Academy of Music

Alma Fohström

The American Opera Company

German Opera in the Bowery

A Tenor Who Wanted to be Manager of the Metropolitan Opera House

The Coming of Anton Seidl

His Early Career

Lilli Lehmann

A Broken Contract

Unselfish Devotion to Artistic Ideals

Max Alvary

Emil Fischer

CHAPTER XIII: WAGNER HOLDS THE METROPOLITAN

Second and Third German Seasons


The Period 1885-1888

More about Lilli Lehmann

Goldmark's "Queen of Sheba"

First Performance of Wagner's "Meistersinger"

Patti in Concert and Opera

A Flash in the Pan at the Academy of Music

The Transformed American Opera Company

Production of Rubinstein's "Nero"

An Imperial Operatic Figure

First American Performance of "Tristan und Isolde"

Albert Niemann and His Characteristics

His Impersonation of Siegmund

Anecdotes

A Triumph for "Fidelio"

CHAPTER XIV: WAGNERIAN HIGH TIDE

Wagnerian High Tide at the Metropolitan Opera House

1887-1890

Italian Low Water Elsewhere

Rising of the Opposition

Wagner's "Siegfried"

Its Unconventionality

"Götterdämmerung"

"Der Trompeter von Säkkingen"

"Euryanthe"

"Ferdinand Cortez"

"Der Barbier von Bagdad"

Italo Campanini and Verdi's "Otello"

Patti and Italian Opera at the Metropolitan Opera House

CHAPTER XV: END OF THE GERMAN PERIOD

End of the German Period
1890-1891

Some Extraordinary Novelties

Franchetti's "Asrael"

"Der Vasall von Szigeth"

A Royal Composer, His Opera and His Distribution of Decorations

"Diana von Solange"

Financial Salvation through Wagner

Italian Opera Redivivus

Ill-mannered Box-holders

Wagnerian Statistics

CHAPTER XVI: ITALIAN OPERA AGAIN AT THE METROPOLITAN


The Season 1891-1892

Losses of the Stockholders of the Metropolitan Opera House Company

Return to Italian Opera

Mr. Abbey's Expectations

Sickness of Lilli Lehmann

The De Reszke Brothers and Lassalle

Emma Eames

Début of Marie Van Zandt

"Cavalleria Rusticana"

Fire Damages the Opera House

Reorganization of the Owning Company

CHAPTER XVII: THE ADVENT OF MELBA AND CALVÉ

An Interregnum

Changes in the Management

Rise and Fall of Abbey, Schoeffel, and Grau

Death of Henry E. Abbey

His Career

Season 1893-1894

Nellie Melba

Emma Calvé

Bourbonism of the Parisians

Massenet's "Werther"

1894-1895

A Breakdown on the Stage

"Elaine"

Sybil Sanderson and "Manon"

Shakespearian Operas

Verdi's "Falstaff"

CHAPTER XVIII: UPRISING IN FAVOR OF GERMAN OPERA

The Public Clamor for German Opera

Oscar Hammerstein and His First Manhattan Opera House

Rivalry between Anton Seidl and Walter Damrosch

The Latter's Career as Manager

Wagner Triumphant

German Opera Restored at the Metropolitan

"The Scarlet Letter"

"Mataswintha"

"Hänsel und Gretel" in English
Jean de Reszke and His Influence

Mapleson for the Last Time

"Andrea Chenier"

Madame Melba's Disastrous Essay with Wagner

"Le Cid"

Metropolitan Performances 1893-1897

CHAPTER XIX: BEGINNING OF THE GRAU PERIOD

Beginning of the Grau Period

Death of Maurice Grau

His Managerial Career

An Interregnum at the Metropolitan Opera House Filled by

Damrosch and Ellis

Death of Anton Seidl

His Funeral

Characteristic Traits

"La Bohème"

1898-1899

"Ero e Leandro" and Its Composer

CHAPTER XX: NEW SINGERS AND OPERAS

Closing Years of Mr. Grau's Régime

Traits in the Manager's Character

Débuts of Alvarez, Scotti, Louise Homer, Lucienne Bréval and

Other Singers

Ternina and "Tosca"

Reyer's "Salammbô"

Gala Performance for a Prussian Prince

"Messaline"

Paderewski's "Manru"

"Der Wald"
Performances in the Grau Period

CHAPTER XXI: HEINRICH CONRIED AND "PARSIFAL"

Beginning of the Administration of Heinrich Conried

Season 1903-1904

Mascagni's American Fiasco

"Iris" and "Zanetto"

Woful Consequences of Depreciating American Conditions

Mr. Conried's Theatrical Career

His Inheritance from Mr. Grau
Signor Caruso

The Company Recruited

The "Parsifal" Craze

CHAPTER XXII: END OF CONRIED'S ADMINISTRATION

Conried's Administration Concluded

1905-1908

Visits from Humperdinck and Puccini

The California Earthquake

Madame Sembrich's Generosity to the Suffering Musicians

"Madama Butterfly"

"Manon Lescaut"

"Fedora"

Production and Prohibition of "Salome"

A Criticism of the Work

"Adriana Lecouvreur"

A Table of Performances

CHAPTER XXIII: HAMMERSTEIN AND HIS OPERA HOUSE

Oscar Hammerstein Builds a Second Manhattan Opera House

How the Manager Put His Doubters to Shame

His Earlier Experiences as Impresario

Cleofonte Campanini

A Zealous Artistic Director and Ambitious Singers

A Surprising Record but No Novelties in the First Season

Melba and Calvé as Stars

The Desertion of Bonci

Quarrels about Puccini's "Bohéme"

List of Performances

CHAPTER XXIV: A BRILLIANT SEASON AT THE MANHATTAN

Hammerstein's Second Season


Amazing Promises but More Amazing Achievements

Mary Garden and Maurice Renaud

Massenet's "Thaïs," Charpentier's "Louise"

Giordano's "Siberia" and Debussy's "Pelléas et Mélisande" Performed for

the First Time in America

Revival of Offenbach's "Les Contes d'Hoffmann," "Crispino e la Comare"

of the Ricci Brothers, and Giordano's "Andrea Chenier"

The Tetrazzini Craze

Repertory of the Season

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Index of Names.
There is a second volume to this, "Chapters of Opera," ii.