An Inter-war Chronology of Opera
By Philip Harrison
Whilst recuperating on holiday after a busy term at school I clicked on our message board to read a couple of comments about Strauss and his operas of the 1920s and 1930s. As those comments came from Ralph Moore and Lee Denham, two very respected voices in these parts, I pondered on that interwar age a little more and started to dream about the music of that 20-year period. What times? So momentous politically and culturally. A century ago, yet so similar in many ways to today’s crazy world. As a complement to the sun and lounging around I have been lucky enough to indulge in, I compiled a little list of what was being put on the opera stage in those times. A similar exercise could of course be undertaken on the music for the concert stage.
This is not an exhaustive survey by any means. I have only included works that were staged in the years I highlight. There were some great pieces that couldn’t be put on for one reason or another (like The Fiery Angel, for instance). I have also left out productions of works that date from several years earlier, perhaps posthumous operas. The category of “little greats” has also been omitted in most cases affecting some important pieces by Hindemith, Milhaud and many others. I have, though, included some musicals and major Broadway events as I do believe the ones cited were important works of that emerging art form and in cases like Show Boat can stand their own against any contemporary grand opera.
Sadly, for reasons of space I have not included ballets. In the 1920s and 30s, there were some seriously impressive works for that genre being created, especially in the smaller formats. We do hear many of them now as concert items, but they were written for the stage. Glière, Prokofiev and Shostakovich provided some succulent, full-fat options. At the very end of the period, Khachaturian was dipping his toe into the water. Maybe I will return to the article at some point and add those ballets.
I hope that my subjective list of these operas and shows of the interwar period might inspire you to try and listen to them – and, thinking about their bedfellows, consider how they must have seemed to the audience of the age. I am going to pick a year at random and bring records of the works on my next little jaunt away. Perhaps I will combine it with a book or two from that year too, even a downloaded movie. I can assure you all the operas/shows listed are special and worth getting to know.
Each year from 1919 -1939 has at least two premieres listed, often more. Before we start, let me take you back to the Christmas of 1918. War had just ended and in New York City Il trittico took to the stage at the Met for the first time on 14th December. The cast included Muzio, Farrar and De Luca. A friend and fellow reviewer, has as a treasured possession: an original programme from that night. It is a good place from which to embark on our journey.
1919
| Février: Gismonda | 14.1.1919 | Chicago | Garden |
| Strauss: Die Frau ohne Schatten | 10.10.1919 | Vienna/Schalk | Jeritza, Lehmann |
| Børresen: The Royal Guest | 15.11.1919 | Copenhagen | |
| Mascagni: Sì | 13.12.1919 | Rome |
1920
| Schreker: Der Schatzgräber | 21.1.1920 | Frankfurt | |
| Janáček: The Excursions of Mr Brouček | 23.4.1920 | Prague | |
| Braunfels: Die Vögel | 30.11.1920 | Munich/Walter | Ivogün, Erb |
| Korngold: Die tote Stadt | 4.12.1920 | Hamburg and Köln simultaneous premiere | Hamburg cast included Schubert, Jeritza. Köln conducted by Klemperer |
| Leoncavallo: Edipo Re | 13.12.1920 | Chicago | Ruffo |
| Kern: Sally | 21.12.1920 | New York |
1921
| Mascagni: Il piccolo Marat | 2.5.1921 | Rome/Mascagni | Dalla Rizza, Lázaro |
| Janáček: Káťa Kabanová | 23.11.1921 | Brno | |
| Alfano: La leggenda di Sakùntala | 10.12.1921 | Bologna/Serafin | |
| Prokofiev: The Love for Three Oranges | 30.12.1921 | Chicago/Prokofiev | Koshetz |
1922
| Zandonai: Giulietta e Romeo | 14.2.1922 | Rome/Zandonai | Dalla Rizza, Fleta |
| Lehár: Frasquita | 12.5.1922 | Vienna | |
| Zemlinsky: Der Zwerg | 28.5.1922 | Köln/Klemperer | |
| Cras: Polyphème | 12.1922 | Paris/Wolff | |
| Pizzetti: Dèbora e Jaéle | 16.12.1922 | Milan/Toscanini |
1923
| Hahn: Ciboulette | 7.4.1923 | Paris | |
| Vives: Doña Francisquita | 17.4.1923 | Madrid | |
| Respighi: Belfagor | 26.4.1923 | Milan/Guarnieri | Sheridan, Merli, Stabile |
| Holst: The Perfect Fool | 14.5.1923 | London | |
| Roussel: Padmâvatî | 1.6.1923 | Paris | |
| Smyth: Fête Galante | 4.6.1923 | Birmingham |
1924
| Kálmán: Countess Maritza | 28.2.1924 | Vienna | |
| Boito: Nerone | 1.5.1924 | Milan/Toscanini | Raisa, Pertile, Journet, Pinza |
| Youmans: No, No, Nanette | 5.5.1924 | Chicago | |
| Schoenberg: Erwartung | 6.6.1924 | Prague/Zemlinsky | |
| Vaughan Williams: Hugh the Drover | 14.7.1924 | London | |
| Friml/Stothart: Rose-Marie | 2.9.1924 | New York | |
| Madetoja: The Ostrobothnians | 25.10.1924 | Helsinki | |
| Strauss: Intermezzo | 4.11.1924 | Dresden/Busch | Lehmann |
| Janáček: The Cunning Little Vixen | 6.11.1924 | Brno | |
| Gershwin: Lady, Be Good | 1.12.1924 | New York | |
| Romberg: The Student Prince | 2.12.1924 | New York | |
| Giordano: La cena della beffe | 20.12.1924 | Milan/Toscanini | Melis, Lázaro |
1925
| Zandonai: I cavalieri di Ekebù | 7.3.1925 | Milan/Toscanini | |
| Ravel: L’enfant et les sortilèges | 21.3.1925 | Monte Carlo/Serafin | |
| Holst: At the Boar’s Head | 3.4.1925 | Manchester | On a double bill with Gianni Schicchi |
| Busoni: Doktor Faust | 21.5.1925 | Dresden/Busch | |
| Friml: The Vagabond King | 21.9.1925 | New York | |
| Lehár: Paganini | 30.10.1925 | Vienna | |
| Berg: Wozzeck | 14.12.1925 | Berlin/Kleiber | |
| Gershwin: Tip-Toes | 28.12.1925 | New York |
1926
| Puccini: Turandot | 25.4.1926 | Milan/Toscanini | Raisa, Fleta |
| Szymanowski: Król Roger | 19.6.1926 | Warsaw | |
| Kodály: Háry János | 16.10.1926 | Budapest | |
| Gershwin: Oh, Kay! | 8.11.1926 | New York | |
| Hindemith: Cardillac | 9.11.1926 | Dresden/Busch | |
| Romberg: The Desert Song | 30.11.1926 | New York | |
| Janáček: The Makropulos Case | 18.12.1926 | Brno |
1927
| Schoeck: Penthesilea | 8.1.1927 | Dresden | |
| Krenek: Jonny spielt auf | 10.2.1927 | Leipzig | |
| Lehár: Der Zarewitsch | 16.2.1927 | Berlin | Tauber |
| Taylor: The King’s Henchman | 17.2.1927 | New York/Serafin | Easton, Johnson, Tibbett |
| Weinberger: Schwanda the Bagpiper | 27.4.1927 | Prague | |
| Stravinsky: Oedipus Rex | 30.5.1927 | Paris | |
| Korngold: Das Wunder der Heliane | 7.10.1927 | Hamburg | |
| Respighi: La campana sommersa | 18.11.1927 | Hamburg | |
| Kern: Show Boat | 27.12.1927 | New York | |
| Wolf-Ferrari: Sly | 29.12.1927 | Milan/Panizza | Pertile |
1928
| Kálmán: Die Herzogin von Chicago | 5.4.1928 | Vienna | |
| Pizzetti: Fra Gherardo | 16.5.1928 | Milan/Toscanini | |
| Strauss: Die ägyptische Helena | 6.6.1928 | Dresden/Busch | Rethberg |
| Weill: Die Dreigroschenoper | 31.8.1928 | Berlin |
1929
| Giordano: Il Re | 12.1.1929 | Milan/Toscanini | Dal Monte |
| Vaughan Williams: Sir John in Love | 21.3.1929 | London | |
| Prokofiev: The Gambler | 29.4.1929 | Brussels | |
| Hindemith: Neues vom Tage | 8.6.1929 | Berlin/Klemperer | |
| Coward: Bitter Sweet | 2.7.1929 | Manchester | London run from 18.7 |
| Lehár: Das Land des Lächelns | 10.10.1929 | Berlin | Schwarz, Tauber |
1930
| Shostakovich: The Nose | 18.1.1930 | Leningrad |
| Weill: Aufstieg und Fall der Stadt Mahagonny | 9.3.1930 | Leipzig |
| Janáček: From the House of the Dead | 12.4.1930 | Brno |
| Pizzetti: Lo straniero | 29.4.1930 | Rome/Marinuzzi |
| Milhaud: Christophe Colomb | 5.5.1930 | Berlin/Kleiber |
| Gershwin: Girl Crazy | 14.10.1930 | New York |
| Benatzky: Im weißen Rößl | 8.11.1930 | Berlin |
1931
| Taylor: Peter Ibbetson | 7.2.1931 | New York/Serafin | Bori. Johnson. Tibbett |
| Magnard: Guercœur | 24.4.1931 | Paris | |
| Pfitzner: Das Herz | 12.11.1931 | Munich and Berlin simultaneous premiere | Munich c. Knappertsbuch, Berlin c. Furtwängler |
| Gershwin: Of Thee I sing | 26.12.1931 | New York |
1932
| Schulhoff: Flammen | 27.1.1932 | Brno |
| Goldschmidt: Der gewaltige Hahnrei | 14.2.1932 | Mannheim |
| Casella: La donna serpente | 17.3.1932 | Rome |
| Torroba: Luisa Fernanda | 26.3.1932 | Madrid |
1933
| Gruenberg: The Emperor Jones | 7.1.1933 | New York/Serafin | Tibbett |
| Gershwin: Pardon my English | 20.1.1933 | New York | |
| Weill: Der Silbersee | 18.2.1933 | Leipzig, Erfurt, Magdeburg simultaneous premiere | |
| Krása: Verlobung im Traum | 18.5.1933 | Prague/Szell | |
| Strauss: Arabella | 1.7.1933 | Dresden/Krauss | Ursuleac |
| Gershwin: Let ‘Em Eat Cake | 21.10.1933 | New York |
1934
| Lehár: Giuditta | 20.1.1934 | Vienna | Novotna, Tauber |
| Shostakovich: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk | 22.1.1934 | Leningrad | |
| Respighi: La fiamma | 23.1.1934 | Rome/Respighi | |
| Holst: The Wandering Scholar | 31.1.1934 | Liverpool | |
| Refice: Cecilia | 2.1934 | Rome/Refice | Muzio |
| Thomson: Four Saints in Three Acts | 7.2.1934 | Hartford | |
| Hanson: Merry Mount | 10.2.1934 | New York/Serafin | Tibbett (Chicago heard a concert performance in 1933) |
| Porter: Anything Goes | 21.11.1934 | New York |
1935
| Mascagni: Nerone | 16.1.1935 | Milan/Mascagni | Pertile |
| Madetoja: Juha | 17.2.1935 | Helsinki | |
| Strauss: Die schweigsame Frau | 24.6.1935 | Dresden/Böhm | Cebotari |
| Weill: A Kingdom for a Cow | 28.6.1935 | London | Savoy Theatre |
| Gershwin: Porgy and Bess | 30.9.35 | Boston | Broadway from 10.10.1935 |
| Gotovac: Ero the Joker | 2.11.1935 | Zagreb |
1936
| Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac | 22.1.1936 | Rome/Serafin | Luccioni, Caniglia |
| Wolf-Ferrari: Il campiello | 11.2.1936 | Milan/Marinuzzi | |
| Enescu: Oedipe | 13.3.1936 | Paris | |
| Vaughan Williams: The Poisoned Kiss | 12.5.1936 | Cambridge |
1937
| Weill: The Eternal Road | 7.1.1937 | New York | |
| Respighi: Lucrezia | 24.2.1937 | Milan/Marinuzzi | Caniglia |
| Menotti: Amelia goes to the Ball | 1.4.1937 | Philadelphia/Reiner | |
| Berg: Lulu | 2.6.1937 | Zürich | 2-Act version |
1938
| Martinů: Julietta | 16.3.1938 | Prague | |
| Haas: Šarlatán | 2.4.1938 | Brno | |
| Hindemith: Mathis der Maler | 28.5.1938 | Zürich | |
| Krenek: Karl V | 22.6.1938 | Prague/Rankl | |
| Strauss: Friedenstag | 24.7.1938 | Munich/Krauss | Hotter, Ursuleac |
| Strauss: Daphne | 15.10.1938 | Dresden/Böhm | Teschemacher |
| Egk: Peer Gynt | 24.11.1938 | Berlin |
1939
| Orff: Der Mond | 5.2.1939 | Munich/Krauss |
| Korngold: Die Kathrin | 7.10.1939 | Stockholm/Busch |
Europe and soon the whole world took up arms and engaged in general war from September 1939. In many parts of the globe, war had indeed been raging for years before that date. Perhaps as Puccini’s Il trittico served as a marker for the start of my survey, Peter Grimes premiered at Sadler’s Wells in June 1945 will serve that purpose for the next one.
When I began collecting 78s thirty years ago, a dear man gave me a book called “We followed our Stars” by Ida Cook. I would highly recommend it. Exactly a century ago from today, Ida and her sister Louise started saving for a third-class ocean passage to New York. By December 1926 they had enough and embarked. Their mission – to see Galli-Curci sing. They are my heroines; they did plenty more good works besides, for their full story you will have to find the book. I mention the Cook sisters, as these years also saw some absolutely stunning singers in Europe and America, singing in mainstream repertoire. Perhaps I may survey that aspect of these interwar years another time.
Philip Harrison
