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The following program was produced for national educational radio under a grant from the National Home Library Foundation by W. B U R Boston with with. Boston University radio presents Hall of song the story of the Metropolitan Opera from 1893 to 1966. You are the will. You are going anywhere. Atl. Hosts our Miles test and critic of The New York world for you. And Milton Cross.
The effects of World War 2 on the activities of the Metropolitan began to be felt more noticeable noting the 1040s season as the conflict in Europe intensified the fall of France and the isolation of Scandinavia meant that the Metropolitan would be deprived of the band and job Berglund. Then toward the end of the season kids didn't like Saddam announced her intention to return to Norway on the other hand though the influence of the world up people do have some good consequences as well as sales because of the dwindling of operatic activity on the continent. BLOOM no longer looked to New York for the next phase of his musical career and later on the same circumstances brought such other notable conductors as Sir Thomas Beecham for it steed Reed George saddle and Fritz Ryan a Broadway in 31st the long campaign of the previous season to raise money so that the Metropolitan association could purchase the opera house had been successful and the building was now included among the associations. I
sense another happy consequence of the drive was the establishment of a $500000 operational fund. 1940 was also the year in which the final major changes were made in the old opera house. The grand boxes were replaced by individual states and the guild was built on the ground level. Finally a new gold curtain was purchased. It was the one that hung in the house until 1966 when it was lowered for the last time on the night of April 16 with the added money from the operational fund. The Metropolitan was able to enlarge upon a repertory that had largely been unchanged for many years. The first indication of the new works which were to be produced during the season came on the opening night with the performance of their Master Ball. The opera had not been given at the Metropolitan for almost 25 years. The production was designed by me and the direction by Herbert Graff you see beyond Zinka Milanov and Kirsten sang the principal
rose and conducted a work that was brand new for the Metropolitan Westbrook's Al sensed which was given its first performance on January 24th. I find it interesting to note that I was the one who brought the work to Mr. Johnson's attention not only as a premiere for the Metropolitan but also the first performance in the United States. Neither the premier nor any of the four subsequent performances met with any special success and the opera did not return to Broadway in thirty ninth Street until nine hundred fifty one. At that time the return of the Opera also marked the reappearance of Kiersten stuff. Bruno Walter made his metropolitan debut on February 14 1941 with a performance of Fidelio that was favorably compared to the readings given that opera by Gustav Mahler less than a month later the new maestro conducted Don Giovanni and began to mold the distinguished audience that provided many memorable evenings at the
Metropolitan in the years ahead. One of the outstanding members of this ensemble was the young American soprano who made her debut as Sophie in Darrow's and cavalier that season. Eleanor she was another of those artists who came to the Metropolitan through the auditions. Like so many other audition whenas she had little stage experience at the time of her debut. But any dramatic shortcomings there may have been more amply compensated for by her fine vocal skills. Let's listen know as Madame Steber recalls the highlights of her along with the fallen career. She talks with the producer of our series Richard Calhoun her first memories of course are related to her delight at winning the audition. Well it was very exciting. Carson those days the initial concert which was how 20 audition winners was given in Cleveland Ohio. And I know that when Maestro Pelletier they asked me if I would like to sing in Cleveland and what I do certain
things I still didn't believe that I had won the auditions you say. And finally at the end of the conversation after asking me if I would learn the duet from Madame Butterfly in the quartet from both women something else and I said yes I would. And finally he said let me be the first one to congratulate you and tell you that you won the Metropolitan audition. So that was and then of course that following December it was quite a quite a to do because. Wow I was supposed to ended tragically on my later performances of Rosenkavalier through those years. Madam lame I was supposed to she was scheduled to be demolished all that left like that you made your debut and then they had to fly someone in from Chicago that's right. Yes that's right. Oh and so I didn't have a chance to do it with her. So you never did get a chance then to sing with the claim of oh yes out of all the performances after that until her time and I did this I did the Rosenkavalier
with her and of course that was a great experience and I have subsequently then of course you went on to do the part quite well too. Yes 10 years at a rate ten years afterwards I learned and did the part with them with rich Reiner conducting it and he actually I learned the part of the marshland with rich Reiner this summer previous to that opening night. That is my one and only opening night at the Metropolitan. They're not. But I had done a maestro asked me to do it and so I used to go by ferry from my home at Port Jefferson over to Bridgeport and go up and learn and I learned part of Martin with him. However I must say that. In watching and being with Madam lame on. I learned many many things from her and that and then I had an opportunity to study with her in those few years I was wondering if you were. Yes I learned some leader and oh I've always treasured vary greatly. My association with that with Madame LEHMANN I think she is one of our very great
personalities. Well I think the next outstanding performance and role at the Met although I did many interesting ones which were part of the training in addition to the Rosenkavalier then I did things like the flower maidens and parsley Paul and I did the maidens in a Rheingold and and had the wonderful pleasure of doing the bird in Siegfried and I will never forget the singing. Really I think when they put me up on some kind of a height to sing that part and lots milky are. What came over and would smile up at me as I sang these that wonderful one of those wonderful phrases of the birds in Siegfried and it is a very dear friend and we've had many times and I've often said you know Lawrence that was one of the great thrills of my early career to Metropolitan and to know that I was singing to the great helden tenor of all time.
We were so lucky they're coming in at a time when so many of these classic standout artists were still in their prime and doing so much. Tell us what you expand from that right now into the present. Well a personal group actually that you worked with was in the 41 42 production of magic room. And while yes that was that was the next wonderful experience. I did the first lady in that in the Magic Flute at the time and Bruno Valter was such a dear and I learned so many wonderful things from him not only musically but from his really. Great and loving personality. And then had the marvelous experience of doing one of the guild when I was at the Junior League programs here with him. With him playing the piano at that time I did that yes. Davy on top of data from the Met enough that he figured out the season as aria but then of course later I think it was in 1943
44 season when I had the occasion to do the Countess and I really gotta let you figure out and I think that that from that year on. It more or less kept up my career as a Mozart singer and of course he was the one who more or less chose me to do the canvas which I think was set in my third year at the Metropolitan was rather a large i wonderful choice. I mean to me a very marvelous thing. And then I learned I learned a great deal and of course it really did as you say set off the Mozart you know where you had to have you take not had that much experience stage experience when you got to the Met had you I had only done. Two operas when I was a student Boston the first opera that I ever did was the role of Santa and the Flying Dutchman. Really. Yes. In Boston with the PPA project we had a very fine opera company at the time of the WPA projects and later
on in that same group I did the part of the mother in Jack in the Beanstalk of Greenberry. Well of course one of your colleagues in the Figaro that I'm 42 was pins up yes. Did you work a lot with him I believe probably in Don Giovanni too. Oh yes I did many roles with magic flute when I later did come you know and of course he was in The Magic Flute the original first when I did it when I was a first lady. And I figure out when Don Giovanni and I guess that that was most of the Mozart repertoire Oh yes and I did my first fast was done in Havana Cuba and that was rather a and unique experience because I'm cool man was doing the part of fast and there was some fantastic altercation that occurred down there and we wondered if we were ever going to get the opera on the boards at all. And I remember that we didn't get that opera started until about 10 o'clock at night or maybe 11. What went on.
Most of the morning and we expected all sorts of things you know that at that time Cuba had its factions as it does today and they were just really going out and how do we expect to have all kinds of rotten eggs and stuff like that trying to do this but it didn't happen. No international incidents we were to in that season with Thomas Beecham in a farce when you were I guess it was probably your first margarita that listener THOMAS That's exactly right. And as I remember of course Sir Thomas was unique and that was a delightful experience later on of course I did to Fosse staff the month's time at the Falstaff and then in English at the Metropolitan and I must have been a great experience because you know that living with it was practically an all American cast. That's right and it was with him why but originally and then want to picking it up. You know why did that a reason that that performance with me the one with you. Yes that's right. And my for my good hotshot and. Oh let me see.
Yes John Brown he was for it and that was a delightful experience because doing it in English you know English translations being as they were and sometimes are today. We found that some of the phrases just didn't have the. Quality that we wanted and I can remember one day sitting up and Sir Thomas's apartment the whole group of us while he regaled us. And sent us into. All my hilarious laughter because he interpreted marvelous phrases out of right out of Shakespeare not alays in the text you know. Yeah which could very well respond to most that was concerned. Yeah because you did a good deal of work with a lot of war and both of you being Americans I suppose it was even closer to there too. Oh indeed and Leonard was probably one of the great artists of
his time and it will be remembered today is a talent that was unique. Leonard of course was. I think we did Faust together. He always did Valentine I'll never forget the time that in a spurt of realistic acting falling over his wounded body or at least as he died in my arms in the third act of Faust I can remember looking at him and dropping his head which resounded with a thud on the floor poor man and I think that the man at the first Tosca that I did at the Metropolitan Leonard was the scorpion and he had a conception that was quite different quite unique from those that I had seen before and it was always Leonard was such a wonderful colleague of course I did the teller with him too when he did. Jagow he was always such a wonderful colleague and we
of course were very great friends having both of us really going into the metropolitan almost the same time. He had run the auditions the year before I did but I think he had gone and done some study in Europe before he came back so that he was actually I mean he had made his debut in 39 40 cities. But he was such a wonderful person and I know that it is one of the great losses of the Met that he had to leave us at such an early age. There certainly was much more room very many more wonderful things that he could go. Yeah. Indeed I should say you've got a good deal with opera in English of course one of your greatest roles in recent years having been the Venice Oh yes that is true and that was of course the world premiere at the Metropolitan. I did the first English translation. And I thought I'm not mistaken the first time that it was ever presented at the Metropolitan Arabella. Richard Strauss
and then of course in 30 and 40 for oh maybe it was forty five forty six. We did an English version of the seraglio then peering at them said I. And so what my career has been very definitely peppered with that with operatic translations and of course one of the outstanding ones I think was a cozy Fan Tutti that was done. Later on which is I think a marvelous translation in itself. Do you find any particular type of opera comes off best in translation. I think Mozart you know operas translate very well. Be wretched to Teves being and have spoken and the music seems to lend itself very well. Strauss translates very well the operas that I think are difficult to listen to and perhaps
enjoy in their fullest operas. I think they must be the most difficult to translate some of the phrases come out to be rather in Congress. I shall never forget when I did English version of the life and the West you know red rocks. There was a phrase which got gales of laughter from the audience and him in the second act where she tells a very many tales Dick Johnson that the thing that she likes to do on windy nights when the snow is falling and she curls up in her bare skin in front of the fireplace. Yeah but your career has spanned the Johnson regime and the current managerial regime of the Metropolitan. What changes were noticeable in terms of opera. In other words different approaches under the Johnson management as opposed to the current one.
Well I think one of the ads standing changes that came between the two regimes. It is true that Mr. Johnson did a number of operas in which there was a quite nation of production. I know that he flew not to figure out for instance was a production that was done from the beginning to the end including the costumes and the decor. And while I did not do that as a new production it had been done I think in thirty eight for the first time. We still kept the same costuming and that sort of thing but as far as the other opposite I did at the Metropolitan in the years before Mr. Bing came in and. The solo artists were required to have their own costume and. Of course the Met would provide them but when they saw the artists
or the leading artists many of them would decide to have their own costumes made. I shall never forget I had a perfectly glorious set of mental costumes made and quite beautiful and really quite within the style of the period. The fact that my hoop might have been a little bit larger than the prima donnas who had been using them before was taken exception to by one of the writers saying that my costumes were ridiculous out ridiculously out of order as far as the production was concerned but this is the kind of thing we ran into U.S.. I remember I think there was some things earlier in that period also with Madame trouble with her costumes especially as you know the French sense but it was a it was one of the things that was a sight was accepted in that day in age.
But for you Mr. Ben coming in and however it was I think he gradually build up a completely. I come from a company that was completely. Shall we say garbage in the costumes that were made for the production. And of course this was it really did make for a much more beautiful picture because sometimes the costumes could get out of line and one would wonder what to do about them in the earlier days. And this of course is the in my estimation the way that an opera should be done there and in every respect that the production as such the costuming the decor and it should be kept no matter who else takes or didn't take takes over the roles. You think this had anything to do to his original notion I believe when he came to the Metropolitan was to very much de-emphasize the star system and to have the company be more. And I was solvable without this glamorous aspect of
you know leading singers. I suppose this costume business worked into that. I don't really think that the costume I have business that worked into that because it doesn't matter what you put But what do you do to it. To an artist whether you put them in a costume that fits in with the decor it is the excellence of that artist's perception and their voice that makes them a star. I don't know the star system the idea of the star system is not quite the right thing. I think the idea of putting it on somebody's gether and making maybe two or three casts that can do it equally as well is a very fine thing. And but I think that as far as a star system is concerned you just simply cannot hold a talent within the bounds of a production if the talent is one that is always going to be outstanding. I think that it is impossible but a coordinated effort as far as production concerned is concerned is not really
does not really hold down the stars. You cannot take the stars of heaven. You might go up there but you can't take them out of heaven. Did you ever at any time find yourself somewhat at a disadvantage being an American Sayer and perhaps in a situation of casting losing out to a European store who had all the glamour that Europe still seems to hold for the operatic audiences. I should say that looking back I might have felt that sometimes. But looking back over my career the war in 1040 developed a group of stars in this country American stars and their names will always be right up there in the heavens. I must admit that there were times that I thought that I
could have might have had this part but that a European was brought in to take it over. However when you look back over my career and of the 45 or 46 roles that I've actually done at the Metropolitan you see whenever I was unable to do one part I always decided that I would be happy to do another one. Yeah. What do what you might call going around the ratings instead of oh great. For instance the part of Donna Anna and Donna LV that. My maestro in Boston always said Don I was the role for me. Now it was impossible to do the role of Dunn at that time because the stars were brought over from New York to do them who had done them there and done it albeit it was more or less considered as a secondary role not a secondary role but can never be considered a secondary role but to me that was a really more or less a more difficult role this is not true today. But at that time. So I said well how right if I can't do that Donna and I think I will learn to donate
and so that is what happened then later on of course I was able to do the Donna Anna. Truly it was more my role than I don't know if you know but one learns of so many wonderful things and the experience is so valuable. But of course this year marked your 25th letter part of the season and your performance that actually wrapped it up was something of a surprise. Yes and I must say that in the 25 years I've been working the med boards that I never had so much fun as I had doing I find you had to go west and did my 25th anniversary. I've been on well I've been on the roster I've been more or less on the on a leave of absence in the past two or three years. It's been two years and this this year is the third one of course. And so that and of course on call as it happened dissipate but the girl of the Golden West has always
been my role that I have done it in Florence and at the magic musicality and have done it Chicago and red rocks here. But it was a role that I had always asked and wanted to do at the Metropolitan. And I don't mind saying that it was a great disappointment to me when it was finally produced and I did not have the opportunity to do it. So that that made it that much more delightful when I was able to stride out on the stage. Monday January the 17th. Oh that was it. And which was a twenty fifth year there and to me it kind of was a oh I felt like I had sort of given a great big gift from from the Lord and and from Mr. B. And I enjoyed it to the last. I deal I do you know I do you know you know I must say though that
after three years of not being on the Metropolitan stage that when I walked out I walked for the small rehearsal that we had beforehand. I noticed you know when you were in a place and they are constantly you don't notice the things but I did notice how kind of shabby and worn the place had begun to look and the boards. I felt as if some of the boys some of them on the stage wouldn't hold me up you know. And that in spite of the fact that I'm 50 pounds lighter than I was when I left here three years ago. And I thought to myself Well it is true that this house has many great memories and that there have been great personalities who have walked across these boards and it is like a person that's passed on into another life. It will never be forgotten by those who heard those marvelous performances in those years. Those spirits are not contained within the house. They are
contained with the heart within the hearts and the minds of the people who saw and heard them. And for those of us who rocked the boards we will always remember with great affection and live the experiences that we had there. Already. You're.
You're. That wise that honesty bear had faced as she discussed her metropolitan career with our producer Richard Calhoun. And then in a portion of Einstein in three been TOG and Wagner as Lohengrin next week another American soprano daughter they kissed and will be here to tell us all about her years at the old Met. And I hope you'll plan to join us them for not all this is Milton Cross on behalf of miles test and thanking you for listening.
To a. Boston University Radio has presented Hall of song the story of the Metropolitan Opera from 1883 to nine hundred sixty six. The series is created and produced by Richard Calhoun a grant from the National Home Library Foundation has made possible the production of these programs for national educational radio. This is the national educational radio network.
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Series
Hall of song: The 'Met,' 1883-1966
Episode
1940
Producing Organization
WBUR (Radio station : Boston, Mass.)
Contributing Organization
University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/500-dn3zx77p
If you have more information about this item than what is given here, or if you have concerns about this record, we want to know! Contact us, indicating the AAPB ID (cpb-aacip/500-dn3zx77p).
Description
Episode Description
1940. Eleanor Steber, soprano, is interviewed.
Series Description
Documentary series on history of the Metropolitan Opera Company ("The Met") in its original home at Broadway and 39th Street in New York. "The Met" closed its old location on April 16, 1966. Series includes interviews and rare recordings of noted performers.
Broadcast Date
1967-03-31
Topics
Performing Arts
History
Media type
Sound
Duration
00:30:11
Credits
Host: Cross, Milton, 1897-1975
Host: Kastendieck, Miles
Interviewee: Steber, Eleanor
Producer: Calhoun, Richard
Producing Organization: WBUR (Radio station : Boston, Mass.)
AAPB Contributor Holdings
University of Maryland
Identifier: 66-41-29 (National Association of Educational Broadcasters)
Format: 1/4 inch audio tape
Duration: 00:29:55
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Citations
Chicago: “Hall of song: The 'Met,' 1883-1966; 1940,” 1967-03-31, University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed March 29, 2024, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-dn3zx77p.
MLA: “Hall of song: The 'Met,' 1883-1966; 1940.” 1967-03-31. University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. March 29, 2024. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-dn3zx77p>.
APA: Hall of song: The 'Met,' 1883-1966; 1940. Boston, MA: University of Maryland, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-500-dn3zx77p