Event Information

Venue(s):

Manager / Director:
Max Maretzek

Event Type:
Opera

Record Information

Status:
Published

Last Updated:
3 February 2025

Performance Date(s) and Time(s)

14 Jul 1873
19 Jul 1873
23 Jul 1873
10 Aug 1873
16 Aug 1873
19 Aug 1873
20 Aug 1873
22 Aug 1873
23 Aug 1873
05 Sep 1873
06 Sep 1873
13 Sep 1873
14 Sep 1873
15 Sep 1873
20 Sep 1873
25 Sep 1873
27 Sep 1873
28 Sep 1873

Performers and/or Works Performed

1)
LIST OF PERFORMER(S)/ORGANIZATION(S)
Participants:  Maretzek Italian Opera Company;  Giorgio Ronconi;  Joseph Jamet;  Pauline Lucca;  Ilma di Murska;  Enrico Tamberlik;  Signor Vizzani

Citations

1)
Article: New York Post, 14 July 1873, 2.
2)
Article: New York Post, 19 July 1873, 2.
3)
Article: New York Post, 23 July 1873, 2.

Principal singers in both companies.

4)
Article: New York Post, 23 July 1873, 2.

Principal singers in both companies.

5)
Article: New-York Times, 10 August 1873, 4.
6)
Article: New-York Daily Tribune, 16 August 1873, 4.
7)
Article: New York Herald, 19 August 1873, 10.

Maretzek’s roster and repertory.

8)
Article: New York Sun, 19 August 1873, 2.

Biographical and career sketch.

9)
Article: New-York Daily Tribune, 20 August 1873, 4.
10)
Article: New York Herald, 22 August 1873, 5.

Members of Maretzek’s forthcoming opera company.

11)
Article: Dwight's Journal of Music, 23 August 1873, 75.

Long biographical sketch that attempts to correct errors published by other papers.

12)
Article: New York Post, 23 August 1873, 2.

Roster and repertory.

13)
Article: New York Post, 05 September 1873, 2.

Brief biographical sketch of Tamberlik.

14)
Article: New York Sun, 06 September 1873, 2.

“Max Maretzek’s season of Italian opera will begin Oct. 6 at the Grand Opera House, continuing for only three weeks. Mr. Maretzek announces some new features in management which will commend themselves to popular favor. The repertoire of each week will be published in advance, and the public may engage their seats for any nights they please, with the understanding that if circumstances should necessitate a change of the performances the money for seats thus secured will be refunded if it is desired. No subscriptions will be solicited, nor will any seats be retained for a privileged class to the exclusion of the playing public. With Madame Lucca and Signor Tamberlik for his principal cards, Mr. Maretzek promises a full and talented company of artists, supplemented by a powerful chorus and orchestra. At this time it is only necessary to call attention to the near approach of the opening of the season to excite immediate interest in Mr. Maretzek’s undertaking.”

15)
Announcement: New-York Daily Tribune, 06 September 1873, 12.

“Mr. Max Maretzek displays to-day some of the features of his coming opera season at the Grand Opera House. In the first place he does not invite subscriptions, and, as there are no places reserved for the season, and no stockholders to monopolize the best seats, he congratulates himself upon his ability to offer everybody a fair chance. The house is elegant and cheerful, and has some advantages which will go far to counterbalance the superior prestige of the rival establishment in Irving place [Strakosch’s company]. The season will last only three weeks.”

16)
Article: New York Herald, 06 September 1873, 8.

“The season of Italian opera to be given at the Grand Opera house by Mr. Max Maretzek will begin on October 6 and last three weeks. Mr. Maretzek tersely announces that his principal artists will comprise Mme. Lucca, Mme. Ilma di Murska, Signor Tamberlik, Signor Vizziani, Signor Ronconi and Signor Jamet; that no subscription will be solicited; that the répertoire of each week will be published in advance; that no privileged seat will be retained to the exclusion of the paying public, and that in case of a change of performance the money will be refunded or the tickets exchanged. Some of these announcements are very pleasant, and all are to the point. The new comers are Mme. Ilma di Murska, the Austrian singer, of whom report has for several years spoken highly, and Signor Tamberlik, with whom we sincerely hope that New York is not making too late an acquaintance.”

17)
Article: New York Post, 06 September 1873, 2.

“Three weeks is the limit of the opera season of Mr. Maretzek, to begin at the Grand Opera house on Monday, October 6th. One of the most important announcements that this manager makes is that ‘no subscriptions will be solicited.’ The programme of each week’s performances will be published in advance, and in case of a change of opera, persons who have brought tickets can have them exchanged or their money returned. As there are no stockholders at the Grand Opera House, no seats will be retained to the exclusion of the paying public.”

18)
Article: New-York Times, 13 September 1873, 4.
“The Italian opera season at the Grand Opera-house [sic], though brief, gives promise of being exceedingly brilliant. Mr. MARETZEK comes before the public with a managerial reputation acquired after many years of trial, and now, under the impetus of powerful opposition, he has brought together a company which has certainly not been surpassed in New-York of late years. Mme. LUCCA still maintains her position as prima donna. The public have had many opportunities of judging of her qualifications. Her admirers are many and her detractors few. Her full, rich voice, of such wonderful volume and power, impressed her audience last season as no voice has since the advent of Mme. NILSSON. Mme. LUCCA’S intensity and force of acting in such characters as Valentine in the ‘Huguenots,’ and Leonora in ‘Favorita,’ give her a high place as a tragic actress, while the piquancy and humor of her impersonations of the two Zerlinas in ‘Don Giovanni’ and ‘Fra Diavolo’ go far to establish her claim to be considered the first comedy actress on the operatic stage. Mme. LUCCA has, however, a claim on the public stronger than all these. The remarkable earnestness and sincerity with which she enters into the delineation of each and all of her characters have won for her a fame which nothing short of genius could acquire. Critics often object to her on the ground that her singing has not always that respect for time and the composer’s intention, that it should have. Those who find fault with her, however, form a small minority, and merely serve to create that diversity of opinion which adds a zest to criticism.
 
Mme. ILMA DE MURSKA is a stranger to us, but she comes with a great reputation, and has been most noticeable for the possession of the very qualities Mme. LUCCA is said to lack. Her voice is of extraordinary compass, and her singing of the extremely difficult music of the Queen of the Night, in Mozart’s ‘Il Flauto Magico,’ is spoken of in terms of extravagant praise throughout Europe. In other characters, such as Lucia and Amina, in ‘La Sonnambula,’ Mme. DE MURSKA has made a brilliant record, and, indeed, in all characters requiring the display of what are facetiously termed musical pyrotechnics, she is believed to be unequaled. Signor TAMBERLICK, as principal tenor, comes to us with a reputation which is not surpassed by any living singer, and, as he has so often been announced to appear in New-York, expectation is likely to run very high in his case. In addition, Mr. MARETZEK has Signor VIZZANI, who last season patiently achieved a marked success, and M. JAMET, who, as a basso, has been before the public for two seasons, and has established himself as a most conscientious and artistic singer. Many new and comparatively unknown artistes are combined with those already mentioned, besides such tried favorites as Signor RONCONI and others, and while in the matters of orchestra and chorus it will be as well to be silent for the present, it is but fair to say that Mr. MARETZEK’S programme is altogether one of very great promise.
 
WAGNER’S ‘Lohengrin’ and ‘Flying Dutchman’ are announced, but on the point of the production of new operas, the public is painfully skeptical, and not without reason. However, if one of these operas is produced we shall be grateful, and accord to the manager all the praise he deserves. The season is announced to last only three weeks, and Mr. MARETZEK has determined to abolish the subscription system and, with simple faith and courage, rely upon the appreciation and purses of music-loving people generally.”
19)
Article: New-York Times, 14 September 1873, 4.

Quotation of a review of De Murska from the London Times.

20)
Article: New York Post, 15 September 1873, 2.

Article on recent critical appraisals of de Murzka.

21)
Announcement: New York Post, 20 September 1873, 4.

“Mlle. Ilma di Murska, the Hungarian prima donna of the Maretzek Star Combination, arrived this morning in the steamer Weser.”

22)
Article: New York Post, 25 September 1873, 1.

A long article previewing the troupe and planned season, but quite difficult to read owing to a black bar running down the left-hand side of the column.

23)
Announcement: New-York Daily Tribune, 25 September 1873, 2.

“Signor Tamberlik arrived from Europe yesterday, and the sale of seats for the opera under Mr. Maretzek’s management will open to-day. The season will begin with ‘Poliuto,’ in which Tamberlik has elsewhere made a marked sensation. Mme. Lucca will be the Paolina of the evening. Mme. Ilma di Murzka is to make her first appearance the next night in ‘Sonnambula.’”

24)
Announcement: New York Clipper, 27 September 1873, 206.

Tamberlik biography.

25)
Announcement: New York Herald, 27 September 1873, 3.

Brief. “Signor Tamberlik and M. Jamet, of the Maretzek Italian Opera Company, arrived in this city yesterday and are at the Fifth Avenue Hotel.”

26)
Announcement: New York Herald, 28 September 1873, 6.

“Tamberlik’s great scene in ‘Il Poliuto’ is the ‘Credo’ introduced by him at the conclusion of the second act. Signor Tamerblik has with much tact declined all invitations proffered him by clubs and societies until after his début in New York shall have taken place.”