Two

grand opera Grand opera is a genre of 19th-century opera generally in four or five acts, characterized by large-scale casts and orchestras, and (in their original productions) lavish and spectacular design and stage effects, normally with plots based on o ...

companies in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, Illinois, have gone by the name Chicago Grand Opera Company during the first half of the 20th century. Like many opera ventures in Chicago, both succumbed to financial difficulties within a few years, and it wasn't until 1954 that a lasting company was formed in the city.

First company, 1910–14

The first Chicago Grand Opera Company produced four seasons of opera in Chicago's

Auditorium Theater The Auditorium Theatre is a music and performance venue located inside the Auditorium Building at 50 Ida B. Wells Drive in Chicago, Illinois. Inspired by the Richardsonian Romanesque Style of architect Henry Hobson Richardson, the building was ...

from the fall of 1910 through January 1914. It was the first resident Chicago opera company, and was formed mostly from an arrangement by the directors of the New York

Metropolitan Opera Company The Metropolitan Opera (commonly known as the Met) is an American opera company based in New York City, resident at the Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, currently situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. The company is opera ...

(at "the Old Met" on 39th Street) to acquire the assets of Oscar Hammerstein's dissolved

Manhattan Opera Company The Manhattan Opera Company was an opera company based in New York City. Active from 1906 until 1910, it was founded by Oscar Hammerstein I. History The company began operations in 1906 at the Manhattan Opera House on 34th Street in New York City ...

Background

Hammerstein had been producing opera in competition with the Met for a number of years. His opposition, and difficulties arising from its own management disagreements cost the Metropolitan a deficit of close to $300,000 for the 1908–9 season; whereas Hammerstein made a profit of $229,000. He had opera stars such as

Luisa Tetrazzini Luisa Tetrazzini (June 29, 1871 in Florence – April 28, 1940 in Milan) was an Italian dramatic coloratura soprano of great international fame. Tetrazzini "had a scintillating voice with a brilliant timbre and a range and agility well b ...

Mary Garden A Mary garden is a small sacred garden enclosing a statue or shrine of the Virgin Mary, who is known to many Christians as the Blessed Virgin, Our Lady, or the Mother of God. In the New Testament, Mary is the mother of Jesus of Nazareth. Mary ...

, John McCormack and

Mario Sammarco (Giuseppe) Mario Sammarco (13 December 1868, although some sources say 1867 – 24 January 1930) was an Italian operatic baritone noted for his acting ability. Biography Sammarco was born in Palermo, Sicily, and studied locally with Antonio Can ...

at his service. However, he had considerably less success at his Philadelphia Opera House the following season, and on January 1, 1910 he confided to the press : "The operatic war is suicide."

Otto Kahn Otto Hermann Kahn (February 21, 1867 – March 29, 1934) was a German-born American investment banker, collector, philanthropist, and patron of the arts. Kahn was a well-known figure, appearing on the cover of ''Time'' magazine and was sometime ...

and his associates at the New York Met offered to buy Hammerstein out, and on April 26, 1910 he accepted $1,200,000 for his Manhattan and Philadelphia opera houses, plus an agreement that he and his son

Arthur Hammerstein Arthur Hammerstein (December 21, 1872 – October 12, 1955) was an American songwriter, dramatist, playwright and theater manager. Biography Born and educated to a Jewish family in New York City, Hammerstein was the son of the theater impresari ...

would not produce any opera for ten years in New York, Philadelphia, Boston or Chicago.

History

The Chicago company was capitalized at a half million dollars subscribed by fourteen men, including:

J. Ogden Armour Jonathan Ogden Armour (November 11, 1863 – August 16, 1927) was an American meatpacking magnate and only surviving son of Civil War–era industrialist Philip Danforth Armour. He became owner and president of Armour & Company upon the death of ...

, Martin A. Ryerson,

John G. Shedd John Graves Shedd (July 20, 1850October 22, 1926) was the second president, and chair of the board, of Marshall Field & Company. Biography Born on a New Hampshire farm on July 20, 1850, Shedd arrived in Chicago, Illinois in 1871 and began workin ...

, J. C. Shaffer (in the

elevator An elevator or lift is a wire rope, cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or deck (building), decks of a building, watercraft, ...

and grain business, part-controlled the

Chicago Board of Trade The Chicago Board of Trade (CBOT), established on April 3, 1848, is one of the world's oldest futures and options exchanges. On July 12, 2007, the CBOT merged with the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) to form CME Group. CBOT and three other excha ...

Samuel Insull Samuel Insull (November 11, 1859 – July 16, 1938) was a British-born American business magnate. He was an innovator and investor based in Chicago who greatly contributed to create an integrated electrical infrastructure in the United States ...

Charles G. Dawes Charles Gates Dawes (August 27, 1865 – April 23, 1951) was an American banker, general, diplomat, composer, and Republican politician who was the 30th vice president of the United States from 1925 to 1929 under Calvin Coolidge. He was a co-reci ...

Julius Rosenwald Julius Rosenwald (August 12, 1862 – January 6, 1932) was an American businessman and philanthropist. He is best known as a part-owner and leader of Sears, Roebuck and Company, and for establishing the Rosenwald Fund, which donated millions in ...

Charles L. Hutchinson Charles Lawrence Hutchinson (March 7, 1854 – October 7, 1924) was a prominent Chicago business leader and philanthropist who is best remembered today as the founding and long-time president of the Art Institute of Chicago. Background Hutch ...

, A. G. Becker, all of Chicago ; and

William K. Vanderbilt William Kissam "Willie" Vanderbilt I (December 12, 1849 – July 22, 1920) was an American heir, businessman, philanthropist and horsebreeder. Born into the Vanderbilt family, he managed his family's railroad investments. Early life William Kiss ...

, Otto Kahn, and

Clarence Mackay Clarence Hungerford Mackay (; April 17, 1874 – November 12, 1938) was an American financier. He was chairman of the board of the Postal Telegraph and Cable Corporation and president of the Mackay Radio and Telegraph Company. Early life He ...

. The latter three, all directors of the Metropolitan Opera Company, were represented in the affairs of the Chicago group by

Andreas Dippel Andreas Dippel (30 November 1866 – 12 May 1932) was a German-born operatic tenor and impresario who from 1908 to 1910 was the joint manager (with Giulio Gatti-Casazza) of the New York Metropolitan Opera. Biography Born Johann Andreas Dippel i ...

, previously second in charge at the Met under

Giulio Gatti-Casazza Giulio Gatti-Casazza (3 February 1869 – 2 September 1940) was an Italian opera manager. He was general manager of La Scala in Milan, Italy, from 1898 to 1908 and later the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1908 to 1935. Biography ...

, and who became General Manager in at the Chicago opera with

Cleofonte Campanini Cleofonte Campanini (1 September 1860 – 19 December 1919) was an Italian conductor. His brother was the tenor Italo Campanini. Biography Born in Parma, Italy on 1 September 1860, Campanini studied music at that city's conservatory, making h ...

as musical director. The company also spent several months each year performing in the city of Philadelphia where it performed at the renamed Philadelphia Metropolitan Opera House (previously owned by Hammerstein) under the name the Philadelphia-Chicago Grand Opera Company in order to "satisfy the civic pride" of that city.Special to the New York Times
''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', March 8, 1911 The company notably presented the world premieres of

Victor Herbert Victor August Herbert (February 1, 1859 – May 26, 1924) was an American composer, cellist and conductor of English and Irish ancestry and German training. Although Herbert enjoyed important careers as a cello soloist and conductor, he is be ...

's '' Natoma'' (1911) and Attilio Parelli's '' I dispettosi amanti'' (1912). The company also mounted the United States premieres of

Jean Nouguès Jean-Charles Nouguès (25 April 1875 – 28 August 1932) was a French composer of operas. Born in Bordeaux, Nouguès was from a wealthy family, and in his youth he received little formal musical training.Quo vadis ''Quō vādis?'' (, ) is a Latin phrase meaning "Where are you marching?". It is also commonly translated as "Where are you going?" or, poetically, "Whither goest thou?" The phrase originates from the Christian tradition regarding Saint Pete ...

'' (1911),

Karl Goldmark Karl Goldmark (born Károly Goldmark, Keszthely, 18 May 1830 – Vienna, 2 January 1915) was a Hungarian-born Viennese composer.Peter Revers, Michael Cherlin, Halina Filipowicz, Richard L. Rudolph The Great Tradition and Its Legacy 2004; , p. ...

's '' Das Heimchen am Herd'' (1912), and

Alberto Franchetti Alberto Franchetti (18 September 1860 – 4 August 1942) was an Italian composer, best known for the 1902 opera ''Germania''. Biography Alberto Franchetti was born in Turin, a Jewish nobleman of independent means. He studied first in Venice, the ...

's '' Cristoforo Colombo'' (1913). Notable performers who sang with the company included (in alphabetical order)

Paul Althouse Paul Shearer Althouse (December 2, 1889 – February 6, 1954) was an American opera singer. He began his career as a lyric tenor with a robust Italianate sound, in roles including Cavaradossi in ''Tosca'', Pinkerton in ''Madama Butterfly'', and T ...

Marguerite Bériza Marguerite Bériza (1879 – 1970) was a French opera singer who had an active international career during the first half of the 20th century. She began her career as a mezzo-soprano at the Opéra-Comique in 1900; ultimately transitioning into ...

, Alfredo Costa,

Armand Crabbé Charles Armand Crabbé (23 April 1883, Brussels – 24 July 1947, Brussels) was a Belgian operatic baritone. He studied at the Brussels Conservatory with Désiré Demest. In 1904 he made his professional opera debut at La Monnaie as the Nightwatc ...

Charles Dalmorès Charles Dalmorès (January 1, 1871 – December 6, 1939) was a French tenor. He enjoyed an international operatic career, singing to public and critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic during the first two decades of the 20th century. B ...

Dora de Phillippe Dora de Phillippe (born October 16, 1887 – died after February 1931), born Dora Auspitz, was a French soprano opera singer, based in North America, also known for her work in war relief during World War I. Early life Dora Auspitz was born in Pa ...

Enrica Clay Dillon Enrica Clay Dillon (June 22, 1885 – October 9, 1946) was an American opera singer, opera director, and voice teacher. Life and career Born in 1885 in Denver, Colorado,''Social Security Applications and Claims Index'', 1936-2007. Date: Oct 19 ...

, Jenny Dufau,

Hector Dufranne Hector Dufranne (25 October 1870 – 4 May 1951) was a Belgian operatic bass-baritone who enjoyed a long career that took him to opera houses throughout Europe and the United States for more than four decades. Admired for both his singing and hi ...

Minnie Egener Minnie Egener (1881–1938) was an American operatic mezzo-soprano. Biography She made her professional opera debut in 1904 at the Metropolitan Opera as one of the flower maidens in Richard Wagner's ''Parsifal''. In 1906 she moved to Italy and ...

Amy Evans Amy Evans (24 October 1884 – 5 January 1983) was a Welsh soprano and actress known for her performances in oratorio, recitals, and opera. She also made some music recordings beginning in 1906. In 1910, she played the leading role of Selene ...

Jeanne Gerville-Réache Jeanne Gerville-Réache (26 March 1882 – 5 January 1915) was a French operatic contralto from the Belle Époque. She possessed a remarkably beautiful voice, an excellent singing technique, and wide vocal range which enabled her to perform seve ...

Orville Harrold Orville Harrold (17 November 1877 – 23 October 1933) was an American operatic tenor and musical theatre actor. He began his career in 1906 as a performer in operettas in New York City, and was also seen during his early career in cabare ...

Gustave Huberdeau Gustave Huberdeau (10 May 1874 – 31 May 1945) was a French operatic bass-baritone who had a prolific career in Europe and the United States during the first quarter of the twentieth century. He sang a wide repertoire encompassing material from ...

Frances Ingram Elizabeth Frances Ingram (5 November 1888 – 12 April 1974) was an American operatic contralto of English birth who had an active career in North America during the 1910s and 1920s. Life and career Born in Liverpool, Ingram was a graduate of N ...

Lydia Lipkowska Lydia Yakolevna Lipkowska (Russian: Лидия Яковлевна Липковская. Ukrainian: Лідія Яківна Липковська; 10 May 1882 – 22 March 1958) was a Russian operatic soprano of Ukrainian origin who had an acti ...

Vanni Marcoux Jean-Émile Diogène Marcoux (12 June 1877 – 22 October 1962) was a French operatic bass-baritone, known professionally as Vanni Marcoux (sometimes hyphenated as Vanni-Marcoux). He was particularly associated with the French and Italian r ...

Carmen Melis Carmen Melis (15 August 1885 – 19 December 1967) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a major international career during the first four decades of the 20th century. She was known, above all, as a verismo soprano, and was one of the most int ...

Lucien Muratore Lucien Muratore (29 August 1876 – 16 July 1954, in Paris) was a French actor and operatic tenor, particularly associated with the French repertory. Life and career Lucien Muratore was born Marseille to Italian parents from Piedmont. He trai ...

Giovanni Polese Giovanni Polese (1873 – January 1952) was an Italian operatic baritone who had an active international singing career from 1894-1928. He achieved the height of his success in the United States in the years 1908-1916 in the cities of Boston, Chi ...

Albert Reiss Albert Reiss also ''Albert Reiß'' (22 February 1870 – 19 June 1940) was a German operatic tenor who had a prolific career in Europe and the United States. He spent much of his career performing at the Metropolitan Opera where he sang in more ...

Myrna Sharlow Myrna Docia Sharlow (19 July 1893 – 14 August 1952) was an American soprano who had an active performance career in operas and concerts during the 1910s through the 1930s. She began her career in 1912 with the Boston Opera Company and became on ...

Tarquinia Tarquini Tarquinia Tarquini (1882 - 25 February 1976) was an Italian dramatic soprano and the wife of composer Riccardo Zandonai. Biography Born in Colle di Val d'Elsa, Tarquini studied singing at the Milan Conservatory and privately in Florence. She ma ...

, Alice Zeppilli, and

Nicola Zerola Nicola Zerola (1876 – 21 July 1936) was an Italian operatic tenor who had an active international career from 1898-1928. He began his career in his native country, but was soon heard in concerts and operas internationally during the first years ...

among others. After a season with no performances, the company was re-formed as the

Chicago Opera Association The Civic Opera Company (1922–1931) was a Chicago company that produced seven seasons of grand opera in the Auditorium Theatre from 1922 to 1928, and three seasons at its own Civic Opera House from 1929 to 1931 before falling victim to financi ...

, which ran from 1915–1921, and was re-constituted as the

Chicago Civic Opera The Civic Opera Company (1922–1931) was a Chicago company that produced seven seasons of grand opera in the Auditorium Theatre from 1922 to 1928, and three seasons at its own Civic Opera House from 1929 to 1931 before falling victim to financi ...

, which ran from 1921–1932.

Second company, 1933–35

The second Chicago Grand Opera Company was an attempt to keep opera going in Chicago after the collapse of the Chicago Civic Opera in 1932. It produced three seasons of opera at the

Civic Opera House The Civic Opera House, also called Lyric Opera House is an opera house located at 20 North Wacker Drive in Chicago. The Civic's main performance space, named for Ardis Krainik, seats 3,563, making it the second-largest opera auditorium in North ...

from 1933 to 1935 before it too succumbed to financial difficulties. It was succeeded by the

Chicago City Opera Company The Chicago City Opera Company was a grand opera company in Chicago, organized from the remaining assets of the bankrupt Chicago Grand Opera Company, that produced four seasons of opera at the Civic Opera House from 1935 to 1939 before it too suc ...

, 1936–1939, and then the

Chicago Opera Company The Chicago Opera Company was a grand opera company in Chicago, organized from the remaining assets of the bankrupt Chicago City Opera Company, that produced six seasons of opera at the Civic Opera House from 1940 to 1946 (excluding 1943). Art ...

, 1940–1946. There was no resident opera company after that until 1954, when the Lyric Theatre of Chicago was established, and re-named

Lyric Opera of Chicago Lyric Opera of Chicago is one of the leading opera companies in the United States. It was founded in Chicago in 1954, under the name 'Lyric Theatre of Chicago' by Carol Fox, Nicola Rescigno and Lawrence Kelly, with a season that included Maria ...

two years later.

References

;Bibliography * Davis, Ronald L. (1966). ''Opera in Chicago''. New York City: Appleton. * {{cite book , last=Kolodin , first=Irving , title=The Metropolitan Opera 1883–1939 , origyear=1936 , year=1940 , place=New York , publisher=Oxford University Press , edition=2nd , url=https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.29129/page/n3 * Marsh, Robert C.; Pellegrini, Norman (2006).''150 Years of Opera in Chicago''. Chicago: Northern Illinois University Press. {{Chicago {{Chicago mtp {{authority control Opera companies in Chicago Musical groups established in 1910 Musical groups disestablished in 1914 Performing groups established in 1910