The 1921 death of Italian tenor Enrico Caruso marked the end of an era.
The 1920s may be known as the Jazz Age, but the world's premier opera houses staged some of that decade's most dramatic performances and productions. It was an eventful time in all the performing arts -- especially music. From the death of legendary Italian tenor Enrico Caruso to innovative theatrical works staged in Paris and Berlin, the 1920s were exciting years for opera.
Paris Opera
Paris flourished with artistic and cultural activity in the 1920s. Some of the most celebrated artists were Russian migr s like composer Igor Stravinsky and renowned impresario Sergei Diaghilev, who founded the Ballets Russes. Stravinsky's Russian-themed comic opera, Mavra, opened at the Paris Opera in 1922, staged with the help of Diaghilev. The following year marked the premiere of Albert Roussel's "Padmâvâti," an Indian-inspired opera-ballet. The Paris Opera thrived during the 1920s with a mix of classical, neoclassical and avant-garde productions.
Staatsoper Berlin
Between the end of World War I and Adolf Hitler's rise to power in 1933, Germany underwent a period of cultural transformation. As the capital of the Weimar Republic, Berlin was an important center of performing arts. The Berlin State Opera (Staatsoper), established in the 1700s, set the stage for radical changes in operatic and musical theater. In 1925 Alban Berg's expressionist opera, "Wozzeck," had its scandalous world premiere. Condemned by the Nazis as "decadent art," it stands the test of time as an influential German-language opera. Three years later, "The Threepenny Opera" -- Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht's musical comedy masterpiece -- opened at the Staatsoper to mixed reviews but later garnered popular appeal.
The Metropolitan Opera
Enrico Caruso, the superstar of New York's Metropolitan Opera, gave his last performance in 1920. His death the following year was mourned throughout the music world. Without a true successor, Caruso's roles went to other tenors such as Beniamino Gigli and Giovanni Martinelli. Famed baritone Laurence Tibbett and soprano Rosa Ponselle made their debuts at the Met mid-decade. In 1926 the company staged the American premiere of Giacomo Puccini's final opera, "Turandot," which received rave reviews. After the Wall Street crash of 1929, the Met lost its Gilded Age nest egg and had to seek new sources of funding.
Teatro alla Scala
World-famous conductor Arturo Toscanini served as music director of Milan's La Scala (Teatro alla Scala) throughout the 1920s. An outspoken critic of Benito Mussolini's regime, he refused to lead the Fascist national anthem, "Giovinezza," before his concerts. In 1926 he conducted the European premiere of Puccini's "Turandot," left incomplete after the composer's death, with soprano Rosa Raisa in the title role opposite her husband, baritone Giacomo Rimini. Later in the decade, Toscanini astonished La Scala audiences with modernist scores by Arthur Honegger and Igor Stravinsky.
Tags: Enrico Caruso, Paris Opera, alla Scala, following year, Igor Stravinsky, Italian tenor, Italian tenor Enrico
