The Metropolitan’s Premiere
137 years ago, Madame Sembrich set sail for the United States and a new opportunity with the fledgling Metropolitan Opera Company. On October 24, 1883, at the Met's second ever performance, Sembrich debuted in the title role of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, dazzling the New York audience and receiving this review from the New York Times:
"No singer ever won the recognition of a New York audience more easily than Mme. Sembrich did. The very first note she uttered seemed to establish her in the favor of her hearers, and before the curtain had been lowered upon the first act the new prima donna's triumph was complete."
Program from Sembrich's 1883 debut. (Oct. 24, 1883) - From The Metropolitan Opera Archives (click here to view larger)
Sembrich as Lucia in Worth Gown (1883) Photograph by Mora, Broadway, New York City. Photo from The Sembrich Collection
To learn more about the importance of Lucia di Lammermoor in Madame Sembrich's career, view our online presentation "Marcella Sembrich and the Role of a Lifetime."
