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The Reception of Richard Strauss's Salome, Elektra, and Der City University of New York (CUNY) CUNY Academic Works All Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects 9-2018 Strauss and the City: The Reception of Richard Strauss’s Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier within New York City, 1907–1934 Christopher G. Ogburn The Graduate Center, City University of New York How does access to this work benefit ou?y Let us know! More information about this work at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gc_etds/2810 Discover additional works at: https://academicworks.cuny.edu This work is made publicly available by the City University of New York (CUNY). Contact: [email protected] STRAUSS AND THE CITY: THE RECEPTION OF RICHARD STRAUSS’S SALOME, ELEKTRA, AND DER ROSENKAVALIER WITHIN NEW YORK CITY, 1907–1934 by CHRISTOPHER G. OGBURN A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty in Music in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, The City University of New York 2018 ii © 2018 Christopher G. Ogburn All Rights Reserved iii Strauss and the City: The Reception of Richard Strauss’s Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier within New York City, 1907–1934 by Christopher G. Ogburn This manuscript has been read and accepted by the Graduate Faculty in Music in satisfaction of the dissertation requirement for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. __________________ ____________________________________ Date Professor Scott Burnham Chair of Examining Committee __________________ ____________________________________ Date Professor Norman Carey Executive Officer Supervisory Committee: Professor Chadwick Jenkins, Adviser Professor Janette Tilley, First Reader Professor John Graziano THE CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK iv ABSTRACT Strauss and the City: The Reception of Richard Strauss’s Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier within New York City, 1907–1934 by Christopher G. Ogburn Adviser: Chadwick Jenkins New York City at the beginning of the twentieth century was growing into its status as one of the world’s great cultural centers. At the same time, across the Atlantic, Richard Strauss was emerging as Germany’s preeminent composer. The city and Strauss, although seemingly unrelated, were more intertwined than it would at first appear. This study examines this connection through a reception history of Strauss’s Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier in the city, beginning in 1907 with the New York City premiere of Salome and concluding in 1934 when the opera returned to the Metropolitan’s stage. The reception of Strauss in the city provides a unique vantage point to observe the critical reactions to Strauss by his contemporaries. Removed from Europe, New York City’s critics occupied an important distance from their European compatriots, which provided them with a distinct perspective. Along the way, I also utilize the music of Germany’s most prominent opera composer to examine the German American community, who used music to foster a sense of communal identity. This study focuses on opera, rather than the popular theater, to explore both internal and external attitudes towards German Americans as a cultural and ethnic group. My ultimate goal is threefold: to v examine an important moment in New York City’s cultural history, to shine light on an immigrant community that was critical in the formation of the city’s cultural, social, and political identity, yet has now been largely forgotten, and to consider the contemporary attitudes towards a significant twentieth-century musical figure. vi Acknowledgements As with most endeavors in life, this was not a solitary project. I am grateful to my committee members for their encouragement, guidance, and advice. I would like to particularly express my gratitude to my adviser, Chadwick Jenkins, for his patience, counsel, and support in this process. I am also grateful to my first reader, Janette Tilley, whose keen editing and insightful suggestions were vital in shaping this project. Additionally, I would like to thank my committee members: John Graziano and Scott Burnham, who both provided invaluable insights and thoughtful commentaries. I have been fortunate to have many colleagues who have helped me along the way. In particular, I would like to thank Paulina Colón, whose encouragement has gone far beyond the pages of this work. Likewise, Danielle Barrettara, whose friendship has proved even more enduring than the Treats Truck. Without your humor, support, and encouragement, this project would not have been possible. To my family, I am forever grateful. My sisters, Stacy and Erica, have been a continual source of love, plus some occasional exasperation. My niece, Gemma, has reminded me that there is sometimes more to life than Wagner and Strauss. To my father, Robah, thank you for starting me down this path so many years ago. Your encouragement and love of music instilled in me a drive to pursue the study of music in the first place. To my mother, Jeannie, I can never express how much you have helped me along the way. Despite the ups and downs, you have always been a constant source of comfort and love. Finally, I am immeasurably grateful for the most important person in my life, my wife, Erin, who has never ceased to amaze me with her boundless love, encouragement, and optimism. vii From attending countless performances at the Met to reading through drafts, you have made this entire project possible. This simply would not have happened without you. viii Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 1: Opera Comes to New York: The Early Nineteenth Century Emergence of Italian and German Opera ............................................................................................. 6 Chapter 2: The “German Years” and the Salvation of the Metropolitan Opera House: 1884–1891 ............................................................................. 22 Chapter 3: Germans in the New World: The Nineteenth-Century Immigration Boom and the Building of a German Metropolis .......................................................................... 66 Chapter 4: Strauss Comes to the City: The Tone Poems and the 1904 Visit ....................... 90 Chapter 5: “Schreckliches Kann Geschehn”: Salome Takes the Stage ............................... 144 Chapter 6: Richard and Hammerstein: The Manhattan Opera Company and the Return of Strauss ................................................................................................. 197 Chapter 7: Strauss and the Specters of the World Wars ..................................................... 226 Epilogue: Tidings to Come: Strauss, the National Socialists, and the Dissolution of “German” America ....................................................................................................... 273 Appendix: Metropolitan Opera Premieres During the “German Years” (1884–1891) ........ 289 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 291 ix List of Tables Table 3.1: Foreign-Born German-Speaking Residents of New York County ................. 69 Table 4.1: New York City Premieres of Strauss’s Symphony in F Minor and the Tone Poems ...................................................................................................... 91 Table 4.2: Selected New York City Concert Appearances of Strauss in 1904 ...............132 Introduction New York City at the beginning of the twentieth century—home to orchestras and opera houses, a thriving theatrical scene, and a robust industry churning out the popular tunes of the day on Tin Pan Alley—was quickly growing into its status as one of the world’s great cultural centers. At the same time, across the Atlantic, Richard Strauss was emerging as Germany’s preeminent composer. New York City and Strauss, although seemingly unrelated, were more intertwined than it would at first appear. This study examines this connection through a reception history of Strauss’s Salome, Elektra, and Der Rosenkavalier in New York, beginning in 1907 with the New York City premiere of Salome and concluding in 1934 when the opera returned to the Metropolitan’s stage. Along the way, I utilize the music of Germany’s most prominent opera composer to also examine the position of the German American community in the United States. This study focuses on opera, rather than the popular theater, to explore both internal and external attitudes towards German Americans as a cultural and ethnic group during one of the most tumultuous periods in the community’s history. My ultimate goal is threefold: to examine an important moment in New York City’s cultural history, to shine light on an immigrant community that was critical in the formation of the city’s cultural, social, and political identity, yet has now been largely forgotten, and to consider the contemporary attitudes towards a significant twentieth-century musical figure. When Strauss’s operas began to appear on the city’s stages, New York was coming into its own. Although it had attained its status as the operatic—and arguably cultural—capital of the United States, New York City still sought to compare itself with the cultural centers of Europe, while simultaneously shedding its legacy as a cultural backwater. Exploring how the city reacted 2 to Strauss’s music at this moment allows for a closer look into this critical juncture in its cultural history. Examining the reception of Strauss’s
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