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The Mapleson Cylinders - Program Notes
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Johanna Gadski
(1872-1932), German soprano from Anklam, was
first brought to New York in 1895 by Walter Damrosch, to sing with his Wagner
Opera Company at the Met. After appearing for three seasons with Damrosch, she
made her official Metropolitan Opera debut as Senta in Der
fliegende Holländer on January 6, 1900. Gadski sang major roles with
the company for sixteen seasons, leaving when America entered the First World
War. An extraordinarily useful artist, she sang fifty-one performances of
opera, four Sunday-night concerts, and one outside engagement during the
1902-03 season. Her roles were Elsa, Elisabeth, Valentine in
Huguenots, Sieglinde, Aida, Eva, Amelia in
Ballo, Pamina, Ero in Mancinelli's Ero e Leandro, Donna Elvira, Roschen in Ethel Smyth's Der Wald, and Micaela, as well as the soprano solo in Rossini's
Stabat Mater. For these she was paid at the rate of
$800 per performance, which, with adjustments, came to $41,100
for the season. AIDA (Aida): Side 5/Bands 1, 9, 10
ERO E LEANDRO (Ero): Side 6/Band 9
HUGUENOTS (Valentine): Side 2/Band 2
LOHENGRIN (Elsa): Side 8/Bands 1, 2, 6, 7
TANNHÄUSER (Elisabeth): Side 9/Band 4
WALKÜRE (Sieglinde): Side 10/Band 8
