Metropolitan Opera Inaugural Night and 2nd Night Clips 1883 !

Exceedingly rare clip from an original program for the 1st, inaugural night of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the famous October 22nd, 1883 performance of Faust with Christine Nilsson as Marguerite and Italo Campanini in the title role.

These are all originals, not copies. Also included is a clip from the same program, announcing the performance on the 2nd night ever, with Lucia di Lammermoor starring Marcella Sembrich in the title role, 2 days later, on October 24th, 1883, plus an original clip from that program. A total of 3 original clips, 2 from the first night ever, and 1 from the 2nd night.

Inaugural clip is 4.2 x 9.2 inches, 2nd night announcement clip is 4.1 x 7.5 inches, and 2nd night program clip is 4.1 x 8.2 inches, all in excellent condition.

Also included are:

- An extremely rare prospectus, 14 pages plus soft covers, explaining about the 1st Met season and the opening night with Faust followed by the second with Lucia. This prospectus was probably given to attendees on the first night. Each page is 6 x 9.25 inches, repaired binding and some cracks, but complete and in overall very good condition. This is a booklet we have never seen before, see scan of the front cover.

- A 4-page program for a performance at the end of season one (April 21st, 1884), the farewell of the Met Manager Henry E. Abbey. The Met Opera company had a financially disastrous first season, and Abbey was asked to resign. Each page is 6 x 7.9 inches, in very good condition. See scans of cover and inside (pages 2 and 3).

- An article from Harper´s Monthly Magazine, 1883, about the newly founded Metropolitan Opera company and the new building, 13 pages, 6.6 x 9.6 inches, in excellent condition.

This is the first time we see clips from the inaugural night at the Met Opera in the market, outside the archives at the Lincoln Center.