[Met Performance] CID:55030



La Bohème
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, November 20, 1913




La Bohème (120)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/Giuseppe Giacosa
Mimì
Lucrezia Bori

Rodolfo
Giovanni Martinelli

Musetta
Bella Alten

Marcello
Antonio Scotti

Schaunard
Adamo Didur

Colline
Andrés De Segurola

Benoit
Paolo Ananian

Alcindoro
Antonio Pini-Corsi

Parpignol
Pietro Audisio

Sergeant
Vincenzo Reschiglian


Conductor
Giorgio Polacco


Director
Jules Speck

Costume Designer
Blaschke & Cie





La Bohème received ten performances this season.

Review 1:

Review of Algernon St. John-Brennon in the Telegraph:

The performance of "La Boheme" given last night at the Metropolitan Opera House will have its place in local lyric annals, if for nothing else than the new tenor, Giovanni Martinelli, made his first appearance, and that Sir Owen Johnson was dissatisfied, not with Signor Martinelli, but with other elements of the representation. We mention this, because as Voltaire has pointed out, there is always something magnificent in dissatisfaction. I love magnificence.

Mr. Martinelli's initial exhibition of his powers, namely the Raconto in the first act was received with tumultuous applause. There was an Italian portion of the audience, and an American portion of it, too, to whom he made a decided appeal. To state this is due to accuracy of record. The voice itself is decidedly a good, though not an overwhelming one.

It is that of a very young man, ardent, hopeful and eager, but inexperienced in the tactics of his craft. It would be absurd to pass a final judgment on an undoubtedly gifted, if not fully developed, artist appearing for the first time before an audience notoriously indifferent, incredulous and cynical. A natural nervousness cramped and limited the full display of his vocal powers. But there is always something attractive in youth, gift and struggle. So the sympathies of his hearers went out to him, for they know that he was confronting the strength of mighty comparisons.

The attitude of the irredentist Carusoians in the auditory was worth observation. The moment they were definitely persuaded that the new tenor was not likely to interfere with their idol, they joined heartily in the clapping.



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