[Met Performance] CID:58120



La Traviata
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, November 26, 1914




La Traviata (92)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
Violetta
Frieda Hempel

Alfredo
Luca Botta

Germont
Pasquale Amato

Flora
Minnie Egener

Gastone
Angelo Badà

Baron Douphol
Vincenzo Reschiglian

Marquis D'Obigny
Bernard Bégué

Dr. Grenvil
Paolo Ananian

Annina
Marie Mattfeld

Dance
Rosina Galli


Conductor
Giorgio Polacco


Director
Jules Speck





La Traviata received six performances this season.

Review 1:

Review in the Standard

HOLIDAY OPERA AT METROPOLITAN

With Frieda Hempel in the leading role, the success of last night's "Traviata" at the Metropolitan Opera House was reasonably certain. Her first appearance this sea-son in the part of Dumas' sickly heroine was such as to renew immediately the confidence of the audience in her powers us a colorature whose safekeeping may be entrusted all the difficult roles of the old florid school.?Of course externally her Violetta presents such a superb picture of good health that one can hardly accept her death from consumption as anything but a pathetic fallacy. In the course of time Violettas have succeeded in establishing a convention of good health from which Frieda Hempel apparently refuses to depart. And perhaps it is just as well. It would be a pity to interrupt Verdi's delightful melodies even for a moment with any excessive tubercular manifestations. Such things have their place in the modern "slice of life" drama or what is almost the same thing - the psychopathic ward.

In voice Miss Hempel was a trifle cloudy in the uppermost register. But she again demonstrated the extraordinary breadth of range which she can command, depositing in all its parts the richest quality of tone. Such a vocal organ cultivated in every direction offered a striking contrast to the voice of Luca Botta, who sang Alfredo last night. As they sang their duets together, it seemed as though Frieda Hempel could ignore everything that Botta had ever learned and yet be none the worse for it. Aside from a pleasing presence, Botta had very little in his favor. And it requires much sterner stuff to make a great tenor.

Pasquale Amato sang Germont He was not in his best voice, especially in the early part of the second act, but toward the end he picked up magnificently and convinced the audience that he was more than master of his task. It is unfortunate that the double-breasted coat worn by irate but estimable fathers of Camille's generation, should make Amato look too much like the coachman of our present day. In the lesser roles were heard Mattfeld, Bada, Reschiglian, Begue and Ananian. Polacco gave the score its proper reading and received his share of the applause.

Review 2:

Review of W. J. Henderson in the Sun

Frieda Hempel as Violetta, Luca Botta as Alfredo and Pasquale Amato as Giorgio Germont were the chief singers. Miss Hempel sang well except in spots where she indulged in injudicious assaults upon high tones. For example, her "Ah, fors e lui" was beautifully sung except in the last two measures, and her "Sempre libra" had a fine spirit. Mr. Botta was in poor voice and was unable to sing with the ease and freedom which he exhibited in "La Bohème." Mr. Amato's Germont is always excellent, and Mr. Polacco conducted the performance with a wise insistence upon vivacity of movement.



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