Metropolitan Opera Archives

Appearing in her third part at the Metropolitan, Amelita Galli-Curci applied the plush of her lovely lyric singing to the music which Verdi wrote for the ill-fated Gilda, and thus invested with a new charm an opera that Metropolitan subscribers have never been long without. The 1921 "Rigoletto" also assumed its place in the season's répertoire with an entirely new scenic investiture, the four sets having been designed in Milan by Vittoria Rota and the two interiors executed by him, whereas the second and last scenes were painted by the Fox Studios in New York from Rota 's designs. The House of Sparafucile, in particular, is a distinct improvement over the old settings. All follow time-honored lines.

Another element of novelty in the performance was the restoration of the final duet between Gilda and Rigoletto, which has been cut in recent representations of the work at the Metropolitan. Musically, it is an effective page of typically Verdian melody, but dramatically it is an absurdity characteristic of the period in which "Rigoletto" was written.

Of Mme. Galli-Curci's Gilda it must be said again that it has many moments of very beautiful lyric singing. All things considered, no Gilda of recent years has excelled her, though she, herself, has sung the role quite as well or better with the Chicagoans. Instead of the usual altissimo flight which customarily attends the exit of Gilda after the "Caro Nome," she evoked an outburst of applause by a prolonged quaver which seemed greatly to excite the audience - but was it intended to be a trill?

Mario Chamlee's Duke was an engaging one, but suffered, vocally, from driving the voice unnecessarily in his upper tones. Giuseppe de Luca's Rigoletto had its familiar measure of very good singing and excellent acting, if somewhat lacking in tragic power. Leon Rothier's Sparafucile was the most creditable of the lesser impersonations. The Maddalena was Marion Telva, not so satisfying vocally as she has been in certain other roles, and the cast also included Louise Berat, Minnie Egener, Emma Borniggia, Paolo Ananian, Angelo Bada, and Vincenzo Reschiglian. Gennaro Papi conducted.

Search by season: 1921-22

Search by title: Rigoletto,

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