Metropolitan Opera Archives

Two changes of cast gave an altered aspect to the season's fifth "Walküre" presented at "popular" Saturday night. The thousands who took advantage of the opportunity to hear the Wagner music-drama at the reduced admission charges heard the best performance accorded the work so far this season. Florence Easton's Sieglinde was lovely to look upon and equally lovely to hear. In voice, action and appearance it stimulated, and it satisfied. True, there were many phrases in the first act that seemed low for her, as they have been for Mme. Jeritza; and it was true, also, that her exceptionally clear enunciation seemed unnecessarily to stress some of the least euphonious sounds of the German text, but hers was easily the most musical and, dramatically, the most convincing Sieglinde of the season. Pity 'tis, that a striking personality often counts for more in the matter of success in opera than the most intelligent and painstaking art!

There was also a new Siegmund in Morgan Kingston. He sang the rôle better than it has been sung in recent memory, as far as tone quality and smoothness of production were at issue, and looked the Walsung hero. His acting, if of a stereotyped character, had the virtue of restraint. Perhaps he did not show the fullest respect for the composer's intent in his treatment of the music, but he did respect the ears of his auditors. It was a pleasure to hear the Spring apostrophe really sung, not barked, gasped and bleated in evident distress. Doubtless, increased familiarity with the part would enable Mr. Kingston to do still better with it, both as to song and action.

Margaret Matzenauer again was a Brünnhilde of heroic mold, Clarence Whitehill's Wotan was vocally and dramatically superb, Jeanne Gordon was a rich-voiced Fricka and William Gustafson, deeper in the part than when he first essayed it, an excellent Hunding. Artur Bodanzky conducted, and, aside from details of disputed tempi, the orchestra revelled in a sumptuous exposition of the titanic score. The stage management was improved, particularly in various technical effects such as the moving clouds, but the substitution of hissing steam for flames in the "magic fire" scene remains a sorry confession of inadequacy somewhere

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