[Met Performance] CID:82220



Tosca
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, December 1, 1922









Review 1:

Review of B. B. in Musical America

A New "Mario" for "Tosca"

The second "Tosca" of the season, besides presenting again Maria Jeritza in her Viennese version of the role of the Roman singer and Antonio Scotti in his most famous characterization, that of Baron Scarpia, provided a third Metropolitan part for Edward Johnson, who was the Mario Cavaradossi of the cast. The Canadian-American tenor began as one in vocal difficulties but improved as the performance progressed, singing "E Lucevan le Stelle" in the last act much more successfully than he did "Recondita Armonia" in the first. In bearing and appearance he was a more romantic Mario than some of his Italian confreres. A newcomer in the cast was Italo Picchi, who fared well enough with the part of the fugitive Angelotti. Others participating were Cecil Arden, Pompilio Malatesta, Vincenzo Reschiglian, Louis D'Angelo, and Giordano Paltrinieri. Roberto Moranzoni conducted with his customary fervor, if not always in agreement with the rhythmic vagaries of the soprano in the flirtatious music of the first act. The horripilating scene of the torture chamber and the subsequent struggle between Scarpia and Tosca was, if anything, a degree more frantic than usual. It would seem, however, that the excitement which this scene creates has begun to diminish perceptibly. The audience called the principals before the curtain many times and Mme. Jeritza took a number of bows alone after the second act by way of compensation for not appearing at all after the first, when she tore her dress in leaving the stage.



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