[Met Performance] CID:83390



Madama Butterfly
Metropolitan Opera House, Sat, February 24, 1923

Debut : Thalia Sabanieeva




Madama Butterfly (165)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/ Giuseppe Giacosa
Cio-Cio-San
Thalia Sabanieeva [Debut]

Pinkerton
Beniamino Gigli

Suzuki
Flora Perini

Sharpless
Antonio Scotti

Goro
Giordano Paltrinieri

Bonze
Louis D'Angelo

Yamadori
Pietro Audisio

Kate Pinkerton
Myrtle Schaaf

Commissioner
Vincenzo Reschiglian

Yakuside
Paolo Quintina


Conductor
Roberto Moranzoni





Sabanieeva was billed as Sabanieva during her first two seasons with the company.

Review 1:

Review of W. J. Henderson in the Herald

New Soprano Has Successful Debut as Mme. Butterfly

Sabanieeva Sings Role at Short Notice and Makes Good Impression.

"Madama Butterfly" was repeated at the Metropolitan Opera House last evening. Interest in the performance was centered in the unexpected advent of a new Butterfly, small and dainty, as the unfortunate Japanese bride. Mme. Thalia Sabanieeva sang Cio-Cio-San in place of Mme. Reinhardt whose illness continues. Mme. Sabanieeva, who hails from Greece, with much of her life spent in Russia, had planned to make her first appearance with the company as Mimi in "La Bohème" at the Philadelphia performance next Tuesday evening. Butteflies of many types have appeared as the little Nagasaki maid, and it is safe to say that Mme. Sabanieeva's Cio-Cio-San is one of the eminently satisfactory ones in many respects. Like most prima donnas she does not completely look the part of the little fifteen-year-old maid, but her appearance almost approaches that youthful figure and her voice is admirably adapted to the youthful illusion of the first act. It is a light voice, clear and lyric, and her phrases are delivered with a quality of tone well suited to the expression of their meaning.

In the more difficult lyric passages the finished character of her art was even more noticeable and the ingeniousness of the faithful girl now an anguished mother was maintained with much dramatic skill. Her success with a large audience was made known in no uncertain fashion.

Mr. Gigli made a manly Pinkerton and sang well. Mr. Scotti's Sharpless there can be but a repetition of former praise. Miss Perini as Suzuki and Mr. Paltrinieri as Goro were valuable features of the performance. Mr. Moranzoni conducted.



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