Metropolitan Opera Archives

Ina Bourskaya, the Russian singer who was the sensation of the season of opera given by the Russian company here last spring, was introduced last evening as a member of the Metropolitan Opera Company and in a role that indicated the estimate of her worth as made by the management of the latter organization. The role was that much desired by leading women in opera - that of Carmen - and Miss Bourskaya found the part sufficiently congenial. At first she made a rather poor impression, for she has not that dash and impetuosity that seem so inherent to the role. It may be that she was nervous at her Metropolitan debut here. At any rate she seemed colorless and her face scarcely changed in expression, having no suggestion of the sensuous and emotional being. There was richness in her tones and she sang sufficiently well. Later she became more assured, although she did not really find herself until the concluding act, when she appeared as the proud beloved of Escamillo and when she treated with disdain the heart-broken Don José. That scene was given with much of emotional finish and there were real thrills in the enactment by Carmen and by Orville Harrold, who was in the role of Don José.

The performance did not have many high spots, except that attained by Giuseppe de Luca, who was the Escamillo and whose voicing of the Toreador aria was brilliant and really superb. He was, as always, a most satisfying artist. Harrold had his moments of superior singing, but he was uneven in his accomplishment, and so the opera in its performance was rather uninspiring. The dancing by the ballet and especially by Rosina Galli and her male partner, Bonfiglio, was a picturesque feature. Nina Morgana sang pleasantly the role of Micaela, but rather faultily. Charlotte Ryan and Henriette Wakefield made a good Frasquita and Mercedes respectively, and Louis d'Angelo, George Meader and others aided in giving the performance quality.

Search by season: 1922-23

Search by title: Carmen,

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