Metropolitan Opera Archives

The performance of "Gotterdaemmerung" at the Metropolitan Opera House last evening held the interest of a large audience through its inordinate length. There was one change in the cast, but that one effected a considerable improvement in the ensemble. Mr. Laubenthal was the Siegfried and this was his first venture in the role in any house. He is in certain important respects better suited to the part than Mr. Taucher, whose sincerity and devotion have already been recognized in this place.

But Mr. Laubenthal has a better stage presence. He looks more like the hero whose fame echoed through the Siebengebirge. Neither of these tenors can reach the necessary illusion in the part. Only Albert Niemann ever seemed to be the superman whom Wagner had in mind, and only Jean de Reszke sang the music so as to bring out all its beauty. It would probably be impossible to find a tenor who could both sing and act the role perfectly.

Mr. Laubenthal's performance was praiseworthy, but this must be said with a reservation acknowledging the conventions. His action was not suggestive of spontaneity. His voice is not a great one nor his singing of the finest quality, but his reading of the part was intelligent and fitted well into the ensemble.

Mme. Nanny Larsen-Todsen was a better Bruennhilde than at her first appearance. Her voice was less tremulous and her singing suffered less from the natural anxiety of a debut which led her to overstress many of her points. Her voice is one of hard quality and her delivery of the music is often metallic where it should be mellow. But she is a woman of excellent appearance, has had good experience in the Wagner drama and seems to interest her audiences.

Again Mme. Branzell's Waltraute scene, sung with richness of tone and impressiveness of style, was one of the high spots of the representation. Too much cannot be said in praise of Mr. Schorr's Gunther. For once the unhappy Gibichung is made one of the strong figures of the drama and much that often seems lifeless in the development of the story acquires genuine poignancy.

Mr. Bohnen's Hagen seemed to this observer to be a little more concentrated and a little less self-conscious than before, and thereby to acquire more sinister power and dramatic importance. Miss Mueller was a pleasing Gutrune. Mr. Bodanzky gave a full blooded and flexible reading of the score and gratified at least some hearers by avoiding the deadly tempi which spread though Germany a few years ago. For instance, the first scene between Bruennhilde and Siegfried and the chorus of Gibichung retainers - excellently sung - gained greatly in spirit. The orchestra played well.

Search by season: 1924-25

Search by title: Götterdämmerung,

Met careers