Metropolitan Opera Archives

"Die Walküre" was the opera at the Metropolitan last night. The cast was not that of the previous performance. Miss Rethberg supplanted Miss Müller as Sieglinde, Mr. Gustafson instead of Mr. Bender was the Hunding and Mr. Whitehill replaced Mr. Bohnen as Wotan.

Such changes are a part of the policy of the management which aims to lend variety to the performance. They make possible also the frequent and arduous rehearsals which the extensive repertory of a season requires. Miss Müller, for instance, has been hard at work rehearsing "Giovanni Gallurese," which is scheduled for Thursday evening.

The Metropolitan is usually well supplied with doubles for leading roles. Not may opera houses could boast to two such Wotans as Mr. Bohnen and Mr. Whitehill, whose impersonations have decidedly different individualities, and yet are both thoroughly in the Wagnerian frame. It is merely another demonstration of the fact well known in the theater that a great role can be transmuted through different media without losing its luster. Mr. Whitehill was in good voice last night and his Wotan was up to its own standard.

Miss Rethberg always sings well. She has a high ideal of tone and always strives to reach it. But Sieglinde is not one of her best parts. The style of the music is not favorable to her always and it is impossible for her to make an illusion for the eye. Mme. Larsen-Todsen was the Brünnhilde. Her voice was affected by a tremolo, but the vigor of her singing and acting won her much applause. Mr. Taucher as Siegmund was vocally uneven. Mr. Gustafson has always been an acceptable Hunding and Mme. Branzell, an admirable Fricka. The choir of Valkyrs was generally competent. Mr. Bodanzky conducted.

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