[Met Performance] CID:91210



Aida
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, November 19, 1925

Debut : Vittorio Fullin




Aida (306)
Giuseppe Verdi | Antonio Ghislanzoni
Aida
Elisabeth Rethberg

Radamès
Vittorio Fullin [Debut]

Amneris
Margarete Matzenauer

Amonasro
Giuseppe Danise

Ramfis
José Mardones

King
William Gustafson

Messenger
Giordano Paltrinieri

Priestess
Phradie Wells

Dance
Florence Rudolph


Conductor
Tullio Serafin







Review 1:

Review of Oscar Thompson in Musical America

Vittorio Fullin's Début

The dark-skinned captive of Verdi's "Aida" had a new warrior lover at the Metropolitan Thursday night, when Vittorio Fullin, the latest of incoming Italian tenors, strode forth from the wings to try his vocal fortune in the American house that is now the goal of every ambitious opera singer. Radames is a trying role in which to debut, largely because of the placing of "Celeste Aida" at the very beginning of the opera.

The new tenor, tall and thickset of build, ample of voice, and routined in action, did not altogether conceal his nervousness, which may have had something to do with traces of tightness and with his changing to a meaningless long "A" vowel, the final word on which occurs the high B Flat of this taxing air. Yet it was smooth and attractive singing and disclosed a voice of good volume and of musical quality. Later, in the Nile Scene, Mr. Fullin sang very attractive phrases and was generally quite successful with his music, despite a little of hoarseness on his top notes. There was every indication that Generalissimo Gatti-Casazza will be able to make good use of him in meeting the manifold requirements of the operatic repertoire.

Mme. Rethberg's vocally appealing Aida and Mme. Matzenauer's regal Amneris were repetitions of admired characterizations, as were also Mr. Mardones' richly resonant Ramfis and Giuseppe Danise's vigorous and vocally stirring Amonasro. The cast also included William Gustafson, Giordano Paltrinieri and Phradie Wells, with Tullio Serafin conducting and Florence Rudolph heading the ballet.

Mr. Serafin's vigor was not infrequently accompanied by a volume of orchestral tone that placed the singers at a disadvantage and undoubtedly was responsible for some forcing of their voices. There were numerous curtain calls for the principals.



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