Metropolitan Opera Archives

Cavalleria Rusticana received eleven performances this season.
Pagliacci received seven performances this season.

Review 1:

Review signed M. W. in the New York Herald Tribune

New Voices Sing Old Favorites at Metropolitan

Miss Vettori Wins Ovation as Santuzza in "Cavalleria Rusticana"

Three more operas emerged yesterday from the Metropolitan's storehouse of old favorites: "La Gioconda;" "Cavalleria Rusticana;" and "Pagliacci." The latter two inseparables, at the "Popular" evening performance received a beneficent infusion of fresh blood, for four of this year's newcomers were concerned in the renovation. Mr. Bellezza at the conductor's desk, Alfio Tedesco as Beppe and George Cehanovsky as Silvio in "Pagliacci," and Elda Vettori making her first appearance with the company as Santuzza in "Cavalleria."

It may be said at the outset that there has been no more auspicious debut on that stage in many moons. There were, as far as we can discover, no special trains chartered from St. Louis, Miss Vettori's home town, so the deafening and insistent applause came from the more or less impersonal public which had paid its way in for its regular Saturday night diversion, and wished, thus, to publish its gratification for unusual favors.

Of remarkable personal charm and good looks, Miss Vettori had won almost before she sang a note, and it was a pleasure to detect the glowing warmth and color of her vivid face reflected in the beauty of tones which even nervousness could not destroy. Her interpretation of the unhappy Santuzza was fretted with some overacting, but her sense of the drama will soon be tempered with more restraint, for she is obviously a true child of the theater, and her instincts are just and her emotions deep. As the lurid little drama progressed she gained in confidence and calm, her voice soared and strengthened, and when she had done the house rose to her.

This is not the first time she has sung the role in New York, for she has done it as a guest with the San Carlo Company upon several occasions. Miss Vettori's operatic spurs have, in fact, been already won, as she has been a member of the St. Louis Municipal Open Air Opera. She has a repertory of some thirty roles. Although born in Italy she was brought to this country as an infant and is proud to call herself an American. Last night's triumph is the fulfillment of many wistful dreams and the culmination of much hard work, which included years in a St. Louis hat shop.

Lawrence Tibbett, American baritone, singing the role of Tonio for the first time, was the sensation of "Pagliacci." An uncomfortable sensation in some ways, because he seemed bent upon making a half-wit of the vindictive clown. We have learned to know Tonio through almost countless double bills of the past, in the hands of various and sundry baritones, but Tibbett's is quite the most unpleasant. He sang it well, however, with more reserve of vocal power than he has exhibited this season. Martinelli depicted the woes of Canio and wept to the excited bravos to a house full of compatriots. He was in robust voice, and his pretty Nedda was Queena Mario, restored with satisfying completeness from the late machinations of the opera Jinx.

Miss Vettori had as support the adequate Turiddu of Armand Tokatyan; Ina Bourskaya as Lola, Miss Wakefield as Mamma Lucia, and Millo Pico substituting for the Alfio of Mr. Basiola, who in turn had replaced an indisposed Mr. Danise in the afternoon.

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Search by title: Cavalleria Rusticana, Pagliacci,

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