Metropolitan Opera Archives

Arthur Carron, the young English tenor, who was one of the two winning candidates in the radio auditions held during the last regular opera season, made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera House last night in the first performance of Leoncavallo's "Pagliacci" to be given in the current spring popular season, and, as the hapless uxorcide, Canio, won an unusually prolonged and fervent acclaim from last night's very sizeable audience - one of the warmest demonstrations to be bestowed at the Metropolitan in the last two or three years. There were fifteen curtain calls, nine of these following "Vesti la giubba" when, what with the applause unleashed after the final note, very little was heard of the orchestral postlude.

There was much, indeed, in Mr. Carron's singing and action that could forecast an extremely auspicious operatic future and the provision of another dramatic tenor with notable vocal resources for the Metropolitan's roster. His voice gave an impression of unusual strength and carrying power, especially in the top notes, which had the penetrant and ringing timbre which is particularly persuasive toward vigorous beating of the palms on the part of the listeners.

These top notes, for whose display "Vesti la giubba" gave an advantageous opportunity, had a laudable firmness of tone, and their thorough effectiveness was undeniable, although a slight hardness of the vocal timbre, not manifested, indeed, to a disaffecting degree, suggested a possible need of caution against expending an impressive vocal capital beyond what discretion and thought of the future might advise - but of this one can tell better after Mr. Carron has made some further appearances. The fluency of production which usually marked his middle and lower notes also contributed to the general impression of an exceptional and highly promising voice. In action, with an appealing personality, he showed the possession of a sense of the stage, and threw himself into the dramatic revelation of the role with the enthusiasm and absorption which marked his singing.

The Nedda who met death at this new Canio's hands was Rose Tentoni whose strong and well rounded top notes were well exhibited in a role well suited to her voice. Carlo Morelli did praiseworthy work as Tonio, while George Cehanovsky, as Silvio, and Lodovico Oliviero, as Beppe, completed the cast. The chorus and orchestra were in good form under Gennaro Papi's direction.

Anna Kaskas, the other winner to the Metropolitan's radio auditions sang the title role in Gluck's "Orfeo," the first and the larger item in the evening's double bill, while Lew Christiansen mimed Orpheus on the stage. As in the first performance a week before, Euridice and Amor were sung by Jeanne Pengelly and Maxine Stellman and mimed by Daphne Vane and William Dollar, while Richard Hageman conducted. This production, in which the stage action is assigned to the American Ballet Ensemble and the vocalists are in the orchestra pit, again gave an impression of an innovation which, if debatable, has its possibilities, but the realization of which in this case leaves some room for exception.

Search by season: 1935-36

Search by title: Orfeo ed Euridice, Pagliacci,

Met careers