Metropolitan Opera Archives

With but two changes in the cast, the Metropolitan offered its second "Traviata" of the season last evening before a large and cordial audience. The newcomers were Richard Crooks in the role of Alfredo and John Charles Thomas in that of Giorgio Germont.

Vina Bovy, appearing again as Violetta, required a good half of the opera before doing anything like the singing she had done at her debut. Her voice appeared to be worn and tired in the early scenes, and one suspected that a cold or nervousness might have had something to do with it. Gratifyingly, however, from the middle of the third act on she was once again the artist of good musicianship, sensitive phrasing and sympathy she had previously shown herself to be.

Mr. Crooks accounted for Alfredo in his usual breezy manner, finding top notes no great obstacles - except one in the last act which went awry - and seeming to be more conversant in general with stage deportment. Mr. Thomas' Germont had all the wealth of vocal taste and refinement that the artist can bestow, even though his reading of the lines was not altogether suffused with paternal anguish.

The performance as a whole had movement and smoothness, thanks to Mr. Panizza's authoritative direction. A word of praise for the choral singing is also not amiss.

Search by season: 1936-37

Search by title: La Traviata,

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