Metropolitan Opera Archives

Grace Moore and Massenet's "Manon" were last night's attraction at the Metropolitan, with a large audience evidently as much interested in the appearance of the cast's movie celebrity as it was in the performance of the opera. Associated with her were Richard Crooks as Des Grieux, Chase Baromeo as the Count, and Desire Defrere as Lescaut. The last of these had the distinction of being listed on the program twice, for he was also the production's stage director. To her credit, Miss Moore continues to sing with the greater vocal ease and superior tonal quality that were noted at her previous performances this season. But it was difficult to believe in the artlessness of this Manon for the affectations of Miss Moore's acting unfortunately transfer themselves to the character she is interpreting. Mr. Defrere's pleasantly nonchalant demeanor on the stage in an enhancement of his Lescaut, but there is more in the music than he was able to deliver. So far as balanced merit was concerned, Mr. Crooks's performance was easily the evening's best. Maurice de Abravanel was the conductor.

Search by season: 1937-38

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