Metropolitan Opera Archives

After the romantic sentimentality of "Traviata" on Monday and the medievally clad metaphysics of "Tristan" on Tuesday, we were treated last night at Public Hall to some raw modern emotion based on adultery, jealousy and murder in the shape of the familiar pair of operatic Siamese twins, "Cavalleria Rusticana" and "Pagliacci."

The two pieces were prevented from chafing against one another by a wedge thrust between them which took the form of a ballet called "The Bat," a novelty, based on the music of Johann Strauss, done by the American Ballet Ensemble.

"Cavalleria" (ironical title!) was done, on the whole, with skilled routine. Dusolina Giannini, as Santuzza, gave a good presentation of the emotional values of her role, although her voice seemed somewhat unsteady.

Paws Characters

She registered suffering by pawing most of the other characters rather extensively. That was all right for her lover and Mamma Lucia, but she might have left Alfio alone.

Sydney Rayner was an excellent Turiddu, possessed of a fine healthy tenor, and a good appearance, his acting unobjectionable. Carlo Tagliabue was a competent Alfio, both as singer and as a whip-cracker. Anna Kaskas and Lucielle Browning were entirely adequate in the other feminine parts.

The chorus looked and acted like a colorful clothesline on a calm day. They watched the conductor dutifully and sang in time. It would have been a good idea to have had the orchestra tuned to the same pitch as the off-stage organ.

Ballet Pretty

"The Bat" was done to some of Strauss's "Fledermaus" music plus some other Strauss. Otherwise it had no connection whatsoever with the famous operetta. It was a sort of drunken extravaganza supposedly in the Viennese atmosphere of the mid-19th Century, which gave opportunity for some extremely effective costuming and some very pretty dancing.

The finale was especially effective and made us reflect that our grandfathers may have had a better time than we usually imagine.

"Pagliacci" was quite exciting. There was great enthusiasm for Donald Dickson, whose work as Silvio showed that his splendid vocal gifts are maturing fast. Martinelli naturally brought down the house with "Vesti la giubba" and Bonelli did some fine acting as the malicious Tonio, besides giving us an effective "Prologue." Hilda Burke's singing of the "Balatella" was notable.

Search by season: 1937-38

Search by title: Cavalleria Rusticana, The Bat, Pagliacci,

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