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Rigoletto
Metropolitan Opera House, Wed, February 8, 1939
Rigoletto (228)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
- Rigoletto
- Carlo Tagliabue
- Gilda
- Lina Aimaro
- Duke of Mantua
- Beniamino Gigli [Last performance]
- Maddalena
- Anna Kaskas
- Sparafucile
- Nicola Moscona
- Monterone
- Norman Cordon
- Borsa
- Giordano Paltrinieri
- Marullo
- George Cehanovsky
- Count Ceprano
- Wilfred Engelman
- Countess Ceprano
- Pearl Besuner
- Giovanna
- Thelma Votipka
- Page
- Lucielle Browning
- Conductor
- Gennaro Papi
Review 1:
Review of Oscar Thompson in Musical America
Beniamino Gigli need have no cause for apprehension in regard to the continuation of his popularity with the New York opera-goer after the tumultuous applause which ran through practically the entire performance of `Rigoletto' on the evening of Feb. 8. From 'Questa o Quella' to `La Donne e Mobile', he was rewarded with storms of clapping, shouts and cheers. As a matter of fact, Mr. Gigli sang as well as he ever has sung and besides did fewer of the unhappy vocal tricks for which he has been criticized heretofore. It was beautiful singing throughout, and all of it so good that it would be impossible to say that any particular aria was better than the others. The voice was, perhaps, a little more wooing in quality in `E Sol dell' Anima', and 'La Donna e Mobile' had a tremendous ring and sweep to it.
Mme. Aimaro, singing her first Gilda here, made a pleasant picture to the eye and negotiated all her altissimo tones with ease, impressing the audience so definitely that she had to come before the curtain alone, several times, in response to popular demands. Mr. Tagliabue was a vocally sonorous rather than a dramatically subtle Rigoletto, but he too won much applause. Anna Kaskas sang a good Maddalena. The smaller roles were capably handled by Nicola Moscona, Thelma Votipka, Norman Cordon, George Cehanovsky, Giordano Paltrinieri, Wilfred Engelman and Pearl Besuner. Gennaro Papi conducted.
Search by season: 1938-39
Search by title: Rigoletto,
Met careers
- Gennaro Papi [Conductor]
- Carlo Tagliabue [Rigoletto]
- Lina Aimaro [Gilda]
- Beniamino Gigli [Duke of Mantua]
- Anna Kaskas [Maddalena]
- Nicola Moscona [Sparafucile]
- Norman Cordon [Monterone]
- Giordano Paltrinieri [Borsa]
- George Cehanovsky [Marullo]
- Wilfred Engelman [Count Ceprano]
- Pearl Besuner [Countess Ceprano]
- Thelma Votipka [Giovanna]
- Lucielle Browning [Page]