[Met Performance] CID:130340



Il Trovatore
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, December 30, 1940




Il Trovatore (208)
Giuseppe Verdi | Salvatore Cammarano
Manrico
Jussi Björling

Leonora
Norina Greco

Count Di Luna
Alexander Sved

Azucena
Anna Kaskas

Ferrando
Nicola Moscona

Ines
Maxine Stellman

Ruiz
Lodovico Oliviero

Gypsy
Arthur Kent


Conductor
Ferruccio Calusio







Review 1:

Review signed "H" in Musical America

Verdi's re-studied "Il Trovatore" was given for the second time this season on the evening of Dec. 30. Alexander Sved, who was to have sung Di Luna in the first representation but who was prevented by illness, made his first appearance in the rôle here. Bruna Castagna, cast as Azucena, was indisposed and Anna Kaskas substituted, also giving a first New York performance. Otherwise the cast was the same as formerly, with Norina Greco as Leonora; Jussi Bjoerling as Manrico; Nicola Moscona as Ferrando ; Arthur Kent as a Gypsy; Maxine Stellman as Inez, and Lodovico Oliviero as Ruiz. FerruccioCalusio conducted.

Interest centered in Miss Kaskas who did an excellent job. Her voice sounded well throughout and she acted with conviction. With some interested and intelligent direction in the matter of gesture and posture, Miss Kaskas might easily become an important singing actress, as she obviously has "power." Mr. Sved sang with vigor, but his impersonation had little dramatic significance and his voice was frequently veiled in quality. Miss Greco was more at her ease than in her debut performance, but she still took short cuts through Verdi's score. Her final scenes, however, were well sung and acted with conviction. Mr. Bjoerling did the most satisfactory singing of the evening. Mr. Calusio's conducting was splendid in every respect.



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