Metropolitan Opera Archives

The season's first "Rosenkavalier" at the Metropolitan on Thursday night was the occasion for the debut of Kurt Baum as the Italian singer and Gerhard Pechner in the role of the notary in an otherwise familiar cast. It was Mr. Baum's excellent singing of the difficult first act serenade with its murderous tessitura, which provided the most pleasant surprise of the evening. It was gratifying to hear this music sung with full-bodied tone which carried to the farthest reaches of the opera house.

After a dullish [first] act, there was a marked improvement which found Strauss' delightful comedy moving at a brisker pace, and with a sparkle and gaiety so sadly lacking in the [first] stanza. For this initial listlessness, Mr. Leinsdorf's lethargic conducting was largely, if not entirely responsible. Certainly Madame Lehmann as the aging Princess von Werdenberg and the Octavian of Miss Stevens did little to liven the proceedings.

Moving and poignant as is the Princess of Madame Lehmann, the singer was far from her vocal best, coming to grief in several of the top notes in the glorious final trio.

So far as Miss Stevens is concerned, we have heard her in the role of Octavian to much better advantage. The voice has sounded bigger, warmer, her interpretation less given to superficial posturing. For there is no denying the visual appeal of Miss Stevens in effective and becoming masculine garb, as well as the too infrequent moments when her lovely voice poured out freely and lusciously. Mr. List's Baron Ochs was as always a lively and comic portrait, and Miss Steber's Sophie was excellently sung, particularly in the final act. Others in the large cast included Messrs. Olitzki, de Paolis, Cordon and Darcy, and Mmes. Votipka, Petina, Bodanya and Kaskas.

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