Metropolitan Opera Archives

The records of the Metropolitan Opera Association for the season of 1942-43 will show an increasing number of young Americans taking rôles that in former years were entrusted almost exclusively to Europeans of special training and experience in such parts. Miss Traubel has now appeared as Sieglinde and as all the Brünnhildes of the "Ring," as also in "Tannhäuser" and "Lohengrin." Rose Bampton, who had made her first appearance as Elisabeth this season, appeared as Elsa for the first time in New York in last night's performance.

This is a part for which Miss Bampton is well suited, by the quality of her voice, her vocal style, her physical appearance and in the fine intelligence which characterizes the entire impersonation. Her Elsa of the first act has the quality of the vision but not of the fool, and the passion of Elsa's devotion, as well as the torture that she suffers from her doubts, made her the intensely human woman that Wagner conceived. At the same time nothing was overdone. This is something for a young singer, new to a Wagnerian part, to have succeeded in communicating in a first New York performance.

There were other highly commendable features of this occasion. Mr. Sved turns out to be an excellent Telramund and Miss Branzell was in uncommonly good voice as Ortrud. Mr. Melchior's Lohengrin had its customary authority and vocal opulence. Dramatically speaking, this production at the Metropolitan is much duller than it need be. Last night's, by law of averages, ranked high.

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