Metropolitan Opera Archives

The first performance this season of Puccini's "La Bohème" was given Saturday night at the Metropolitan Opera House, with Jarmila Novotna singing the part of Mimi, Armand Tokatyan as Rodolfo, Frances Greer as Musetta, Francesco Valentino as Marcello, Norman Cordon as Colline, George Cehanovsky as Schaunard and Gerhard Pechner as Benoit.

If the fiercely sentimental, yet moving, little tunes about poverty and sickness among the artists had life in them last night, it was due in great part to Miss Novotna's vocal participation in the singing of them. Strangely enough, all the scenes of gayety among the friends in the garret ring completely false; the characters are papier-mâché.

Only when Mimi enters do proceedings become credible. Miss Novotna's portrayal of the ailing girl, although a bit healthy vocally and visually, was sympathetic and believable and her beautiful voice had a touching purity which made everything she sang a pleasure to listen to.

True, one could have wished for less emotional display on her part, since contained passion is generally more effective than the same passion when it is expressed. Particularly in the third act's "Addio, senza rancor," one was conscious of too much of an attempt to be emotionally effective.

But Miss Novotna was discretion itself compared with Mr. Tokatyan, whose vocal tricks of bravado and mellifluous sobs were really unsetting to the mood of the drama. In "Che gelida manina ." He lacked the quiet intensity and tenderness which should have made poetry out of the scene. His final high note off stage in the first act was obviously a strain and ought not to have been forced, since it failed in any case to get up where he wanted it.

Frances Greer's Musetta, although vocally thin, was delightful as delineation, especially in her café scene in the second act, when she was properly frivolous in "Quando m'en vo soletta."

Franceeso Valentino was excellent as Marcello; Norman Cordon's "Vecchia zimara," sung quietly looking down at his old coat, was probably the finest moment of the evening. The orchestra sounded well under Cesare Sodero's direction.

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