Metropolitan Opera Archives

More than 3,500 youngsters ranging in age from 12 to 18, descended on the Metropolitan Opera House yesterday afternoon for a special matinee performance of Thomas' "Mignon" sponsored by the Metropolitan Opera Guild. It was the third performance this season sponsored by the Guild for school children and as usual the youngsters applauded the artists with all the enthusiasm of veteran opera-goers.

The Opera Guild has been managing these performances for eight years and has provided twenty-one presentations for 73,500 children. Besides making arrangements with the Metropolitan Opera Association for the events, the Guild sends informative material on the operas and records of the music to schools in and around New York. It also provides transportation to and from schools and underwrites the cost of the performances so that tickets for the youngsters are priced as low as 35 cents.

Yesterday's performance presented Jennie Tourel, the mezzo-soprano who recently rejoined the Metropolitan opera after an absence of seven years in the role of the little Gypsy girl who turns out to be the daughter of a nobleman. Patrice Munsel, who is only a few years older than a large part of her audience, sang Philine, and Jacques Gerard sang Wilhelm Meister. Others in the cast included Alessio de Paolis, Lucielle Browning, Nicola Moscona and John Gurney. Wilfred Pelletier was the conductor and the students joined a section of the Metropolitan opera chorus in singing the national anthem before the show began.

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