Metropolitan Opera Archives

The second performance of the season of Wagner's "Tannhäuser" at the Metropolitan Opera House last night was considerably more absorbing than the first one. There were two important changes of cast, Astrid Varnay replacing Helen Traubel as Elisabeth and Herbert Janssen assuming the role of Wolfram instead of Martial Singher. The remaining roles were in familiar hands, Blanche Thebom reappearing as Venus, Lauritz Melchior singing the title role, Mr. Cordon the Landgraf, the Messrs. Garris, Hawkins, Darcy and Ezekiel the Minnesingers and Miss Stellman the Shepherd.

Miss Varnay's portrayal of Elisabeth was a convincing one from both the musical and dramatic aspects of the role. Aside from some spread vocal production, her delivery of "Dich teure Halle" was effective and it was good to hear the aria given with the high B at the close without excuses being made for the substitution of the ineffectual G heard at the previous presentation. The soprano's voicing of "Zurück von ihm," too, was movingly expressive.

Mr. Janssen remains the organization's finest Wolfram. He was in admirable vocal form and invested his music with rich, warm-textured tones. It is pleasant to report that Miss Thebom revealed a remarkably improved conception of Venus, singing firmly and with appositely impassioned accents and acting far more seductively than at her first assumption of the part. Both Mr. Melchior and Mr. Cordon were well-disposed and Mr. Busch conducted a better integrated, more vital performance than the preceding one.

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