Metropolitan Opera Archives

The Metropolitan Opera House was a center of two diverse interests last night, both of them challenging. On stage, the musical work of the current season was inaugurated with a performance of Mozart's matchless "Marriage of Figaro." In a center box, Secretary of State James F. Byrnes, British Foreign Secretary Ernest Bevin and Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Molotov of the U. S. S. R. lent an unpublicized attention to the harmonies of Mozart, perhaps as inspiration, for their current deliberations.

There seemed little doubt that the best man at this particular "marriage" was Fritz Busch, who conducted the work for the first time at the Metropolitan. From the [beginning] overture, played with flashing wit and spirit, it was an accomplishment of high style and efficiency, Busch was an eminently eloquent counsel for the defense, presenting his case with logic and order, summoning his witnesses (the cast) to testify under an impressively skillful hand at cross-examination.

Not all of them were completely responsive, but there was sufficient testimony to render a unanimous decision in his favor. John Brownlee, an experienced hand at such procedures, made out an excellent case for the Count: the youthful Eleanor Steber, resuming a role with which she has been gaining familiarity in the last presentations of the opera, progressed from a slightly tentative "Porgi Amor" to a performance of "Dove Sono" which, for style, meaning and control, has had few parallels in recent Mozart in the house. Her repetition of the air, sotto voce, was a heartwarming reward in artistry for those who have watched her progressive efforts in the last half a dozen years.

Pinza's Figaro.

Though Figaro is not an ideal role for Ezio Pinza - it lies too high and asks too much agility for that - his performance continues to be a notable triumph of will over physical disadvantages. Under the watchful eye of Busch, it was less capricious than it has sometimes been, and that much more in keeping with an opera which is an ensemble effort, or nothing. The caustic summation of womankind in the fourth act was delivered with a breadth and intensity to win an uncommon tribute from the large audience.

These were the Mozartian accomplishments of the evening - leaving the performances of Frances Greer as Susanna and Rise Stevens, as Cherubino, in a hinterland of honest but misguided effort. Miss Greer has the voice and appearance, for a successful Susanna but hardly the dramatic resources to match. Her "Deh vieni non tardar" was neatly sung, but her conception of the role throughout was merely kittenish. It is not unlikely that she profited as much from this experience as the paying, not paid, students of Busch. As for Miss Stevens, Cherubino is no role for her, and it would be wise if both she and the management agreed on the fact.

In the smaller parts, Leslie Chabay made an inconspicuous debut as Don Curzio, singing his music cleanly and with a promising flair for such character roles; Salvatore Baccaloni was a voluble-voiced Bartolo, and Lorenzo Alvary (Antonio) and Herta Glaz (Marcellina) were unusually listenable in what they had to do. Unifying all was the controlling hand of Busch, whose unfailing knowledgeability included the trait of making the orchestra play cleanly and with rhythmic precision.

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Search by title: Le Nozze di Figaro,

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