Metropolitan Opera Archives

Set Svanholm added Siegmund to the list of his roles at the Metropolitan Opera House Saturday night, when Wagner's "Die Walküre" had its second performance of the season. His impersonation of the ill-fated Volsung was on a par with the other two Wagnerian characterizations which he has presented in this house, vocally distinguished and eloquent, and also dramatically persuasive to the eye.

Joel Berglund's admirable Wotan was also one of the assets in a performance which also had its liabilities. One of these was the ill-focused, often forced singing of Astrid Varnay as Sieglinde, and her acting had its debatable features. Blanche Thebom, singing Fricka for the first time this season, was in good voice; there was volume and color, if also occasionally hints of effort in outspoken high notes.

Helen Traubel, providing usually commendable singing, was a sympathetic Brünnhilde, and Emanuel List, fared very creditably as Hunding. The musical interpretation as a whole under Fritz Stiedry sometimes realized the expressive resources of the score, and occasionally did not. There were periods when more flexibility and momentum would have been desirable.

An unintentional touch of humor was provided when Mr. Svanholm, leaping up to the tree to draw the fateful sword, caused the tree to sway in a manner not contemplated by Wagner when he wrote the libretto.

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