Metropolitan Opera Archives

The repetition of Verdi's "Rigoletto" at the Metropolitan Opera House last night brought with it the first appearance here as Gilda of Nadine Conner. Richard Tucker sang the role of the Duke for the first time this season and Francesco Valentino was heard for the first time this season in the title role. The otherwise familiar cast included Lucielle Browning as Maddalena. Mihail Szekely as Sparafucile, Kenneth Schon as Monterone and the Misses Manski, Sachs and Altman and Messrs. Cehanovsky, Chabay and Baker in the remaining roles.

Miss Conner's delineation of Gilda was a convincing one both in song and action. Her singing was transparent and warm in texture at all times and her delivery of the "Caro nome" aria was as Verdi intended it to be, the ecstatic utterance of a young girl's love rather than the meaningless display of vocal fireworks it ordinarily becomes. In her scene with Rigoletto in the third act her work was movingly expressive and her singing of her part of the Vengeance Duet, aside from a rather tentative penultimate top tone, had more tonal body than any other Gilda of recent years has imparted thereto.

Mr. Tucker's portrayal of the Duke wanted in distinction from both the vocal and dramatic aspects. Much of his singing was marred by forcing and stylistic exaggeration and his natively persuasive tenor voice seldom emerged freely and effectively. The Rigoletto of Mr. Valentino was more impressively acted than it was sung although his sincerity was patent. But the expressive intent of his vocalism was only partially realized because of throaty production.

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