Metropolitan Opera Archives

The Metropolitan Opera is certainly giving Boston a fine season, the production of “Aida” at the Opera House providing some really exciting spectacle and, for the most part, some very effective singing. Emil Cooper, the conductor, evoked a notable response from his orchestra and set an excellent pace for the entire performance.

This work, even when passably done, justified Ernest Newman’s description of it as “the culminating point of the older Italian opera; it makes use of nothing but the familiar apparatus – spectacular singing, gorgeous stage settings and the ballet – but it lifts each of these factors to its highest point of expression and, on that high level, blends them in a perfect unity.” And done as well as it was last night, it becomes a memorable experience.

The ladies had somewhat the better of the evening, to be truthful, and Margaret Harshaw’s Amneris in particular rose to great heights as the opera progressed. Her voice is rich, powerful, capable of great feeling and dramatic expression. The grief and despair of her final scenes were memorably presented.

Gertrude Ribla, who sang Aida here for the first time last night, gave an appealing and sympathetic performance, presenting believably the anguish of the unhappy girl’s conflict between love for her country and for Radames. Her singing was not of even quality, for the very top notes sounded thin and shrill, but her middle tones are lovely, and her rendering of “O patria mia” was certainly fine. Neither singer was well costumed, Miss Ribla’s flowing dress was particularly unbecoming.

Kurt Baum’s Radames came off much better than it has in the past. He was in excellent voice and he carried the dramatic requirements of a difficult part with considerable success. The Amonasro of Francesco Valentino was acceptable but on rather too small a scale for that fiery monarch. Nicola Moscona made a capable Ramfis, and Phillip Kinsman didn’t have the vocal power the role requires.

The chorus sang splendidly and the ballet, especially in the triumphal scene in the second act, acquitted itself very well. Monday night’s opera will be “Madama Butterfly.”

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