[Met Tour] CID:150560



Lucia di Lammermoor
Ellis Auditorium, Memphis, Tennessee, Thu, April 21, 1949




Lucia di Lammermoor (244)
Gaetano Donizetti | Salvadore Cammarano
Lucia
Patrice Munsel

Edgardo
Ferruccio Tagliavini

Enrico
Giuseppe Valdengo

Raimondo
Jerome Hines

Normanno
Paul Franke

Alisa
Maxine Stellman

Arturo
Thomas Hayward


Conductor
Pietro Cimara







Review 1:

Ben S. Parker in the Memphis Commercial Appeal

Somber “Lucia” Fits Met Mood But Strain Is Not In Evidence

 

The somber, tragic story of  “Lucia di Lammermoor” was countless more in accord with the mood of the Metropolitan Opera Company here at the Auditorium last night than any gay work could have been.

 

The troupe was still shocked and grieved over the Atlanta murder early yesterday morning of popular, handsome John Garris, a principal singer. But no trace of strain was evident in the performance on stage. Rather they seemed to pull themselves together to give an exceptional performance, for that was what it was.

 

An entranced, appreciative, virtually capacity audience heard Patrice Munsel and Ferruccio Tagliavini sing the principal roles in this morbid story of love, madness and violent death.

 

The entire production was brilliantly staged with the sort of operatic magic born of hard work by dedicated careerists, backed by technical excellence.

 

Polished Perfection

 

High spots of the opera, as always, were the tense dramatic fury of the Sextette and Lucia’s fiendishly difficult “Mad Scene.” By these two gems any performance of “Lucia” must be judged, and the polished perfection and dramatic fire of last night’s efforts made it the sort of evening the most ardent opera lover had hoped for during the long months since the “Met” was here last spring.

 

Miss Munsel, in the title role, displayed a coloratura voice of compelling range and flexibility. She combined delicacy, including some exquisite pianissimos, with the requisite power. A couple of top notes were squeezed, but most of them poured forth effortlessly, clear and scintillating bubbles of sound.

 

Her big moment was the “Mad Scene,” 14 minutes of vocal pyrotechnics, which she accomplished with such brilliance that the usually stolid Memphis audience recalled the radiant and lovely Miss Munsel for seven curtain calls. Her early cavatina did not reveal the full rich voice which began to appear in her tender first act duet with Edgardo, and which thenceforth dominated her scenes.

 

Voice In Full Glory

 

Dramatically, the “Mad Scene” was artistically done, deftly undergirded and with a complete…

 

Mr. Tagliavini’s voice, too, was more impressive in the latter parts of the opera, soaring into its full glory in the exquisite tomb scene, including that favorite of generations of tenors, “Fra poco a me ricovera,” Edgardo’s final aria before he joins his beloved in death. Mr. Tagliavini performed the feat of sounding like an operatic tenor while lying flat on his back.

 

Pushing him closely for male vocal honors was Giuseppe Valdengo, as Lord Enrico. His rich, full baritone floated out with assurance and resonance, an instrument of controlled power. The crowd stepped up its applause whenever Mr. Valdengo appeared for a curtain call. Big, handsome and endowed with considerable acting ability, Mr. Valdengo is a gentleman to watch in things operatic.

 

Jerome Hines’ tall figure and massive bass voice made the small part of Raimondo a vital one. Thomas Hayward’s ringing tenor, as Lord Arturo, was effective and beautiful in his short role.

 

Paul Franke, as Normanno, and Maxine Stellman as Alisa contributed handsomely in lesser roles.

 

Applause for Sextette

 

Prolonged applause greeted the Sextette, that florid display of dramatic grandeur that sweeps its listeners along with it, no matter how many times they have heard it. It was given a vivid performance last night.

 

Pietro Cimara conducted the orchestra in superior support of the singers. The handicap of a little too heavy orchestration in the first act was soon corrected so the voices were projected clearly over pliant support.

 

Chorus and ballet added lilt and glitter to the basically gloomy music with flawless work.

 

The Metropolitan left us with another brilliant evening of the finest in opera. While it may be a little early to lay plans yet, last night’s audience clearly indicated its hope that the Metropolitan Opera will return next Spring, as it has done for the past four under the banner of Arts Appreciation, and for many Springs in the future. The vernal season itself is scarcely more welcome.



Search by season: 1948-49

Search by title: Lucia di Lammermoor,



Met careers