[Met Tour] CID:150620



Le Nozze di Figaro
Shrine Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, Wed, April 27, 1949




Le Nozze di Figaro (115)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Lorenzo Da Ponte
Figaro
Italo Tajo

Susanna
Bidú Sayão

Count Almaviva
John Brownlee

Countess Almaviva
Eleanor Steber

Cherubino
Jarmila Novotna

Dr. Bartolo
Salvatore Baccaloni

Marcellina
Hertha Glaz

Don Basilio
Alessio De Paolis

Antonio
Lorenzo Alvary

Barbarina
Anne Bollinger

Don Curzio
Leslie Chabay

Peasant
Thelma Altman

Peasant
Maxine Stellman

Dance
Julia Barashkova

Dance
Ivan Boothby

Dance
Alfred Corvino

Dance
Corinne Tarr [Last performance]


Conductor
Fritz Busch







Review 1:

Own Callin the the Los Angeles Express

‘Marriage of Figaro’

 

173-Yr.-Old Opera Pleases Angelenos

A 173-year run has not touched the box office appeal of Mozart’s “Marriage of Figaro,” as was amply demonstrated last night at the Shrine. It is reasonably safe to remark also that there have been both better and worse performances than this one, presented by the Metropolitan Opera Company as the second in its current season here.

Individually, it would be had to pick a much better cast. Bidu Sayao, as the petite Susanna, would be Mozart’s own choice for the role; she was in excellent voice and fine dramatic form. Italo Tajo is a truly remarkable bass, very much at home in the title role. His characterization, however, was at times very heavy handed; his inability to mould the cast into a unit around him dulled the finish of several otherwise fine scenes.

 

HERTA GLAZ PLEASES

Herta Glaz, whom we last saw in the role of Cherubino, sang the role of Marcellina in this performance, with a solid capability not dulled a whit by the change of character. Last night’s Cherubino was Jarmila Novotna, a charming girl with a sweet voice. Her portrayal of the page boy was at times dramatically mediocre; her “Non so piu  cosa son” aria was a gem which far outshone the famous “Voi che sapete.”

In the roles of Count and Countess Almaviva were two most excellent troupers, John Brownlee and Eleanor Steber. These two should be a joy to the director, for without achieving an extraordinary brilliance they nevertheless turned in a performance consistently fine from beginning to end.

 

SPECIALIST ROLES

The other roles in this opera, while in one sense minor, still demand specialists, and specialists were provided liberally. There was Salvatore Baccaloni as Bartolo, Alessio de Paolis as Basilio, and big-voiced Lorenzo Alvary as Antoniio, comedians all. There was Ann Bollinger in the role of Barbarina and Leslie Chabay as Don Curzio. Also present were Thelma Altman and Maxine Stellman, who manage to get into a remarkable number of productions.

In the pit was Fritz Busch, faced with the task of keeping singers, musicians, and Mozartian frills in one unified whole; a task which was well handled, with the exception of a somewhat dragging tempo.



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