[Met Tour] CID:156630



La Traviata
Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, Mon, April 9, 1951




La Traviata (344)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
Violetta
Delia Rigal

Alfredo
Giuseppe Di Stefano

Germont
Giuseppe Valdengo

Flora
Lucielle Browning

Gastone
Alessio De Paolis

Baron Douphol
George Cehanovsky

Marquis D'Obigny
Lawrence Davidson

Dr. Grenvil
Clifford Harvuot

Annina
Margaret Roggero

Dance
Tilda Morse

Dance
Zebra Nevins


Conductor
Alberto Erede







Review 1:

L. G. Gaffney in the Boston American

DiStefano’s Alfredo Highlights “La Traviata”

Arriving with the forsythia and the April shower, the Metropolitan Opera of New York confirmed the calendar, landed in the Boston Opera House, and once again it is spring.

The opener was “La Traviata,” Verdi’s rendering of “Camille, the Tubercular heroine of the Frenchman’s favorite love drama.

But The Lady With The Cough, as she is frequently described by unfeeling Americans, seemed of lesser interest than The Gentleman With The Bald Head, the name being Rudolph Bing, new boss of the Met.

Introduced by the President of the Boston Opera Association, H. Wendell Endicott, between the acts, Mr. Bing made the very model of public speeches. He said he was glad to bring the Met to Boston this year, and hoped he could continue to do so. End of speech. Applause.

But there was more applause for Mr. Bing in the ovation given Giuseppe Valdengo, suddenly substituting, in the role of the elder Germont, for Robert Merrill, who was suddenly fired from the Met by Mr. Bing, according to the previous day’s  press.

The applause upon Mr. Valdengo’s first entrance thundered out more in approbation of Mr. Bing’s action in disposing of Mr. Merrill than in tribute to Valdengo’s singing of the role. It was merely very good, which was all you could expect in the circumstances.

The Argentinian soprano, Delia Rigal, in the role of Violetta Valery, sustained the tradition of the coughing courtesan – she showed up in perfect health.

Handsome, round and robust, she hurled her famous “Sempre Libera” aria to the topmost seats, more of a feat of strength than as the hectic expression of the dying.

She forced her good big voice into the tight corner of the high spots – then threw the book away in overacting the lush stuff.

Since the character of Alfredo falls into the category of A Fool There Was, it is tough to play him without seeming silly. Put down Giuseppe di Stefano as breaking the hex. Although short in stature – why are all Alfredos short? – Di Stefano is personable in appearance and he opens up a nice big tenor that stays in precise vocal line in spite of such hazards as “Libiamo” and “Un  Di Felice.”

With the exception of Di Stefano the principals in “Traviata” were, it must be acknowledged, disappointing. But not so as the reading of the well-worn score by conductor Alfredo Erede, who kept tight rein on both orchestral and stage forces. The Verdian “themes” got a clean hearing, as distinct from the famous airs, and the attacks and releases by the ensembles came out just right.

The scenery, the same big old pieces, appeared to have been switched a bit, the effect being neater until Mr. Bing can get around to building new stuff.



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