[Met Performance] CID:158200



Cavalleria Rusticana
Pagliacci
Metropolitan Opera House, Wed, December 5, 1951









Review 1:

Review of Harold C. Schonberg in The New York Times
TWIN BILL AT OPERA IS FIRST OF SEASON
The season?s first performance of the twin bill, ?Cavalleria Rusticana? and ?Pagliacci? Saturday night at the Metropolitan presented largely familiar casts.
The only newcomer to ?Cavalleria? was Mildred Miller, who sang the almost walk-on part of Lola in a thoroughly competent manner. Alberto Erede conducted and for a while, at the [beginning] there was not the most judicious coordination between pit and chorus. After a time things straightened out and Mr. Erede build the opera to an exciting climax.
Zinka Milanov was in good voice as Santuzza, and Richard Tucker brought down the house with his characterization of Turiddu. It is one of his best roles, and he sang it in a near-heroic manner, sparing neither the fortissimo nor the emotional dramatic abandon he generally brings to the part. Clifford Harvout was the resonant Alfio and Thelma Votipka sang well as Lucia.
?Pagliacci,? with a veteran cast consisting of Delia Rigal as Nedda, Ramon Vinay as Cano and Leonard Warren as Toinio in the leading roles, was a little less consistent. If Miss Rigal could bring her voice under more consistent control, it would be a glorious one. As it is, there were some lovely moments and some that sounded merely forced.
Mr. Vinay, making his first appearance of the season, sang loudly, but with a rather fuzzy quality. Mr. Warren?s work was, as always, mellow in sound, subtle in inflection. His ?Prologue? was a really admirable, example of baritonal suavity. The other roles were sung by Frank Guarrera, who was a rich-voiced Silvio, and Thomas Hayward, who dependably managed the role of Beppe.


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