[Met Performance] CID:159020



Otello
Metropolitan Opera House, Wed, February 20, 1952




Otello (108)
Giuseppe Verdi | Arrigo Boito
Otello
Ramon Vinay

Desdemona
Eleanor Steber

Iago
Leonard Warren

Emilia
Martha Lipton

Cassio
Thomas Hayward

Lodovico
Nicola Moscona

Montàno
Osie Hawkins

Roderigo
Paul Franke

Herald
Algerd Brazis


Conductor
Fritz Stiedry







Review 1:

Review of Quaintance Eaton in Musical America

When a performance was as magnificent as this "Otello." There is little more to say about it than it approached as near perfection as we can hope for in this imperfect world. Everyone was in top form, and the course of the opera moved with mounting passion under the skillful guidance of Fritz Stiedry. Ramon Vinay was in excellent voice, so that his powerful projection of the character of Otello was complemented by fine singing; Eleanor Steber sang Desdemona with flawless beauty and communicativeness; and Leonard Warren matched the subtlety of Iago's machinations with suave and subtle vocalism. Nicola Moscona sang Lodovico in place of Lubomir Vichegonov, who was indisposed, and others in the cast were Martha Lipton, Thomas Hayward, Paul Franke, Osie Hawkins and Algerd Brazis. Miss Steber, who had barely recovered from a bout with pneumonia a few days earlier, gave no evidence of any ill effects. She also suffered no injury, luckily, from a rather rough tumble in the second act, when Mr. Vinay tripped and flung Desdemona to the ground with an excess of violence. This was the third representation of Verdi's opera this season.



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