Metropolitan Opera Archives

Mattiwilda Dobbs, Negro soprano, sang her first Lucia at the Metropolitan Opera Saturday evening and, after her Mad Scene, the audience called her out for nine solo curtain calls. She had earned them, too - vocally, at any rate. Her voice, besides being skillfully used, had unusual warmth for a coloratura performance and she did her big scene beautifully. As her lover, Edgardo, Richard Tucker was in full voice, but this didn't faze Miss Dobbs one bit in her first-act duet with him. She will, one feels confident, grow into the role as an actress with succeeding performances.

There was another satisfying first performance, vocally and histrionically, by Mario Sereni in the role of Lucia's brother, and Robert Nagy made a satisfying first appearance in the lesser part of Normanno.

Fausto Cleva conducted, and he allowed the singers plenty of room to get a grip on the fruity melodies which are so abundant in Donizetti's opera. Incidentally, the appearance of Miss Dobbs does not mean that Lily Pons, who has practically had a patent on the role of Crazy Lucy since she first sang at the Met 26 years ago, is abandoning the heaths and castle of Lammermoor. Right now, lucky girl, she is taking it easy in Palm Springs, but in March she will again be singing Lucia at the old stand.

[Morley designed costumes only for the ballet.]

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