Metropolitan Opera Archives

Laurel Hurley took over the role of Sophie for the first time at the Metropolitan in this performance and Mildred Miller the role of Octavian for the first time this season. Together with Lisa Della Casa, as the Marschallin, and Otto Edelmann, as Baron Ochs, they headed a highly satisfactory cast in a performance superbly conducted by Karl Boehm.

Miss Miller was a most handsome Octavian, full of the ardor of youth, almost boyish, and adopting Mariandl's masquerade with a restraint that increased its comic effectiveness. There was a fresh, unblemished glow to her voice and a purity of intonation that made her contributions to the final trio and duet faultless.

As might have been expected, Miss Hurley was a thoroughly delightful Sophie. The character's various emotions and facets - ecstasy, rebelliousness, occasional bourgeois commonness, timidity - were fully comprehended and conveyed. The voice was always lovely and frequently ravishing in Sophie's exquisite, high-lying phrases. With Miss Miller she made the final duet seem perfection itself. Margaret Roggero, singing the role for the first time at the Metropolitan, was a most engaging Annina, a graceful figure in the waltz scene at the end of Act II, and she brought a rich, sizable voice to the music.

Search by season: 1957-58

Search by title: Der Rosenkavalier,

Met careers