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[Met Performance] CID:183740
La Traviata
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, January 7, 1960
La Traviata (438)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
Review 1:
Review of John Ardoin in Musical America
The first appearances at the Metropolitan Opera of Mary Curtis-Verna, Nicolai Gedda, and Joan Wall, as Violetta, Alfredo, and Flora, respectively, made this a performance of great interest.
Miss Curtis-Verna has not done the role of Violetta for several years. She was ready to depart from Europe when Victoria de los Angeles became indisposed and she graciously agreed to sing. She was perceptively nervous in the first act and sang unevenly. But after this her performance increased in vocal sureness and dramatic credibility, climaxing in a truly moving last act. Her top tones were not too secure, but she wisely avoided forcing them. Instead of a purely bravura performance, she created a Violetta that had a fragile, limpid quality to it. Her diction was uneven and sometimes muffled.
Nicolai Gedda's Alfredo is so ideal that it is a pity he has not done the role here before. His youthful appearance and caressing voice were a delight. Mr. Gedda is as secure, stylistically, in the Italian repertoire as he is in the French. His diction was a model, of how Italian should be sung, and he showed what a pleasure Alfredo's music can be in the hands of an artist.
Joan Wall's Flora was noteworthy for sureness and ease. Miss Wall is equally attractive to see and hear. Fausto Cleva conducted the score for the first time this season, and though his tempos were on the brisk side, they never distorted the music. The remainder of the cast was familiar: Cornell MacNeil, Gabor Carelli, Calvin Marsh, George Cehanovsky, Louis Sgarro, Lou Marcella, and John Trehy. Mildred Allen substituted for Teresa Stratas as Annina.
Search by season: 1959-60
Search by title: La Traviata,
Met careers
La Traviata
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, January 7, 1960
La Traviata (438)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
- Violetta
- Mary Curtis-Verna
- Alfredo
- Nicolai Gedda
- Germont
- Cornell MacNeil
- Flora
- Joan Wall
- Gastone
- Gabor Carelli
- Baron Douphol
- Calvin Marsh
- Marquis D'Obigny
- George Cehanovsky
- Dr. Grenvil
- Louis Sgarro
- Annina
- Mildred Allen
- Giuseppe
- Lou Marcella
- Gardener
- John Trehy
- Conductor
- Fausto Cleva
Review 1:
Review of John Ardoin in Musical America
The first appearances at the Metropolitan Opera of Mary Curtis-Verna, Nicolai Gedda, and Joan Wall, as Violetta, Alfredo, and Flora, respectively, made this a performance of great interest.
Miss Curtis-Verna has not done the role of Violetta for several years. She was ready to depart from Europe when Victoria de los Angeles became indisposed and she graciously agreed to sing. She was perceptively nervous in the first act and sang unevenly. But after this her performance increased in vocal sureness and dramatic credibility, climaxing in a truly moving last act. Her top tones were not too secure, but she wisely avoided forcing them. Instead of a purely bravura performance, she created a Violetta that had a fragile, limpid quality to it. Her diction was uneven and sometimes muffled.
Nicolai Gedda's Alfredo is so ideal that it is a pity he has not done the role here before. His youthful appearance and caressing voice were a delight. Mr. Gedda is as secure, stylistically, in the Italian repertoire as he is in the French. His diction was a model, of how Italian should be sung, and he showed what a pleasure Alfredo's music can be in the hands of an artist.
Joan Wall's Flora was noteworthy for sureness and ease. Miss Wall is equally attractive to see and hear. Fausto Cleva conducted the score for the first time this season, and though his tempos were on the brisk side, they never distorted the music. The remainder of the cast was familiar: Cornell MacNeil, Gabor Carelli, Calvin Marsh, George Cehanovsky, Louis Sgarro, Lou Marcella, and John Trehy. Mildred Allen substituted for Teresa Stratas as Annina.
Search by season: 1959-60
Search by title: La Traviata,
Met careers
- Fausto Cleva [Conductor]
- Mary Curtis-Verna [Violetta]
- Nicolai Gedda [Alfredo]
- Cornell MacNeil [Germont]
- Joan Wall [Flora]
- Gabor Carelli [Gastone]
- Calvin Marsh [Baron Douphol]
- George Cehanovsky [Marquis D'Obigny]
- Louis Sgarro [Dr. Grenvil]
- Mildred Allen [Annina]
- Lou Marcella [Giuseppe]
- John Trehy [Gardener]