[Met Performance] CID:186170



La Bohème
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, November 10, 1960




La Bohème (580)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/Giuseppe Giacosa
Mimì
Licia Albanese

Rodolfo
Jan Peerce

Musetta
Laurel Hurley

Marcello
Mario Sereni

Schaunard
Roald Reitan

Colline
Cesare Siepi

Benoit
Lawrence Davidson

Alcindoro
Alessio De Paolis

Parpignol
Charles Cooke

Sergeant
Carlo Tomanelli

Officer
Edward Ghazal


Conductor
Thomas Schippers







Review 1:

Review of William Flanagan in the New York Herald Tribune

Jan Peerce, Miss Albanese in ' La Bohème' at the Met

Last evening's performance of Puccini's "La Bohème" at the Metropolitan Opera House was a lively one and, taken altogether, a spanking good evening of theater. There were, to be sure, diverse styles and generations on the stage; Jan Peerce, who sang his first Rodolpho of the current season, is quite a different stylistic matter from the Musetta of Miss Laurel Hurley's more current singing-acting generation; and Licia Albanese, who sang her first Mimi of the season, has been singing around the Metropolitan for years longer than Mario Sereni, who sang his first Marcello of the current year. Lawrence Davidson sang and acted the role of Benoit in fine fashion, as did Alessio De Paolis, the role of Alcindoro. Others involved were Roald Reitan as Schaunard; Cesare Siepi as Colline, Charles Cook as Parpignol; Carlo Tomanelli and Edward Ghazel.

Licia Albanese, who is a kind of all-time stylistic model for anybody's Mimi, was in handsome form last evening. Her voice flowed with the most lovely ease; she articulated the diction of the text and expressed its deeper implications with the very best things suggested by the word "style."

Mr. Peerce, on the other hand, is quite a different matter from Miss Albanese. The latter's voice is no longer in its fullest bloom, either; but she relies on her sense of musical style the more this becomes the case and, furthermore, asks of her voice nothing that it cannot do. Mr. Peerce has lots of style, as we all know, but a good bit of his singing last night suggested that he is more interested in reviving the rough contours of his vocal majesty - no matter at what intermediate musical expense - than in giving a convincingly projected and, within his present limitations, beautifully shaped musical line.



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