Metropolitan Opera Archives

Leontyne Price, singing the role of Minnie in last night's performance of "La Fanciulla del West" at the Metropolitan Opera, had trouble with more than just Sheriff Jack Rance in the second act. Her voice gave out. In the tradition of the stage, she finished the melodramatic scene, speaking most of her lines.

Dorothy Kirsten, who has sung the role in other American cities and was scheduled to sing it later with the Metropolitan this season, was reached at home. She got to the opera house for the third act, to rescue the performance as well as the hero, Dick Johnson.?

Miss Price's vocal difficulties became noticeable in the middle of the second act in her scene with Rance, sung by Anselmo Colzani. There were a few hoarse notes, and with her back to the audience the soprano cleared her throat as discreetly as possible. Gradually the voice grew thinner and thinner, but there was no decrease in the strength of her dramatic performance.

With a voice that could barely be heard by the end of the act, Miss Price went through the famous poker game in which the stakes are her life and her lover's. Michael Manuel, a stage director, beckoned to Miss Price from the wings, urging her to leave the stage, but she refused, and carried on the card duel, perhaps with even greater intensity than she might ordinarily have.

The audience, fully aware of what was happening, began to applaud and cheer Miss Price at the end of the scene even before the curtain came down. She was persuaded to take one curtain call, to further cheers from the audience.

She was examined backstage by Dr. Bert MacDonald, who diagnosed Miss Price's trouble as an acute virus infection.

The intermission before the third and last act was extended to give Miss Kirsten time to get backstage from the Murray Hotel, where she lives, and to have the costume fit to her.

Osie Hawkins, a bass, announced to the audience that Miss Price would be unable to continue, referring to her performance in the second, act as a "heroic gesture on the part of a great artist," and then went on to say that Miss Kirsten would sing the third act.

Search by season: 1961-62

Search by title: La Fanciulla del West,

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