[Met Performance] CID:196580



Rigoletto
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, December 13, 1963




Rigoletto (424)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
Rigoletto
Robert Merrill

Gilda
Jolanda Meneguzzer

Duke of Mantua
Barry Morell

Maddalena
Joann Grillo

Sparafucile
Ezio Flagello

Monterone
John Macurdy

Borsa
Arthur Graham

Marullo
Calvin Marsh

Count Ceprano
Robert Patterson

Countess Ceprano
Joy Clements

Giovanna
Carlotta Ordassy

Page
Lynn Blair

Guard
Peter Sliker


Conductor
Fausto Cleva







Review 1:

Review of John Ardoin in Musical America
The promise new soprano Jolanda Meneguzzer showed at her debut last month as Musetta in "La Bohème" was unfortunately not substantiated in her first Gilda on December 13. Her performance was dramatically and vocally tentative and uneven. She was pretty enough to look at, but her rhythm was poor and she rushed any phrase containing a high note as though she were afraid and wanted to get over such moments as quickly as possible. Later, one saw that there was something to her fears when she badly flatted the top notes of the "Caro nome" cadenza, and lunged at the high E flat at the end of "Si vendetta" and landed somewhere around C sharp. Her "Caro nome" was further lacking in authority due to her inability to produce anything resembling a trill.

Anselmo Colzani was scheduled as Rigoletto but was indisposed and replaced by Robert Merrill, who is always vocally fine, and who, on this occasion, was in outstanding musical and dramatic fettle as well. Barry Morell's voice seemed smaller than ever, and John Macurdy made a handsome showing in his first go at Monterone with the company. Fausto Cleva conducted like a house afire, providing more excitement in the pit than is generally his wont.

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