Metropolitan Opera Archives

Verdi's "Aida" acquired new grandeur pictorially on the stage of the new Metropolitan Opera House last night. Since the Robert O'Hearn-Nathaniel Merrill production with the Katherine Dunham ballet rates among its proudest achievements in recent years, it was good to have it gain dimension in the shift from the old house.

The performance found Thomas Schippers conducting the opera for the first time here. His concept runs thin. For all its vigor and vitality, it rides along the surface of the music. Much more lyric beauty exists in this score than floated into the house last night.

Neither the depth of excitement nor the glow of Verdi's music reached these ears. Furthermore, Mr. Schippers paced some of it too fast for the singers. Without a more inspiring interpretation coming from the pit, the performance as a whole did not jell.

Potentially solid vocally, the cast might have made it more cohesive. The impression grew that the singers were present primarily to sing and that characterization became quite secondary. As a result, continuity suffered until Act 3 when Gabriella Tucci as Aida, Richard Tucker as Radames, and Anselmo Colzani as Amonaro appeared more concerned with what was happening.

They have all sung these roles more felicitously. Miss Tucci's stagey acting became less noticeable when she let her lovely voice float naturally. Had those moments received proper collaboration from the pit, the blend would become magical. This Aida kept promising more until the very end.

In all his vocal brilliance Mr. Tucker over-sang both the role and the house. He was at his best in lyric passages. Had he taken the last note of "Celeste Aida" softly, he would have ingratiated himself at the start. That loud note keyed most of his performance.

Mr. Colzani shared vocal honors with Giorgio Tozzi as Ramfis. Both men sang easily and authoritatively. In his small role as the King, Raymond Michalski again asserted himself royally.

Rita Gorr sang Amneris imperiously. At times she was splendid; at others her strident upper register neutralized dramatic vocalism which should have brought her distinction. For a moment in Act 3 and again in the Judgment Scene all her good points fused and brought her that distinction, but she could not sustain this effectiveness.

Thus an uneven performance vocally, a loud, brilliant one orchestrally and a fair one balletically tempered enjoyment of an excellent presentation of this most popular of operas with its stirring Triumphal Scene. Later performances will undoubtedly fare much better.

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