Metropolitan Opera Archives

The following night's "La Traviata" was, however, a total disaster as far as Mr. Bonynge was concerned. His work in the orchestra pit was not only flabby but downright amateurish. Singers and orchestra were seldom together, fine artists like Robert Merrill were put off their stride, and nobody in the house knew when the next beat was to arrive. To add to this mess, we had a tenor, Giacomo Aragall, who has an unpleasant habit of singing nearly everything from a quarter to a half tone flat, even when the orchestra is accompanying him. And the quality of Mr. Aragall's voice is not appealing, either. It is totally lacking in any sensuous or expressive sound. Under these circumstances, it is remarkable that the Polish soprano Teresa Zylis-Gara managed to make any impression at all in the role of Violetta. Mr. Aragall was continually pulling her voice down from the true pitch, and Mr. Bonynge was continually throwing her off rhythmically. She is a pretty woman, and she has a lovely lyric soprano voice, but she was miscast as Violetta, because she has not the requisite accuracy of coloratura for the first act. The only saving feature of this perfectly miserable performance was the stalwart singing of Mr. Merrill as the elder Germont.

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Search by title: La Traviata,

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