[Met Performance] CID:101520
Pelléas et Mélisande {17} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/18/1929.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
February 18, 1929
PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE {17}
Pelléas.................Edward Johnson
Mélisande...............Lucrezia Bori
Golaud..................Clarence Whitehill
Arkel...................Léon Rothier
Geneviève...............Ina Bourskaya
Yniold..................Ellen Dalossy
Physician...............Paolo Ananian
Conductor...............Louis Hasselmans
Review of Pitts Sanborn in the New York Telegram
'PÉLLEAS ET MÉLISANDE' INTERESTS OPERA
AUDIENCE
Maeterlinck-Debussy Work Presented at the Metropolitan - Rothier's Performance Dominates
One of the largest audiences ever attracted to the Metropolitan Opera House by "Pélleas et Mélisande" during the five seasons of its currency in Mr. Gatti-Casazza's temple gathered there last evening and listened with close attention to the unfoldment of the Maeterlinck-Debussy tragedy.
The cast was identical with that of this year's earlier "Pélleas et Mélisande." Its dominating feature was inevitably Mr. Rothier as the venerable King Arkel. The majesty and the pity of this impersonation need no new praise.
Technically it was distinguished by consummate diction in French to the manner born, and by skillfully modulated tone.
Next in point of excellence was Mr. Whitehill as Golaud. The American baritone has achieved a noteworthy embodiment of Mélisande's jealous and tormented husband. In certain scenes his success doubtless would be still more striking if the staging differed less radically from that of the Hammerstein production in the old Manhattan days.
Vulnerable elements in the Metropolitan fabric remain the Pélleas and Mélisande of Mr. Johnson and Miss Bori. Still, though each of these earnest artists is somewhat miscast in this most French of operas, both have grown measurably into their peculiarly exacting roles.
While the French of amorous discourse remains for them an outland and obviously acquired speech, there is no denying the pathos expressed by the Spanish soprano in her later scenes of the high and the unsparing seriousness displayed by the Canadian tenor in his brave encounter with the problems of the unhappy Pélleas.
The orchestral performance of Mr. Hasselmans continues to exhibit gratifying progress in the direction of the ideal.