[Met Performance] CID:121260
Mignon {72} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/26/1937.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
March 26, 1937
MIGNON {72}
Mignon..................Gladys Swarthout
Wilhelm Meister.........Charles Hackett
Philine.................Stella Andreva
Lothario................Ezio Pinza
Frédéric................Helen Olheim
Laërte..................Angelo Badà
Jarno...................Norman Cordon
Antonio.................Norman Cordon
Dance...................Helen Leitch
Dance...................William Dollar
Conductor...............Wilfred Pelletier
Review of Oscar Thompson in the Evening Sun
Stumble Brings New Notes in 'Mignon'
With a sound like the popping of firecrackers, three pennies, a nickel and two keys injected a new percussive motive into last night's performance of "Mignon" at the Metropolitan. An astonished audience that could see nothing out of the ordinary stared at the orchestra pit. Wilfred Pelletier cast hasty glances in the direction of the drums, but went on conducting, while Gladys Swarthout and Ezio Pinza rounded out the duet between Mignon and Lothario in the early part of the second act. Among many startled persons, probably the most perplexed was the tympanist, whose instruments had yielded the unwritten and unplayed notes that had directed hundreds of pairs of eyes toward his corner. Inquiring ushers presently solved the mystery. A man in the dress circle had stumbled in attempting to take his seat in the dark after the act had begun, and the contents of an overcoat pocket had showered down on the tympani, bouncing a time or two to augment the effect.
The performance, otherwise, was not an exciting one, though well attended and heartily applauded. Miss Swarthout's Mignon, Charles Hackett's Wilhelm Meister, Mr. Pinza's Lothario, Angelo Bada's Laertes and Helen Oelheim's Frederick were precisely what they were at the earlier representation of Thomas's opera. There was one change of cast, Stella Andreva taking over the coquetries and the colorature of Philine. Her voice was of ample power and of sufficient agility for a fairly clean achievement of "Titania" air, though the quality was hard at the top and not very dulcet below. Mr. Pinza's were the vocal honors of the evening.