[Met Performance] CID:130010
Le Nozze di Figaro {58} American Academy of Music, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 12/3/1940.
(Debuts: Salvatore Baccaloni, Julia Barashkova
Review)
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
December 3, 1940
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO {58}
Mozart-Da Ponte
Figaro..................Ezio Pinza
Susanna.................Licia Albanese
Count Almaviva..........John Brownlee
Countess Almaviva.......Elisabeth Rethberg
Cherubino...............Jarmila Novotna
Dr. Bartolo.............Salvatore Baccaloni [Debut]
Marcellina..............Irra Petina
Don Basilio.............Alessio De Paolis
Antonio.................Louis D'Angelo
Barbarina...............Marita Farell
Don Curzio..............George Rasely
Peasant.................Helen Olheim
Peasant.................Pearl Besuner
Dance...................Lillian Moore
Dance...................Julia Barashkova [Debut]
Dance...................Josef Levinoff
Dance...................Paul Sweeney
Conductor...............Ettore Panizza
Director................Herbert Graf
Set designer............Jonel Jorgulesco
Costume designer........Ladislas Czettel
Choreographer...........Boris Romanoff
Le Nozze di Figaro received twelve performances this season.
Review of Samuel L. Lacair in the Philadelphia Evening Public Ledger
Metropolitan Opens Here
The Metropolitan Opera Association opened its Philadelphia season at the Academy of Music last evening before an audience capacity in size and impressive in personnel.
The opera was Mozart's "The Marriage of Figaro," at once one of the most humorous works of the repertoire and containing some of the most beautiful music even written. The cast, while containing many of the first artists of the unapproachable Metropolitan roster, was somewhat uneven.
Two newcomers to Philadelphia were among the members. Licia Albanese was the Susanna and Salvatore Baccoloni, buffo basso, the Dr. Bartolo. Miss Albanese showed a remarkably beautiful voice, a fine conception of the role, but throughout most of the evening she could be heard only with difficulty because of the lightness of her voice. She was at her best vocally in the lovely "Deh, vieni non tardar" of the last act, largely because of the very light orchestration.
Star Meets With Accident
Miss Albanese met with an accident during the course of the first act, wrenching her ankle painfully, but after a physician had taped it she insisted upon continuing and did so effectively enough, so that very few in the audience realized what had happened.
The other new comer, Mr. Baccoloni, should prove a valuable addition to the Metropolitan roster. He has a bass voice of unusual sonority and a keen sense of humor, both in singing and acting.
Ezio Pinza was the Figaro and last evening, despite his magnificent voice and his keen feeling for humor, was not at his best. Perhaps the voice is too dignified for music of this character, although he scored great successes with the many famous arias allotted to the role, among these being "Se vuol ballare," "Non piu andrai" and especially the "Ecco la Marcia" of the final act, all of which were finely performed, Mr. Pinza being recalled many times after the last-named aria.
The Other Male Roles
The other male roles were taken by John Brownlee as Count Almaviva. He sang well, but gave a somewhat tame rendition, especially in the second act; Alessio de Paolis as Basilio, George Rasely as Don Curzio, the judge; Louis D'Angelo as the drunken gardener, Antonio, who was not up to his usual very high standard in a comedy role.
The chief female role, next to Susanna, was that of the Countess, which was assumed by Elisabeth Rethberg. Mme. Rethberg was not in good voice last evening and showed a disconcerting tendency to sing off pitch, especially in her [starting] parts of the opera. Her finest singing was done in the lovely "Dove sono," one of the most beautiful arias that even Mozart ever wrote. Her action was adequate considering the rather few dramatic demands of the part.
The role of Cherubino was taken by Jarmila Novotna, who had a charming and youthful stage presence and sang and acted well. She was particularly successful in the arias, "Non so piu cosa son" and "Voi che sapete."
Miss Petina as Marcellina
Irra Petina was one of the outstanding members of the cast in the difficult but rather small role of Marcellina. With a beautiful voice, a keen sense of humor, which she displayed to great advantage both in singing and acting, she received great applause. Other roles were taken by Marita Farell as Barbarina and Helen Olheim and Pearl Besuner as the peasant girls.
Ettore Panizza did a superb piece of conducting and the stage settings and costumes were up to the very high standard of Metropolitan performances, especially in the third and fourth acts.