[Met Performance] CID:132450
La Bohème {352} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/1/1942.

(Review)


Metropolitan Opera House
January 1, 1942


LA BOHÈME {352}
Puccini-Illica/Giacosa

Mimì....................Grace Moore
Rodolfo.................Frederick Jagel
Musetta.................Natalie Bodanya
Marcello................John Brownlee
Schaunard...............George Cehanovsky
Colline.................Norman Cordon
Benoit..................Salvatore Baccaloni
Alcindoro...............Salvatore Baccaloni
Parpignol...............Lodovico Oliviero
Sergeant................Wilfred Engelman

Conductor...............Paul Breisach

Director................Désiré Defrère
Costume designer........Blaschke & Cie

La Bohème received six performances this season.

Review of Quaintance Eaton in Musical America

This was a lusty and somewhat uneven performance on the stage and a subdued one in the orchestra pit. Mr. Breisach, a Viennese, seemed somewhat tentative at times with the Puccini score, but gave the singers the benefit of the doubt and kept his orchestra under their voices as well as under par as far as vitality was concerned. Miss Moore and Mr. Jagel sang with an outpouring of tone that was most often gratifying and their first act duet was melodious and full throated. Mimi is one of the soprano's most sympathetic roles, and she met its vocal and dramatic demands to the entire satisfaction of the audience. Mr. Jagel was in splendid voice the whole evening.

The clowning of the four Bohemians in the first two acts seemed rather forced, but the opera gained in dramatic coherence as it progressed, and the last act was finely drawn. Mr. Cordon once more made a hit with his singing of Colline's song to the old coat and Mr. Brownlee was in character and voice as Marcello. Miss Bodanya was a pert Musetta, shrill as to voice, but effective in action. Mr. Baccaloni repeated his double role with telling comic strokes. The house was more than comfortably filled and extremely enthusiastic.



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