[Met Performance] CID:132500
Il Barbiere di Siviglia {176} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/5/1942.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
January 5, 1942
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA {176}
Figaro..................John Brownlee
Rosina..................Lily Pons
Count Almaviva..........Bruno Landi
Dr. Bartolo.............Salvatore Baccaloni
Don Basilio.............Ezio Pinza
Berta...................Irra Petina
Fiorello................Wilfred Engelman
Sergeant................John Dudley
Conductor...............Frank St. Leger
[In the Lesson Scene Pons sang Ah vous dirai-je maman from Le Toréador (Adam).]
Review signed S. in Musical America
The musical rough-horsing which characterizes the Metropolitan's current "Barber of Seville" production delighted a large audience on the evening of Jan. 5 when the opera had its second performance. The cast was the same as at the first performance, except that Lily Pons and Bruno Landi replaced Bidu Sayao and Nino Martini in the roles of Rosina and Count Almaviva. Miss Pons is a sprightly comedienne, and she sang with verve, if not always with fidelity, to pitch. Mr. Pinza and Mr. Baccaloni are the backbone of the production and they always have a riotously good time trying to steal the stage from each other, to the delectation of the audience. Irra Petina, one of the most expert actresses in the company, as well as a very superior singer, brought down the house with her Berta, as usual, and John Brownlee was in excellent form as Figaro. Mr. Landi was not a convincing Almaviva either dramatically or vocally, but he sang effectively in lyric passages. In the "Lesson Scene" Miss Pons sang the Mozart-La Forge Variations on "Ah te dirai-je Maman." by no means impeccably, but with brilliance and a final alpine note which won the audience. Frank St. Leger conducted rather insecurely, and at one point brought in the orchestra before Miss Pons was ready for her final climb to one of those high tones which opera-goers love so much. There were bows aplenty throughout the evening for all of the principals.