[Met Performance] CID:140060
Die Zauberflöte {93} Matinee Broadcast ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 12/1/1945., Broadcast
(Debut: Wellington Ezekiel
Broadcast
Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
December 1, 1945 Matinee Broadcast
In English
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE {93}
Mozart-Schikaneder
Pamina..................Nadine Conner
Tamino..................Charles Kullman
Queen of the Night......Mimi Benzell
Sarastro................Ezio Pinza
Papageno................Hugh Thompson
Papagena................Lillian Raymondi
Monostatos..............John Garris
Speaker.................Wellington Ezekiel [Debut]
First Lady..............Regina Resnik
Second Lady.............Maxine Stellman
Third Lady..............Anna Kaskas
Genie...................Marita Farell
Genie...................Mona Paulee
Genie...................Thelma Altman
Priest..................Richard Manning
Priest..................Louis D'Angelo
Guard...................Anthony Marlowe
Guard...................William Hargrave
Conductor...............Bruno Walter
Director................Herbert Graf
Designer................Richard Rychtarik
Translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin
Die Zauberflöte received nine performances this season.
Review of Jerome D. Bohn in the Herald Tribune
"Magic Flute" Sung in English At Metropolitan
Pinza Sings Sarastro Role in Opera by Mozart; Bruno Walter Conducts
The season's first presentation of Mozart's "Magic Flute" at the Metropolitan Opera House yesterday afternoon was only pleasurable in part. Vocally, it often did scant justice to the composer's imperishable melodies. The most distinguished singing was by Ezio Pinza. The Italian bass was in splendid form and his delivery of Sarastro's music was richly sonorous and consistently well focused. Next in excellence was the Pamina of Miss Conner, who brought to her role much of its essential purity of tone and warmth.
In his interpretation of Tamino's music, Mr. Kullman resorted to juxtapositions of throatily constricted singing with long stretches of crooning that were stylistically inept and discomforting to the ear.
Miss Benzell encompassed the altitudinous vocal flights of the Queen of the Night safely; but the middle and lower registers of her soprano voice have not the caliber to cope with the sustained dramatic demands.
Wellington Ezekiel, who made his operatic debut as the High Priest, has a bass voice of persuasive texture and good size, the effectiveness of which would be improved by more forward production. Mr. Thompson's Papageno was competently sung although this writer prefers a more lyrical treatment of the music. Mr. Garris's Monostatos was acceptable.
Neither the Three Ladies not the Three Genii, however, were impressive. The voice of Miss Resnik as the First Lady did not blend well with the voices of the Second and Third Ladies, the Misses Stellman and Kaskas. Miss Farell's off-pitch singing proved ruinous to the trios which she shared with the Misses Paulee and Altman.
After a poorly balanced, fuzzy overture, the quality of the orchestra's performance of the score improved under Mr. Walter's guidance; but one has heard him interpret this music more arrestingly.