[Met Performance] CID:141510
Madama Butterfly {265} Matinee ed. Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts: 04/13/1946.
(Review)
Boston, Massachusetts
April 13, 1946 Matinee
MADAMA BUTTERFLY {265}
Cio-Cio-San.............Licia Albanese
Pinkerton...............James Melton
Suzuki..................Lucielle Browning
Sharpless...............Frank Valentino
Goro....................Alessio De Paolis
Bonze...................Osie Hawkins
Yamadori................George Cehanovsky
Kate Pinkerton..........Maxine Stellman
Commissioner............John Baker
Conductor...............Cesare Sodero
Review of Alexander Williams in the Boston Herald
"Madama Butterfly"
Puccini's sentimental opera unfolding the tale of the noble and innocent Japanese girl and the dastardly American Naval lieutenant was tactfully banished from the Metropolitan during the war, even though "Die Meistersinger," which glorifies everything German, was kept. Opera lovers will have them both because of the surpassing musical beauties, each in its own kind and degree, that they contain. In the case of "Butterfly" I do not know why it has not occurred to the management to make the Naval officer an Italian which would at least score off a minor enemy!
At any rate the familiar beauties and charm of the score were ably set forth yesterday afternoon by the orchestra under Mr. Sodero. I am not sure that they were not too vigorously stated, so as to overwhelm Miss Albanese and Mr. Melton in the first act. On the other hand it may have been Mr. Sodero's view that to accommodate the orchestra too much to the singers would have been to reduce the ideal conception of the opera.
At least in the first act, Miss Albanese again had that curious covered or muffled quality to her voice, which was so noticeable in her Micaela in "Carmen" the other day. In the second act, which is all Cio-Cio-San's anyway, she was much better and gave a charming performance. Mr. Melton made a plausible Naval lieutenant (senior grade) and sang pleasantly, if not always with the robustness to cope with the orchestra in the romantic love music of the first act.
The rest of the cast was good, particularly Miss Browning as Suzuki, Mr. Valdengo as Sharpless and Mr. De Paolis as Goro. The Jospeh Urban sets retain their attraction for the eye, and the conclusion of the second act made its poignant effect as always.