[Met Performance] CID:146180
Madama Butterfly {285} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/27/1947.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
November 27, 1947
MADAMA BUTTERFLY {285}
Puccini-Illica/Giacosa
Cio-Cio-San.............Dorothy Kirsten
Pinkerton...............James Melton
Suzuki..................Thelma Altman
Sharpless...............John Brownlee
Goro....................Leslie Chabay
Bonze...................Melchiorre Luise
Yamadori................George Cehanovsky
Kate Pinkerton..........Irene Jordan
Commissioner............John Baker
Conductor...............Giuseppe Antonicelli
Director................Désiré Defrère
Set designer............Joseph Urban
Madama Butterfly received six performances this season.
[Kirsten's costumes were designed by David Laurence Roth.]
Review of J. D. B. in the Herald Tribune
'Madama Butterfly'
Miss Kirsten is Cio-Cio-San at the Metropolitan
It is so seldom nowadays that one encounters vocalism as flawless as that with which Miss Kirsten invested her portrayal of Cio-Cio-San at the Metropolitan Opera House last night in the season's first performance of Puccini's "Madama Butterfly" that it may seem captious on the part of this listener to have found her delivery of the music of the role none the less unmoving because of its want of emotional impact. The soprano's gleaming top tones ravished the ear, but failed to touch the heart. And this absence of temperament in her singing was reflected in her intelligent but externalized histrionics.
Mr. Melton's Pinkerton sounded much as it has in previous seasons - "white" throughout and often constricted in the upper register; but he brought a certain amount of ardor to his conception. Miss Altman made a sympathetic figure of Suzuki and sang agreeably, but Mr. Brownlee's portrayal of Sharpless seemed as coldblooded and as dry-voiced as ever.
Some of the smaller roles were ably handled, especially the Goro of Leslie Chabay who replaced the indisposed Alessio de Paolis. Melchoire Luise appearing for the first time here as the uncle-priest proved only moderately effective, but Mr. Cehanovsky was excellent as Yamadori. Mr. Antonicelli conducted a well paced, persuasive sounding account of the orchestral score.