[Met Performance] CID:149330
La Traviata {310} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/1948.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
December 31, 1948
LA TRAVIATA {310}
Giuseppe Verdi--Francesco Maria Piave
Violetta................Licia Albanese
Alfredo.................Jan Peerce
Germont.................Leonard Warren
Flora...................Maxine Stellman
Gastone.................Leslie Chabay
Baron Douphol...........George Cehanovsky
Marquis D'Obigny........Lawrence Davidson
Dr. Grenvil.............Osie Hawkins
Annina..................Thelma Altman
Dance...................Peggy Smithers
Dance...................Marina Svetlova
Conductor...............Giuseppe Antonicelli
Director................Désiré Defrère
Set designer............Jonel Jorgulesco
Set designer............Joseph Novak
Costume designer........Jonel Jorgulesco
Choreographer...........Boris Romanoff
La Traviata received twelve performances this season.
[Novak designed the set for Act II.]
Review of Francis D. Perkins in the Herald Tribune
"Traviata" Performed First Time This Season
For its last offering of 1948, the Metropolitan Opera Association gave its season's first performance of Verdi's "La Traviata" yesterday evening with a trio of principals already well known in their roles. Licia Albanese's interpretation of Violetta was distinguished for its expressive intensity, carrying emotional conviction in song and gesture; with some unevenness of vocal production, the tone quality was appealing. The singing of Jan Peerce, a creditable Alfredo, was variable in clarity, while Leonard Warren, as the senior Germont, was in good voice, singing "Di Provenza" with laudable dynamic shading.
The other roles were allotted to Maxine Stellman, Thelma Altman, Leslie Chabay, George Cehanovsky, Osie Hawkins and Lawrence Davidson, who sang the role of the Marquis for the first time at the Metropolitan. In the musical interpretation under Giuseppe Antonicelli's conductorship the first act would have profited by more vitality, but there was a rise in spirit and expressive temperature as the performance pursued its course.