[Met Performance] CID:190170
La Forza del Destino {106} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/14/1962.
(Review)
Metropolitan Opera House
February 14, 1962
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO {106}
Giuseppe Verdi--Francesco Maria Piave
Leonora.................Zinka Milanov
Don Alvaro..............Kurt Baum
Don Carlo...............Robert Merrill
Padre Guardiano.........Bonaldo Giaiotti
Preziosilla.............Helen Vanni
Fra Melitone............Salvatore Baccaloni
Marquis de Calatrava....Louis Sgarro
Curra...................Carlotta Ordassy
Trabuco.................Alessio De Paolis
Surgeon.................George Cehanovsky
Conductor...............George Schick
Review of Martin Bernheimer in the New York Herald Tribune
3 Appear at Met in Roles of 1942
There was a spirit of nostalgia about "La Forza del Destino" at the Metropolitan last night. Leonora, Don Alvaro and Fra Melitone respectively were sung by Zinka Milanov, Kurt Baum and Salvatore Baccaloni, all of whom had participated in Bruno Walter's historic revival of the Verdi opera back in 1942. Mme. Milanov and Mr. Baum were appearing in their roles for the first time this season. As if to counter-balance the familiar cast elements, there was a new Padre Guardiano in the person of Bonaldo Giaiotti.
Mme. Milanov Leonora has long been one of the company's primary vocal splendors. It would be useless to pretend that the soprano sounded last night as she had when this production was created for her ten years ago. But there were moments that recalled a great artist in her best days, and for these we are grateful.
Mr. Baum, replacing the indisposed Sandor Konya, sang, more or less, like his old self. His impersonations have never been notable for finesse either in acting or in singing, but at least his is a true dramatic tenor. Few colleagues can make that claim.
Ironically enough, Giaiotti, probably the youngest member of the cast, played the oldest role. There was nothing either in his vocalism or his histrionics, however, to suggest age or wisdom. He betrayed his relative inexperience by walking through the part rather stiffly and producing nothing more than moderately pleasant bass sounds. Mr. Baccaloni, on the other hand, gave a model demonstration of how to produce a maximum of characterization with a minimum of voice. Robert Merrill, Helen Vanni and Alessio de Paolis reappeared in other important roles, and George Schick was the remarkably powerful and authoritative conductor (Certainly this fine musician cannot be blamed for the cuts and musical transpositions that almost make a travesty of the Met's current version of the opera.)