[Met Performance] CID:88700



Lohengrin
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, December 26, 1924




Lohengrin (338)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
Lohengrin
Rudolf Laubenthal

Elsa
Florence Easton

Ortrud
Margarete Matzenauer

Telramund
Clarence Whitehill

King Heinrich
Paul Bender

Herald
Carl Schlegel

Page
Mary Bonetti

Page
Minnie Egener

Page
Louise Hunter

Page
Laura Robertson


Conductor
Artur Bodanzky







Review 1:

Review of Pitts Sanborn in the Telegram

'Lohengrin' with Easton

Elsa in "Lohengrin" was entrusted at the Metropolitan last evening to Mme. Florence Easton. Mme. Easton has now sung the role there a number of times in English and in German. Few of the many parts she is called on to assume suit her so well vocally, temperamentally, physically, and rarely does any singing woman get so completely in the skin of a part as Mme. Easton does in the case of the hapless Duchess of Brabant. Her pathos is appealing, and yet it is poetic, spiritualized, aloof. This Elsa is without resort to tricks or artifice, a legendary figure. One can accept her fatal curiosity as inevitable simply because it is a part of the traditional story. A large share of her success in imposing the illusion of Elsa comes from the quality of her voice and her skillful and sympathetic treatment of the music.

Mme. Matzenauer and Messrs.. Laubenthal, Whitehill, Schlegel and Bender returned to parts they have likewise sung here more or less often. But why, oh why, is Mr. Laubenthal permitted at the Metropolitan to commit the silly solecism of making Lohengrin overcome Telramund by magic? The tenor was in good voice and some of his singing had beauty. Mr. Whitehill is one of the most impressive Telramunds the stage has ever known. Mr. Bender provides always a majestic King Henry, and Mr. Schlegel was a herald who sang solidly and in tune. Mme. Matzenauer never fails to make the evil doings of Ortrud tell their dire tale.

The orchestral performance, under the careful leadership of Mr. Bodanzky, was in general effective and at times achieved conspicuous beauty, but the choral singing was hardly up to the high standard the Metropolitan chorus has set for itself. A largely commendable performance of Wagner's well beloved work.



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