[Met Performance] CID:89310



Tosca
Metropolitan Opera House, Tue, February 10, 1925




Tosca (186)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/Giuseppe Giacosa
Tosca
Maria Jeritza

Cavaradossi
Beniamino Gigli

Scarpia
Antonio Scotti

Sacristan
Pompilio Malatesta

Spoletta
Giordano Paltrinieri

Angelotti
Louis D'Angelo

Sciarrone
Vincenzo Reschiglian

Shepherd
Merle Alcock

Jailer
Millo Picco


Conductor
Tullio Serafin







Review 1:

Review and account in the Sun

Mystery in 'Tosca' Performance

Jeritza in Tears as She Reluctantly Takes a Curtain Call

A very much bewildered audience trickled out of the Metropolitan Opera House last night wondering what was behind the tears of Maria Jeritza, who appeared to be on the verge of hysteria when she was forced to take her final ovation after singing her favorite role, "Tosca." Beniamino Gigli, who shared the honors with the soprano, did not come before the footlights to acknowledge the applause for his work.

The performance of "Tosca" was a special one, held for the benefit of the neighborhood Music School at 236 West 105th Street. The "diamond horseshoe" glittered with many of the socially prominent and the house was filled with Jertiza and Gigli enthusiasts and lovers of the Puccini opera.

The performance went swimmingly to a successful end and the audience arose as one man (or woman) to acclaim the stars. For eight long minutes they smacked palm against palm and called for the soprano and tenor. The golden curtain parted and was held open, but no one came from behind it. Then it fell into place. Again the audience burst into applause, again the curtain parted and again it closed without either star coming forth.

The persistence of the audience finally evoked Jeritza. But the singer did not appear, so it seemed to many, without being pushed before the golden drop. Once before she hove in sight, her protesting arm was seen projecting from behind the hangings. When she bowed to the plaudits, she was weeping copiously and seemed to be close to hysteria. She sobbed an explanation, but no one was able to understand her choked words.

A large crowd waited at the stage entrance for Gigli to see if he would explain what had happened. But no Gigli came out of that door or any of other others watched by the interested. The throngs who waited for the tenor were rife with rumors that there had been a new outbreak of the vigor he displayed a few weeks ago when he forgot himself while singing in "Fedora" and hurled Jeritza into the footlights. At that time Jeritza was badly shaken up.



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