[Met Performance] CID:91460



La Vestale
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, December 7, 1925


In Italian



La Vestale (3)
Gaspare Spontini | ?tienne de Jouy
Giulia
Rosa Ponselle

Licinio
Edward Johnson

High Priestess
Margarete Matzenauer

Cinna
Giuseppe De Luca

Pontifex Maximus
Jos? Mardones

Consul
Paolo Ananian

Dance
Lilyan Ogden

Dance
Florence Rudolph

Dance
Albert Troy


Conductor
Tullio Serafin







Review 1:

Review of W. J. Henderson in the Sun

Spontini's 'La Vestale' Pleases

Venerable Lyric Drama Meets Warm Applause of Crowd at the Metropolitan

The Monday night subscribers of the Metropolitan Opera House had their opportunity last evening to behold the glories of ancient Rome. To them came Spontini's venerable lyric drama, "La Vestale." The theater was crowded. There were numerous foot auditors and there was plenteous applause. Without doubt the public, trained to spectacular displays, has taken "La Vestale" with avidity.

Some one has told us that the period of the work is 269 B. C. It is difficult to believe it. One would like to hear from the author of "The Roman Traitor" or from Dean West. We cannot fix the war in which Licinius gained the honor of a triumph. The time was that of the great Italian subjugation, the period in which Umbria and Etruria after long struggles bowed their knees to imperial Rome. Perhaps he defeated Pyrrhus once.

We cannot believe that the hardy warrior of that era ever saw such gaudy trappings on their consuls or such lascivious fetes in honor of their heroes. But after all the whole thing happens in opera land where, as all know, Alice's slumber resort is always completely outdone. The opera of Spontini has two ballets and a procession, choruses and bravura airs and even duos of no mean order. And at the Metropolitan it is splendidly clothed.

The performance of last evening did not carry Miss Ponselle's lucky number. She achieved a triumph at the first disclosure of the work, but it will be recalled that last Saturday she was ill and unable either to sing in "Il Trovatore" or to witness her sister Carmela as Amneris in "Aida." Last evening it was clear that the cold had not entirely deserted the neighborhood of the prima donna's vocal chords. She sang laboriously and sometimes off the key. But she preserved her knowledge of the style and at times rose to her own level. Edward Johnson was again Licinius and he sang his music with more freedom than at the first performance. He, too, showed knowledge of the style. Mme. Matzenaur filled the stage with authority as the presiding vestal and Mr. de Luca as the particular friend of the young Roman was most commendable. The performance was somewhat dull and heavy in the early scenes, doubtless because of Miss Ponselle's lack of brilliance, but it improved as the evening advanced. Mr. Serafin conducted.



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