Met Opera Archives Search

Respighi's "La Campana Somersa" had its first evening performance at the Metropolitan Opera House last night. Since its American premiere, one week ago, the powers who wield the blue pencil have been diligently and discretely at work. The result was revealed last night when several tenuous scenes were made more concise and the consistent, twenty minutes of unimportance were eliminated.

As it stands now, the listener gained a cleared estimate of the still somewhat opaque story and a more definite idea of its musical setting. Much of the value of the score is transferred to the auditor though the eloquence of Mr. Serafin's scholarly interpretation and his ability to communicate his conception to his colleagues. They, in turn, last night, disclosed it accordingly. The reading did justice to composer, conductor and vocalists.

A word, too, is due those men and minds whose taste and judgment provided the charming settings. An [introductory] scene shows a romantic woodland; the second, a quaint, homey room in a mountain peasant's hut; the third, a forge where lofty hills meet and tall trees shelter, and a final act set in a shadowy clearing in the midst of a beautiful forest.

The principal protagonists last evening - Enrico, the bell-caster, and Rantendelein, the elfin enchantress - were again capitally portrayed by Giovanni Martinelli and Elisabeth Rethberg. The village cronies - the pastor, the dornine and the barber - were in the familiar care of Messrs. Pinza, D'Angelo and Paltrinieri. Giuiseppe De Luca, as the sprite of the well, sang with his accustomed beauty and intelligence. The Faun of Alfio Tedesco was sprightly and vocally better than at the first performance. Dorothee Manski sang Magda, the wife of Enrico, replacing Nannette Guilford, the newest Metropolitan bride. Miss Manski acted with dramatic fervor and sang with feeling. The trio of elfs was presented by Mmes. Dalossy, Doninelli and Alcock.

There were several recalls after each act, and following the third act the composer was called out four times.

Search by season: 1928-29

Search by title: La Campana Sommersa,

Met careers