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Grisly horror stalked the stage of the Academy last night. And demonic music, a terrible and at times tortured torrent of tone swept and swirled up from the orchestra pit. For illicit lust, frenzied blood-madness, implications of incest, and triple murder, including matricide with a blood ax, were the operatic order of the hour--an hour and 45 minutes, to be exact - when "Elektra" was presented by the Metropolitan Opera Association.

Rose Pauly, the Metropolitan's new Hungarian soprano, made her first Philadelphia appearance in this revival of the searingly sensational operatic shocker by Richard Strauss.

FURY INCARNATE

And what a debut it was, as the incarnate fury dedicated to revenge and retribution for a father's murder - a disheveled, demented figure, keyed throughout to the highest pitch of dramatic, driving intensity, and equipped with a voice of vitality and vigor to cut clearly through the weltering, surging sea of orchestral sound.

In all opera or music drama, there is no role like Elektra in the merciless concentration required, in the almost unbearable force of neurotic, nervous, emotional energy and projection of feeling by vocal coloring. In these respects Miss Pauly's performance was a revelation.

HONORS SHARED

But the evening was by no means wholly Miss Pauly's. Two other factors of the most vital importance in the powerful impression produced were Kerstin Thorborg's Klytemnestra, which encompassed the decadence and something of the departed dignity of the evil yet morally and physically anguished Queen, and the truly magnificent conducting of Artur Bodanzky, unsparing in evoking the stark brutality of the tremendous score, yet acutely conscious of its more melodic moments.

But arresting as were other aspects of the occasion, the truly towering triumph was Miss Pauly's.

NOT "PRETTY" VOICE

To call her voice pretty or pleasing would but be to insult it. Actually, it isn't ingratiating, and it wasn't meant to be last night. It played on nerves, not ears, from the moment when the rising curtain disclosed Elektra pacing the courtyard of Agamemnon's palace, until she deliriously danced herself to death.

There were honors for others, as well, especially for the quite charming and sympathetic Chrysothemis of Irene Jessner, Paul Althouse wrestled courageously with the ungrateful part of Aegisthus and Friedrich Schorr, our most impressive Wotan these days, seemed rather miscast as Orestes.

Puccini's capital little comedy, "Gianni Schichi," sung in English, served its purpose as a curtain raiser, and proved acute contrast. The sprightly farce enlisted the abilities of Julius Huehn in the title role with Hilda Burke as Lauretta, Charles Kullman as Rinuccio, George Rasely as Gherardo, and Chase Baromeo as Simone.

Search by season: 1937-38

Search by title: Gianni Schicchi, Elektra,

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