[Met Performance] CID:125110



Lohengrin
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, February 13, 1939




Lohengrin (426)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
Lohengrin
Lauritz Melchior

Elsa
Kirsten Flagstad

Ortrud
Karin Branzell

Telramund
Herbert Janssen

King Heinrich
Herbert Alsen

Herald
George Cehanovsky


Conductor
Erich Leinsdorf







Review 1:

Review of Oscar Thompson in Musical America

Janssen Sings Telramund

The repetition of "Lohengrin" on Feb. 13 was marked by Herbert Janssen's first Telramund at the Metropolitan. The baritone sang the r?le with the lyricism that had distinguished his Wolfram in "Tannh?user," but also with the dramatic weight necessary to carry conviction in the charge against Elsa and long colloquy with Ortrud in the second act. His production remained that of a well-schooled vocalist who has no need to force the tone and who aspires to preserve rather than shatter a melodic line.

The performance was one generally well sung, with Lauritz Melchior and Kirsten Flagstad contributing much that was stirring in their achievements of the parts of Lohengrin and Elsa. Karin Branzell over-sang and overacted as Ortrud, but made felt the malignance of the invocation of the pagan deities. Herbert Alsen's King Henry suffered from vocal constriction, with now and then a weighty low tone to show what good material is being wasted because of a bad method. George Cehanovsky completed the cast as the Herald.

Erich Leinsdorf again obtained good results from the orchestra. The prelude to the third act was particularly well played. But there were some anxious moments in the unaccompanied quintet that follows the King's prayer. Mme. Flagstad apparently pulled her sagging companions back to pitch after she had stopped singing for a measure or two to get her bearings



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