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A new impersonation of Baron Ochs by Alexander Kipnis lent distinction to the repetition of Strauss' "De Rosenkavalier" at the Metropolitan Opera House last night. The Russian-American basso won a well deserved ovation from the huge audience for his superb characterization of the lecherous, egotistical Lerchenau. With all of his coarseness and unashamed devotion to the joys of the flesh, Mr. Kipnis' Lerchenau can and does remember that he is well born. With a thousand irresistibly comic, well turned gestures and an amazingly variegated employment of facial expression, Mr. Kipnis gives us a living, convincing portrait of a figure which is rarely realized with such veracity. What is more, he sang the difficult music with a richness of tone and subtlety of nuance such as one has not hitherto heard therein hereabouts. The one thing Mr. Kipnis failed to do was to utilize a Viennese accent such as Richard Mayr, the creator of the part, did to such good purpose. But, of course, Mr. Mayr had the advantage of being born an Austrian.

The presentation was otherwise a familiar one, with Lotte Lehmann repeating her inimitable, touching delineation of the Marschallin; Rise Stevens, her exuberant Octavian; Marita Farell, her plausible Sophie; Julius Huehn, his well intentioned but too youthful Faninal, and Doris Doe, her excellent Anina. The remaining, less weighty parts were in familiar hands. The orchestra played well under Erich Leinsdorf's spirited direction.

Search by season: 1939-40

Search by title: Der Rosenkavalier,

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