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Many constant patrons of the Metropolitan Opera House have come in recent years to identify the role of the Marschallin in "Der Rosenkavalier" with Lotte Lehmann, who made her first appearance of the season last night in one of the most appealing of the characters invented by von Hofmannsthal and interpreted in music by Richard Strauss. The eminent soprano again made her hearers conscious in voice and action of the varied aspects of the role, of the tenderness and pathos, its blend of dignified aristocracy and discerning humanity, and her singing proved to be a communicative vehicle of a wide and sensitively revealed range of emotional color.

Mme. Lehmann's fellow protagonists, who had already been heard in this work nine days before, also, contributed to the dramatic effectiveness of the performance. Rise Stevens's Octavian gives a pleasing impression of youth, intensity of feeling and vitality, and goes far toward making Octavian a convincing character rather than seeming a soprano or contralto dressed as a seventeen-year-old boy who, at times, must masquerade as a pretty maid-servant.

Eleanor Steber, who had made a promising debut as Sophie last week, again made von Faninal's daughter ingenuous and ingratiating, even if her dramatic ability is not yet fully developed. The natural quality of her voice is appealing and its clarity of timbre was apparent much of the time, although at times the production seemed slightly strained. Mmes. Lehmann and Stevens were generally in good voice and the closing trio had its traditional haunting charm. A few measures were somewhat obscured by the orchestra. Emanuel List's Baron Ochs was as before, amusing and histrionically effective, and Walter Olitzki represented vividly, if somewhat gesturesomely, the fussy, toadying von Faninal.

Dorothee Manski returned to the role of Marianne; Irra Petina, as Annina, was the only other member of the cast who had not appeared in the earlier performance. The orchestra played well under Erich Leinsdorf's direction, and, if it occasionally missed the lilt and spirit of some of the measures in which the waltz is in the ascendant, it gave full value to the emotional climaxes of this exceptional score. There was warm applause for Mme. Lehmann and her colleagues.

Search by season: 1940-41

Search by title: Der Rosenkavalier,

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