[Met Performance] CID:131080



Lohengrin
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, February 28, 1941




Lohengrin (442)
Richard Wagner | Richard Wagner
Lohengrin
Ren? Maison

Elsa
Elisabeth Rethberg

Ortrud
Marjorie Lawrence

Telramund
Herbert Janssen

King Heinrich
Norman Cordon

Herald
Leonard Warren


Conductor
Erich Leinsdorf







Review 1:

Review of Jerome D. Bohm in the Herald Tribune

Elisabeth Rethberg Sings "Lohengrin" With Maison

Opera is Presented for Second Time During Season

The second presentation of the season of Wagner's "Lohengrin" at the Metropolitan Opera House last night brought with it the first season appearances of Elisabeth Rethberg as Elsa, Ren? Maison as Lohengrin and Herbert Janssen as Telramund. The otherwise familiar cast listed Norman Cordon as King Henry, Marjorie Lawrence as Ortrud and Leonard Warren as the Herald.

It would be beside the truth to write that Mme. Rethberg's Elsa exerted all of its one-time tonal magic. It was chiefly in her softly sung phrases that the exquisite texture which once was at her disposal throughout her entire range and dynamic gamut was in evidence. There were scattered measures in which her tones in full voice recalled their former shimmering transparency; but unfortunately they did not wholly efface the less felicitous impression created by the predominatingly poorly focused and occasionally off-pitch tones produced.

One of the least romantic of Lohengrins to gaze upon, his girth exaggerated by unspeakably tasteless costumes, Mr. Maison none the less won admiration for much of his singing, which was warm in quality and often highly expressive. Mr. Janssen's Telramund, an intelligently acted and convincing delineation, was richly voiced, and Mr. Cordon delivered the King's lines in superb fashion. Miss Lawrence in splendid vocal form poured forth her powerful tones with compelling results, although her stature is too short to permit her portrayal of Ortrud to exercise all of its inherent dramatic potency. Mr. Warren's barytone voice has sufficient weight to lend the appropriate accents to the Herald's music but his topmost tones wanted in brilliancy.

The orchestra played well despite the fact that it had traversed the score of the "Bartered Bride" in the afternoon and Erich Leinsdorf conducted a well co-ordinated, understanding performance.



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