[Met Tour] CID:139540



Rigoletto
Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, Sat, April 14, 1945




Rigoletto (261)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
Rigoletto
Leonard Warren

Gilda
Josephine Antoine

Duke of Mantua
Jan Peerce

Maddalena
Bruna Castagna [Last performance]

Sparafucile
Nicola Moscona

Monterone
William Hargrave

Borsa
Alessio De Paolis

Marullo
George Cehanovsky

Count Ceprano
John Baker

Countess Ceprano
Maxine Stellman

Giovanna
Thelma Altman


Conductor
Cesare Sodero







Review 1:

Review of Cyrus Durgin in the Boston Globe

"Rigoletto"

The Metropolitan Opera Association ended its visit in Boston with a dynamic and excellent account of Verdi's "Rigoletto" at the Boston Opera House last night. As usual at these performances, the house was packed and vociferously cordial.

Like "Il Trovatore," "La Traviata" and certain other mainstays of the familiar Italian repertory, "Rigoletto" is sometimes taken for granted. Even then it survives on the strength of its melody, Verdi's occasionally dramatic orchestra and the melodramatic vitality of the Hugo play from which the opera was fashioned.

Last night such was far from the case. The Metropolitan gave us a decidedly musical and dramatic "Rigoletto" characterized by an affectingly emotional performance of the title role by Leonard Warren's admirable singing in general and conducting from Cesare Sodero that was among the best we have heard from him.

Mr. Warren really dominated the third act, which is Rigoletto's own but sometimes fails to be so. His acting, though powerful, never obscured the musicianly beauty of his vocalizing. Miss Antoine's Gilda, if a little shrill of tone in the "Caro nome" was vital and appealing. As the Duke, Mr. Peerce used to telling advantage his resonant tenor in the "Quest, 'o quella," "La donna e mobile" and other arias.

Miss Castagna's Maddalena and the Sparafucile of Mr. Moscona drew their share of plaudits. "Lassu in cielo," between Rigoletto and Gilda, sometimes omitted, was restored last night.



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