[Met Performance] CID:140060



Die Zauberfl?te
Metropolitan Opera House, Sat, December 1, 1945 Matinee Broadcast


Debut : Wellington Ezekiel


In English



Die Zauberfl?te (93)
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | Emanuel Schikaneder
Pamina
Nadine Conner

Tamino
Charles Kullman

Queen of the Night
Mimi Benzell

Sarastro
Ezio Pinza

Papageno
Hugh Thompson

Papagena
Lillian Raymondi

Monostatos
John Garris

Speaker
Wellington Ezekiel [Debut]

First Lady
Regina Resnik

Second Lady
Maxine Stellman

Third Lady
Anna Kaskas

Genie
Marita Farell

Genie
Mona Paulee

Genie
Thelma Altman

Priest
Richard Manning

Priest
Louis D'Angelo

Guard
Anthony Marlowe

Guard
William Hargrave


Conductor
Bruno Walter


Director
Herbert Graf

Designer
Richard Richtarik





Translation by Ruth and Thomas Martin
Die Zauberfl?te received nine performances this season.

Review 1:

Review of Jerome D. Bohm in the Herald Tribune

"Magic Flute" Sung in English At Metropolitan

Pinza Sings Sarastro Role in Opera by Mozart; Bruno Walter Conducts

The season's first presentation of Mozart's "Magic Flute" at the Metropolitan Opera House yesterday afternoon was only pleasurable in part. Vocally, it often did scant justice to the composer's imperishable melodies. The most distinguished singing was by Ezio Pinza. The Italian bass was in splendid form and his delivery of Sarastro's music was richly sonorous and consistently well focused. Next in excellence was the Pamina of Miss Conner, who brought to her role much of its essential purity of tone and warmth.

In his interpretation of Tamino's music, Mr. Kullman resorted to juxtapositions of throatily constricted singing with long stretches of crooning that were stylistically inept and discomforting to the ear.

Miss Benzell encompassed the altitudinous vocal flights of the Queen of the Night safely; but the middle and lower registers of her soprano voice have not the caliber to cope with the sustained dramatic demands.

Wellington Ezekiel, who made his operatic debut as the High Priest, has a bass voice of persuasive texture and good size, the effectiveness of which would be improved by more forward production. Mr. Thompson's Papageno was competently sung although this writer prefers a more lyrical treatment of the music. Mr. Garris's Monostatos was acceptable.

Neither the Three Ladies not the Three Genii, however, were impressive. The voice of Miss Resnik as the First Lady did not blend well with the voices of the Second and Third Ladies, the Misses Stellman and Kaskas. Miss Farell's off-pitch singing proved ruinous to the trios which she shared with the Misses Paulee and Altman.

After a poorly balanced, fuzzy overture, the quality of the orchestra's performance of the score improved under Mr. Walter's guidance; but one has heard him interpret this music more arrestingly.



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