[Met Tour] CID:150340



Otello
Boston Opera House, Boston, Massachusetts, Sat, April 2, 1949 Matinee





Otello (100)
Giuseppe Verdi | Arrigo Boito
Otello
Ramon Vinay

Desdemona
Licia Albanese

Iago
Leonard Warren

Emilia
Martha Lipton

Cassio
John Garris

Lodovico
Nicola Moscona

Mont?no
Clifford Harvuot

Roderigo
Leslie Chabay

Herald
Philip Kinsman


Conductor
Renato Cellini







Review 1:

Warren Storey Smith in the Boston Post

‘OTELLO’ IS BIG CLIMAX TO SEASON

 

‘Met’ Performance in Hub One of Most Memorable

Verdi’s “Otello,” greatest of Italian operas (and at the moment I am tempted to say greatest of all operas) came into its own at the Opera House yesterday afternoon as the Metropolitan began the last day of its present engagement. Not since that of Leo Slezak have we heard an Otello to match the one given us yesterday by Ramon Vinay. But it was the combined efforts of many participants that made this performance memorable.

 

HIGHEST ESTATE

Richard Wagner prated of the fusion of the arts, but it remained for Verdi in his old age to realize that ideal in his “Otello” and “Falstaff.” Given the combination of Shakespeare, Boito, Verdi, and a representation such as that of yesterday, and you have the lyric theatre in its highest estate. This opera is not like the music dramas of Wagner, a symphonic poem for orchestra and voice with incidental action. This is a mighty drama in terms of mighty music, the two in perfect equipoise, each complementing and enhancing the other, until, was often the case yesterday, the total effect becomes one of great power and beauty.

New to Boston was the unbelievable appealing Desdemona of Licia Albanese. We had heard, however, the Iago of Leonard Warren, and it gained in force and subtlety. Mr. Warren’s delivery of the Credo was one of the many high points.

 

Admirable Cassio

From John Garris we received an admirable Cassio, while Martha Lipton’s Emilia was rarely effective. In fact, they were all good. As suggested above, this was not a performance by a star with supporting cast, remarkable as was Mr. Vinay’s projection of the title role; it as one to which everyone concerned contributed significantly; the conductor Renato Cellini; the valiant members of the orchestra who played Verdi’s marvelous score like sensitive virtuosi; the fine Metropolitan chorus. While over everything was the watchful eye of Herbert Graf as stage director.

Some 50 years ago John F. Runciman wrote an essay, “Italian Opera Dead and Dying.” That makes amusing reading today. “The young Verdi,” he said, “is already old. How long will the old Verdi remain young?” Well, the young Verdi is doing pretty well, and the old Verdi even better, despite the fact that the public, as a whole, hasn’t caught up with him yet.

An obstacle in the way of “Otello” performances is the doubly demanding nature of the chief role. One after another tenors essay it and fall short as actor or as singer. Not so Mr. Vinay. Let us admit that it was largely due to him that this turned out to be an experience not of a season but of a lifetime. Regrettably there were a few empty seats yesterday. Those who attended were fully sensible of the extraordinary quality of that they were receiving.



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