[Met Performance] CID:161710



Aida
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, January 23, 1953 Matinee


Debut : Herva Nelli




Aida (559)
Giuseppe Verdi | Antonio Ghislanzoni
Aida
Herva Nelli [Debut]

Radam?s
Giulio Gari

Amneris
Jean Madeira

Amonasro
Frank Valentino

Ramfis
Norman Scott

King
Luben Vichey

Messenger
Thomas Hayward

Priestess
Lucine Amara

Dance
Janet Collins


Conductor
Renato Cellini







Review 1:

Review of John Briggs in The New York Times

HERVA NELLI BOWS AS AIDA AT THE 'MET'

"Aida" was presented at the Metropolitan yesterday afternoon, with Herva Nelli making her debut in the title role, Giulio Gari singing his first Metropolitan Radames and Renato Cellini conducting the work for the first time at the house. The event was a special students' performance under the auspices of the Metropolitan Opera Guild.

As at other hearings in this city, Miss Nelli revealed herself to be an extremely inconsistent performer. At her best she is superlative. Her voice is of fine quality, wide range and ample power. The trouble is that Miss Nelli hardly sings two phrases in succession the same way. Although she is capable of great suavity, her tone, when pushed beyond reasonable limits, becomes hard and strident. She does not have sure control of so basic a vocal feat as the crescendo-diminuendo called "messa di voce." Though her Aida yesterday had its share of fine moments, the performance was on the whole an uneven one.

Mr. Gari's voice is a bit small for a role of such dimensions as Radames, but he uses it with such skill as to compensate for its lack of volume. Jean Madeira, singing her first Amneris of the season, made a fine impression, as did Norman Scott as Ramfis.

Others in the cast, heard in earlier performances, were Frank Valentino, Lubomir Vichegonov, Thomas Hayward and Lucine Amara. Mr. Cellini conducted with the assurances of a seasoned interpreter and kept the performance moving at a lively pace.



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