[Met Performance] CID:162390



Tosca
Metropolitan Opera House, Thu, March 26, 1953




Tosca (310)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/Giuseppe Giacosa
Tosca
Delia Rigal

Cavaradossi
Kurt Baum

Scarpia
George London

Sacristan
Salvatore Baccaloni

Spoletta
Alessio De Paolis

Angelotti
Clifford Harvuot

Sciarrone
George Cehanovsky

Shepherd
Margaret Roggero

Jailer
Algerd Brazis


Conductor
Fausto Cleva







Review 1:

Review of A. B. in the Herald Tribune

'Tosca' at the Met

George London, Bass, Sings His First Scarpia

George London sang his first Scarpia with the Metropolitan Opera Association when Puccini's "Tosca" received its final performance of the season last night. The

young bass is one of the new white hopes of the Met and his career on the New York opera stage is being followed by many admirers with considerable interest. It cannot be said, however, that he made a particularly stirring figure of Puccini's villain. Mr. London is obviously well schooled, and he moves across the stage with elegance. The role was neatly planned from almost every point of view and all the corners were smoothly rounded where both musical phrasing and stage bearing were concerned.

Perhaps it was precisely because it was streamlined that his Scarpia was so far from being the terrifying characterization that it should have been. Abrupt impulses might have been more effective in creating a sense of awe. Mr. London's singing, which was on the whole quite appealing, did not have the intensity to rise to climaxes or penetrate the orchestra when its full instrumental resources were being employed.

Though Delia Rigal as Tosca was, as usual, somewhat uneven, she sang, in general, much better than we have heard her sing in some time, and she achieved some quite lovely phrases and fine top notes. Kurt Baum was the Cavaradossi, and the cast also included Salvatore Baccaloni, Clifford Harvout and Alessio De Paolis. Fausto Cleva at the conductor's stand kept the opera well-paced.



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