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Arabella
Metropolitan Opera House, Mon, April 4, 1955
In English
Arabella (7)
Richard Strauss | Hugo von Hofmannsthal
- Arabella
- Eleanor Steber
- Mandryka
- Walter Cassel
- Zdenka
- Jean Fenn
- Matteo
- Brian Sullivan
- Adelaide
- Martha Lipton
- Count Waldner
- Ralph Herbert
- Fortuneteller
- Thelma Votipka
- Count Elemer
- Paul Franke
- Count Dominik
- Clifford Harvuot
- Count Lamoral
- Lawrence Davidson
- Fiakermilli
- Laurel Hurley
- Welko
- Benjamin Wilkes
- Djura
- Matthew Farruggio [Last performance]
- Jankel
- Paul Marko
- Waiter
- Rudolf Mayreder
- Conductor
- Rudolf Kempe
Review 1:
Review of Robert Sabin in Musical America
Three members of the cast appeared in their roles for the first time in the season's final performance of Strauss's "Arabella." They were Jean Fenn, as Zdenka; Walter Cassel, as Mandryka; and Paul Franke, as Count Elemer. Miss Fenn looked charming as the boy who turned out to be a girl of such explosive fashion, but her voice did not carry well in the heavier passages and it sometimes lacked luminosity of quality at the top, a matter of great importance in the duets with Arabella and in other ensembles. Nonetheless, she sang with deftness and assurance. Less at ease and less secure was Mr. Cassel. He sang the two great love duets with Arabella almost at half voice, but to his credit it should he said that he made the scene in Act II deeply touching, for all his vocal tentativeness. With more rehearsals and more experience in the r?le, he might well become an excellent Mandryka. Mr. Franke was an engaging Elemer.
Eleanor Steber again sang the title role eloquently. The other leading artists, in familiar roles, were Ralph Herbert, as Count Waldner; Martha Lipton, as Adelaide; Brian Sullivan, as Matteo; Laurel Hurley, as Fiakermilli; and in other roles, Clifford Harvuot, Lawrence Davidson, and Thelma Votipka. Rudolf Kempe turned a performance that could easily have been nervous and unsteady into a glowing interpretation. He obviously has this score in his blood.
Search by season: 1954-55
Search by title: Arabella,
Met careers
- Rudolf Kempe [Conductor]
- Eleanor Steber [Arabella]
- Walter Cassel [Mandryka]
- Jean Fenn [Zdenka]
- Brian Sullivan [Matteo]
- Martha Lipton [Adelaide]
- Ralph Herbert [Count Waldner]
- Thelma Votipka [Fortuneteller]
- Paul Franke [Count Elemer]
- Clifford Harvuot [Count Dominik]
- Lawrence Davidson [Count Lamoral]
- Laurel Hurley [Fiakermilli]
- Benjamin Wilkes [Welko]
- Matthew Farruggio [Djura]
- Paul Marko [Jankel]
- Rudolf Mayreder [Waiter]