[Met Performance] CID:189990



Tosca
Metropolitan Opera House, Sat, January 27, 1962

Debut : Margherita Roberti




Tosca (413)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/Giuseppe Giacosa
Tosca
Margherita Roberti [Debut]

Cavaradossi
Franco Corelli

Scarpia
Anselmo Colzani

Sacristan
Salvatore Baccaloni

Spoletta
Paul Franke

Angelotti
Norman Scott

Sciarrone
George Cehanovsky

Shepherd
Alan Fischer

Jailer
Roald Reitan


Conductor
Kurt Adler







Review 1:

Review of Miles Kastendieck in the New York Journal-American

Debut in 'Tosca'

Margherita Roberti made her debut in "Tosca," at the Metropolitan Saturday night. The young, good-looking American soprano from Iowa and Illinois comes by way of European opera houses, having performed 50 times at La Scala since 1958. She made a favorable impression both vocally and dramatically. Because Miss Roberti was somewhat nervous it was difficult to judge her top notes even when she sang her best in the third act. She has a lovely quality of voice.

?

Having to contend with the return of Franco Corelli could have made her debut problematical. He is endowed with one of the best full-blooded, ringing tenors to be heard today, Mr. Corelli exploits it for all it is worth. How he sings means much more than what; otherwise, why would he hold on to top notes unmercifully? Singing beyond the rafters hardly qualifies as musical.

The lack of artistry demonstrated in the third act suggests that Mr. Corelli is too much a law unto himself. Interpretation of text can mean little to him. He has so much in his favor that his present manner of singing becomes most distressing, wonderful though the voice is.

Anselmo Colzani made a vivid impression in his first Scarpia at the Met. His interpretation of text was exemplary, a model of expressive enunciation and correlated action. He could be more sinister in the role, but vocally his performance had plenty of strength and brutality. He gave the most finished performance

of the evening.

Kurt Adler's conducting of this opera is soft. It needs more bite and more command of the performance as a whole.

A disgraceful demonstration by certain members of the audience in both Acts II and III after Mr. Corelli's brilliant high notes made it evident that they did not come to hear the opera. Whether they realized the embarrassment they caused could be futile speculation, but their lack of consideration for the audience became painfully obvious.



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