[Met Performance] CID:190050



Madama Butterfly
Metropolitan Opera House, Sat, February 3, 1962 Matinee Broadcast
Broadcast Matinee Broadcast





Madama Butterfly (422)
Giacomo Puccini | Luigi Illica/ Giuseppe Giacosa
Cio-Cio-San
Gabriella Tucci

Pinkerton
Carlo Bergonzi

Suzuki
Helen Vanni

Sharpless
Clifford Harvuot

Goro
Andrea Velis

Bonze
Osie Hawkins

Yamadori
George Cehanovsky

Dolore
Gloria Kapilow

Kate Pinkerton
Mary MacKenzie [Last performance]

Commissioner
Roald Reitan

Registrar
Kurt Kessler [Last performance]


Conductor
Fausto Cleva







Review 1:

Review of John Gruen in the New York Herald Tribune

Gabriella Tucci returned to the Metropolitan Opera last Saturday afternoon to sing her first Cio-Cio-San of the season in Puccini's "Madama Butterfly." The Roman-born soprano had made her Metropolitan debut last year in this very role and the impression at that time left little doubt as to the beauty of her voice and the strength of her characterization.

As for last Saturday, Miss Tucci did nothing to dispel that first, highly favorable impression. She moves about the stage with ease and even nobility, making of the heroine not quite the mincing child some singers or directors insist on, but instead lending to the portrayal an air of womanliness and maturity. This maturity of mien was vocally well matched. Miss Tucci's voice is large and opulent. It possesses color and it has warmth. At first, her top notes contained a measure of hardness, but this was soon corrected and the singing took on a lustrous quality which was maintained throughout.

Carlo Bergonzi took over for the ailing Sandor Konya as B. F. Pinkerton. As is usual with Mr. Bergonzi, the singing was fine, but the acting was most stilted. Fausto Cleva conducted with enormous skill.



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