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[Met Performance] CID:196580
Rigoletto
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, December 13, 1963
Rigoletto (424)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
Review 1:
Review of John Ardoin in Musical America
The promise new soprano Jolanda Meneguzzer showed at her debut last month as Musetta in "La Boh?me" was unfortunately not substantiated in her first Gilda on December 13. Her performance was dramatically and vocally tentative and uneven. She was pretty enough to look at, but her rhythm was poor and she rushed any phrase containing a high note as though she were afraid and wanted to get over such moments as quickly as possible. Later, one saw that there was something to her fears when she badly flatted the top notes of the "Caro nome" cadenza, and lunged at the high E flat at the end of "Si vendetta" and landed somewhere around C sharp. Her "Caro nome" was further lacking in authority due to her inability to produce anything resembling a trill.
Anselmo Colzani was scheduled as Rigoletto but was indisposed and replaced by Robert Merrill, who is always vocally fine, and who, on this occasion, was in outstanding musical and dramatic fettle as well. Barry Morell's voice seemed smaller than ever, and John Macurdy made a handsome showing in his first go at Monterone with the company. Fausto Cleva conducted like a house afire, providing more excitement in the pit than is generally his wont.
Search by season: 1963-64
Search by title: Rigoletto,
Met careers
Rigoletto
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, December 13, 1963
Rigoletto (424)
Giuseppe Verdi | Francesco Maria Piave
- Rigoletto
- Robert Merrill
- Gilda
- Jolanda Meneguzzer
- Duke of Mantua
- Barry Morell
- Maddalena
- Joann Grillo
- Sparafucile
- Ezio Flagello
- Monterone
- John Macurdy
- Borsa
- Arthur Graham
- Marullo
- Calvin Marsh
- Count Ceprano
- Robert Patterson
- Countess Ceprano
- Joy Clements
- Giovanna
- Carlotta Ordassy
- Page
- Lynn Blair
- Guard
- Peter Sliker
- Conductor
- Fausto Cleva
Review 1:
Review of John Ardoin in Musical America
The promise new soprano Jolanda Meneguzzer showed at her debut last month as Musetta in "La Boh?me" was unfortunately not substantiated in her first Gilda on December 13. Her performance was dramatically and vocally tentative and uneven. She was pretty enough to look at, but her rhythm was poor and she rushed any phrase containing a high note as though she were afraid and wanted to get over such moments as quickly as possible. Later, one saw that there was something to her fears when she badly flatted the top notes of the "Caro nome" cadenza, and lunged at the high E flat at the end of "Si vendetta" and landed somewhere around C sharp. Her "Caro nome" was further lacking in authority due to her inability to produce anything resembling a trill.
Anselmo Colzani was scheduled as Rigoletto but was indisposed and replaced by Robert Merrill, who is always vocally fine, and who, on this occasion, was in outstanding musical and dramatic fettle as well. Barry Morell's voice seemed smaller than ever, and John Macurdy made a handsome showing in his first go at Monterone with the company. Fausto Cleva conducted like a house afire, providing more excitement in the pit than is generally his wont.
Search by season: 1963-64
Search by title: Rigoletto,
Met careers
- Fausto Cleva [Conductor]
- Robert Merrill [Rigoletto]
- Jolanda Meneguzzer [Gilda]
- Barry Morell [Duke of Mantua]
- Joann Grillo [Maddalena]
- Ezio Flagello [Sparafucile]
- John Macurdy [Monterone]
- Arthur Graham [Borsa]
- Calvin Marsh [Marullo]
- Robert Patterson [Count Ceprano]
- Joy Clements [Countess Ceprano]
- Carlotta Ordassy [Giovanna]
- Lynn Blair [Page]
- Peter Sliker [Guard]