I just heard that Don with Milanov as Donna Anna and she is wonderful!
Wagner Fan
Post by ***@hotnail.comMy question to you and Ken and anyone else is what are your thoughts
about the Bruno Walter MET from 37 or so as a whole? I remember that
for wonderful conducting, and don't have a more detailed memory of the
performances. I am looking at the cds as I write and seem to recall
that Mi tradi (and maybe something else?) is cut, but the cast looks
pretty damn good.
I don't think I've ever heard one from that early. I have heard the
Don Giovanni............Ezio Pinza
Donna Anna..............Rose Bampton
Don Ottavio.............Charles Kullman
Donna Elvira............Jarmila Novotna
Leporello...............Alexander Kipnis
Zerlina.................Bidú Sayao
Masetto.................Mack Harrell
Commendatore............Norman Cordon
Conductor...............Bruno Walter
I think this is one of those performances where the total is less than
the sum of its parts. It would be hard for a cast and conductor like
this not to do some great things. It's also fun to hear Walter in his
somewhat more youthful, fiery mode.
But there are just too many ensemble problems for me to enjoy this set
as an overall performance. In that sense, I place this "Giovanni"
along with an another impressively-cast Met broadcast that isn't
really that good as an overall performance-the 1956 "Forza". It's
perfectly fine if you ignore all the times conductor and singers are
not together (and for that matter, ignore Stiedry's often leaden
tempi).
I won't even mention that Milanov is slightly past her best,
especially compared to Forza broadcasts from the early 50s.
Best,
Ken
The reason that conductor and singers are not together was that
Stiedry was losing his hearing. This is a much documented problem at
the time. Any performance he gave in his last couple of seasons suffer
from this, and Tucker once mentioned it to me. The singers would be
going along at the rehearsed tempo, and all of a sudden Stiedry would
speed up or slow down. Nobody knew why initially, but it came out that
his hearing was severely compromised. I believe he left the Met, and
probably conducting, shortly after 1956 or so.
And I think, except for one spot in the Convent Scene where she tries
for a minute or two, that Zinka is fine in the 1956 Forza. But it is
the 1952 that does show her best Forza broadcast. She was still in
complete command of her powers, and she sings thrillingly. For me,
Hines as Guardiano in that broadcast is unfortunate, since Siepi did
the opening night performance and most of the others, too, The '56
really has an all-star cast of Milanov, Tucker, Warren, Siepi, Corena,
but, alas, a conductor who could not hear them very well.
Has anyone heard the Don G. broadcast from 1943 in which Milanov sings
Donna Anna, under Bruno Walter, I believe. And what are your opinions
of Zinka in Mozart?
Best
Ed