httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbUBBtnBPS0

Robert Coleman in the Daily Mirror:

In our book, Mme. Rysanek is the most distinguished addition to the Met’s roster since Renata Tebaldi. Few stars can match her for looks, and only a handful can act in the same league with her. As for her voice, it has a remarkable range. Forte or pianissimo, it is always under perfect control. Her lower register is rich. Her top notes soar above a chorus. She has amazing facility and flexibility. We found her the most exciting artist to reach the Met in many a semester. Frankly, we’ll take her any day in the week over Callas. She’s at home with Wagner or Verdi. Few others are. And she’s modest.

Leonard Warren, as that ambitious weakling, Macbeth, gave one of his finest performances at the run-through. He must have been magnificent at the preem. His voice was as clear as a bell, and met every test beautifully. Moreover, he can act with the best in opera. Jerome Hines and Carlo Bergonzi were excellent as Banquo and Macduff. Their voices were resonant, and they mimed with feeling.

When conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos was unfortunately stricken with a heart attack, Erich Leinsdorf stepped into the breach. Seldom have we heard the Met’s orchestra to better advantage than under his baton. His reading of the score was intelligent and dramatic. And his understanding of the singers’ problems was admirable.

Birthday anniversaries of sopranos Oxana Petrusenko (1900) and Erna Schlüter (1904), tenor Jussi Björling (1911), bass-baritone Otto Edelmann (1917) and conductor John Pritchard (1921)

Happy 72nd birthday tenor Curtis Rayam. Happy 79th birthday tenor Josef Protschka.