Metropolitan Opera
Double Bill

Giacomo Puccini GIANNI SCHICCHI
&
Richard Strauss SALOME

Conducted by Fritz Reiner
Complete Broadcast 12 March 1949

ADD Series Producer: Jonathan Wearn - Restoration: Richard Caniell, IPRMS, British Columbia, Canada - Series consultant: Keith Hardwick †

Reviews for CD 2230-31 1949 Metropolitan Opera Double Bill

International Record Review July/August 03

Operatic Reissues by John T. Hughes
A German interlude

This mainly German section begins with Puccini, contradictorily, for in 1949 the Met presented a double bill of Gianni Schiechi and Strauss's Salome. The attraction of opposites? Except for Licia Albanese's unsteady, elderly-sounding Lauretta and some strait-laced conducting from Giuseppe Antonicelli, the participants in Schicchiare a splendid bunch of rascals. ltalo Tajo was his own man on stage as much as Schicchi was in Florence. The 'opposition' is led by the formidable Cloe Elmo, with the youthful Giuseppe di Stefano in fresh voice as Rinuccio. Salome receives sizzling intensity under Fritz Reiner; Ljuba Welitsch gives a stunning performance in pliant, steady tone. Herbert Janssen's fortitudinous Jochanaan contributes strongly, while Frederick Jagel truly sings Herod. Oddly coupled operas but highly successful (Guild CD2230/1,two discs, 2 hours 36 minutes).

New Classics Wednesday April 02 03

GIANNI SCHICCHI/SALOME GUILD 2230/1

An excellent Metropolitan Opera double bill features recordings from 1949 of Puccini’s charming comedy Gianni Schicchi and the shocking tragedy, Salome, by Richard Strauss. These contrasting one-act operas make for a fascinating album. Gianni Schicchi features Italo Tajo, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Lucia Albanese and Cloe Elmo. Strauss’s Salome has the wonderful voices of Ljuba Wellitch, Herbert Janssen, Frederick Jagel and Kerstin Thorborg, and is conducted with great élan by Fritz Reiner. These are outstanding historic performances that will excite any opera lover, and the included booklet has informative articles about the performances as well as biographies of the singers .

Musicweb Thursday March 06 2003

Giacomo PUCCINI (1858-1924) Gianni Schicchi (Puccini). One Act Opera.
Gianni Schicci, Italo Talo (bass). Lauretta, Lucia Albanese. (sop). Rinuccio, Giuseppe di Stefano (ten). Zita, Cleo Elmo (sop). Simone, Virgilio Lazzari (bass).
Orchestra and Chorus of The Metropolitan Opera House, New York, conducted by Giuseppe Antonicelli.
Richard STRAUSS (1864-1949)Salome (Strauss). One Act Opera.
Salome, Ljuba Welitsch (sop). Jochanaan, Herbert Janssen (bar). Herod, Frederick Jagel (ten). Herodias, Kerstin Thorburg (cont). Narraboth, Brian Sullivan (ten).
Orchestra and Chorus of The Metropolitan Opera House, New York, conducted by Fritz Reiner.
Recorded live broadcast performance on March 12 ^th 1949
Immortal Performances series.
GUILD CD 2230/31[2CDs: 78.12+78.04]

The presence of di Stefano and Albanese is luxury casting. She has the main aria (arietta in fact) of the opera, the famous ‘O mio babbino caro’ (CD1 tr9) and is justifiably, and loudly, applauded, although sounding somewhat mature for the part. Di Stefano’s contribution is all too brief and like the other minor parts is adequately taken, whilst the conducting lacks sparkle. No, you wouldn’t buy these discs for this performance, but it was, and is on this issue, part of a double bill, so what of the melodramatic partner, which had its premiere (1905) thirteen years before Schicchi?

I expect it will be the reputation and renowned performance of Ljuba Welitsch as Strauss’s complex Salome that will draw purchasers as much as the overall performance, although with Reiner conducting and Janssen as Jochanaan it has many virtues. Welitsch had sung the part of Salome at the composer’s 80 ^th birthday celebration in Vienna in June 1944, but didn’t arrive at the ‘Met’ until 1948 and she only sang there for five seasons, returning in 1972 for the character part of the Duchess of Krakenthorp (La Fille du Regiment). She was a highly dramatic and temperamental singer who gave everything, vocally and physically, to a performance, which could put strain on her silvery and often sensuous tone. However, in this performance, at the height of her vocal and interpretative powers in her portrayal of the evil adolescent that is Salome, she is outstanding. With Janssen a steady and expressive Jochanaan, and Kerstin Thorburg a fearsome Herodias, she is well matched. This performance, which takes up the whole of CD 2 and 12 minutes of disc 1, justifies the cost of this issue to a purchaser, whatever the reservations I have expressed about theSchicchi. The recording sounds better than that for the Schicchi too. Can it be? The answer might be that being drawn into involvement in the drama of a flowing and vital performance just makes it seem audibly better.

The booklet is up to the usual good standard of this series with brief essays about the two operas, track-related synopsis and artist profiles; all by Richard Caniell who also carried out the re-creation and restoration.

Robert J. Farr