Without a doubt, these performances would have deserved a broadcast. Especially since it was the first time that "Queen of Spades" was performed in its original Russian. Peccato! Gedda's performance is enormous. Especially taking into account that in that same season sang Elvino in La Sonnambulla!!! (with Scotto), unthinkable for any tenor today. More or less like when Callas alternated Tristan und Isolde with Bellini at the beginning of her career... THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR SHARING IT. And the sound, after all, is not so bad considering it is an in-house recording with a portable Revox on the knee of a spectator who probably had to change batteries (secretly) between acts... (In those years the Met was very jealous of pirate recordings made by the audience in the hall). SALUDOS DESDE BUENOS AIRES
Yes! We owe much gratitude to those that recorded these performances. It’s a thrilling performance, even without act 3. Gedda got at least one negative review for this!!!
Irving Kolodin wrote: Gedda is, of course, a thorough professional, who sings Rodolfo in "La Bohème" as well as Elvino in "La Sonnambula." His tones, however, are both light and white for Gherman, a role whose prior Metropolitan embodiment was Jon Vickers. Couldn’t disagree more.
