Word: olszewska
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Dates: during 1930-1939
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...melodies remained fresh and vital. And Gatti, hearing them again last week, was almost happy. The cast was the best he could provide. As the Ethiopian Aïda, Soprano Elisabeth Rethberg sang her music with fine regard for line and feeling. As her Egyptian rival, Maria Olszewska made a voluptuous Amneris. Lawrence M. Tibbett was in blackface but everyone recognized him by the power in his voice, the authority of his acting. Giovanni Martinelli sang the "Celeste Aïda" with all his might, clung to the last B flat until the gallery was almost beside itself. To crown...
Reasons for the growing interest in Wagner are the contingent of excellent German artists now at the Met; the Company's acquisition last year of Soprano Frida Leider, Contralto Maria Olszewska and Basso Ludwig Hofmann; the improvement of Tenor Lauritz Melchior since Conductor Arturo Toscanini rehearsed him in Bayreuth summer before last; the quickened inspiration of Conductor Artur Bodanzky. During the War New York preferred to do without German opera. It took the conservative Met a good ten years to build up its German wing to something like pre-War strength. During that time a new generation of Wagner...
...Marcella Sembrich, who sang at the Metropolitan 50 years ago, made a quavering little speech. Walter Damrosch, who conducted there 48 years ago, helped master ceremonies. Out of her seclusion came Olive Fremstad whose Wagnerian interpretations have not been approached until this winter when Frida Leider and Maria Olszewska joined the Metropolitan.† Together the oldtimers sat at a table in a night-club scene, watched Lucrezia Bori and Rosa Ponselle do lively impersonations of cigaret girls, after which tiny Lily Pons did an Apache dance with enormous Lauritz Melchior as her shrinking partner and Dancer Rosina Galli, Mr. Gatti...
Three new German singers have helped to make this season's Ring performances surpass those of many years: Soprano Frida Leider, whose Briinnhilde last week made startlingly credible the creature half goddess, half woman, which Wagner imagined, dark handsome Contralto Maria Olszewska, who like Frida Leider used to sing with the Chicago Civic Opera; Basso Ludwig Hofmann whose Hagen was a model of malevolence. These three with Tenor Lauritz Melchior, the Siegfried, and Baritone Friedrich Schorr, who last week was Hagen's weak-kneed half-brother Gunther, caused Critic Lawrence Gilman to write in the Herald Tribune...
...January, no new ones were made. Manhattan's Metropolitan Opera took its pick of the available artists, signed up for next year Soprano Frida Leider, Tenor Tito 'Schipa, Baritone Richard Bonelli (TIME, May 30). Lately the Metropolitan engaged also German Soprano Lotte Lehmann and stately Contralto Maria Olszewska. The Philadelphia Opera will probably get Tenor Paul Althouse for at least part of its season, and Baritone John Charles Thomas who will also sing in concert and radio...