The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-02-20

 OF MUSIC

NEW YORK CUP)-One thing that makes this season at the Metropoli- tan Opera House a little different is the fact that the younger singers have been given more opportunities than usual to try their hands at important roles, with some gratify- ing results.
 One of the most interesting events Of the season, now at its halfway mark, was unscheduled. caused by the sudden indisposition of Helen Traubel. Astrid Varnay, com parative newcomer to the company, stepped into the trying role of Isolde on six hours notice and scored 8 decided success.
 What made her feat the more remarkable was that she had never sung the role on any stage, and there was no time for even the briefest of rehearsals. Yet she car ried off the part in the manner of one long accustomed to it. Her voice scared with thrilling clarity in the highest passages and re- mained pure and strong to the last notes of the Liebestod, nearly four hours after the opening curtain. Blanche Thebom, who made her debut previously this season as Fricka in "Walkuere," sang Bran gaene for the first time opposite Miss Varnay, and confirmed the opinion that she is a most valuable addition to the company.
 At another performance of "Walkuere,' given to aid the work of the Grenfell Foundation in New foundland and Labrador, three singers took over leading roles for the first time. In place of the ac- customed Melchoir and Traubel, young Emery Darcey and Jean ne Palmer sang Siegmund and Bruennhilde. Darcey proved that his excellent work in "Parstfal' last year was no fluke.
 Another recent debutant who made an extremely favorable im- pression of his first appearance was Richahd Tucker, singing Enzo in the revival of La Gioconda" He displayed a warm, flexible lyric tenor and stirred the audienc to enthusiasm by the throbbing quail ity of his "Cielo Mar His pre- vious experience was mainly with the Jewish Center in Brooklyn.
 WHILE it is not on the Metro politan's production schedule cur rently, Wagner's Der Fliegende Hollaender" will be heard in New York again shortly when the New York Center Opera Company opens at the municipality sponsored audi torium on April 12 for three weeks engagement. It will be the first Wagnerian opera to be at tempted by this company. Laszlo HalasZ. artistic. and music director, announces an entirely new produc- tion, staged by Jose Ruben and designed by Richard Rychtarik.
 
 MALCOLM SARGENT, conductor of the Halle Orchestra, the London Philharmonic and others in Great Britain, takes over from Arturo Toscanini to lead the NEG Sym phony Orchestra in four successive concerts beginning Feb. 18. Eng fish composers will be well repre- sented on the programs. Yehudi Menuhin will be soloist on Feb g in Elgar's Violin Concerto in B Minor and William Primrose on March II in William Walton'S Con- certo for Viola and Orchestra.
 Toscanini will return on March 18 to conduct three Sunday con- certS, after which Frank Black will open the series of summer broad casts.
 BRUNO WALTER, ending year of rest, will give his services at Carnegie Hall on March to a concert for the benefit of the pen sion fund of the New York Phil harmonic Symphony. The soloist will be Nathan Milstein. also donat- ing his services. The program will consist of Mozart's Jupiter" Sym phony, the Mendolssohn Violin Con- certo and Brahms First Symphony A preceding concert on Jan. B, under Arturo ToScanini, raised $17.-