Evening star., 1960-04-17
BY DAY THORPE
Star Music Critic

OAAC VI my pl6dSdIlJ6SC an
nual duties is to respond to
the charming invitation of
Rosa Ponselle to come to
Baltimore to hear her opera,
formally spoken of as the
Baltimore Civic Opera. Last
Saturday Paul Galloway, Con-
ME Mellen, my wife and I
left town in time to stop of
at one of those good Balti-
more restaurants where eat
ing does not seem a scorned
occupation, for Chesapeake
Bay oysters and Scallops
laced with excellent win du
pays in a carafe. pairs of
Shad roe were on the menu,
but the waiter said we'd miss
the first act if we waited for
them, and as the first act of
"Tosca" is essential to the
intricate plot, we forewent
the pleasure in order to at
tain the Instruction.
1 have heard considerable
professional grufnesS about
the Lyric Theater-that it
has no backstage facilities,
that you have to bring the
sets up through the stage via
a trapdoor too small for a
well-fed ghost of Hamlet's
father, and that an opera
house is bit queer to erect
memorials to F. Chopin and
G. Palestrina. Nobody should
ridicule a mans hobby horse
if it is ridden peaceably along
the kings highway, and
maybe the donor of the
money for the Lyric just
liked the idea of Chopin and
Palestrina as composers of
opera. However, from the
customers side of the beau
tiful stage curtain, the Lyric
is perfect. 1t is not small
but it is cozy, not informal
but comfortable. 1t has a
roomy pit, we'll upholstered
seats, and an unfussy ar
rangement of orch eStra,
boxes and balcony that
makes a good view of the
stage common to everybody.
The acoustics are excellent.
Maybe the blueprints are ly-
ing around somewhere-may-
be Washington could get
them cheap.
Singing Of High Quality
We heard a very good La
Tosca," a show part pro-
fessional, part amateur, and
all entertainment. The Civic
Opera, under Rosa Pom
selle, accents voices and or
cheStra, and keeps its ex-
penses down with rented
scenery and a minimum of
rehearsal. The stage direc-
ton, the sets, and the polish
of the ensemble are not the
best one could hope for, but
the singing, that part of
opera in which Miss Pom
selle has the greatest interest,
is on the whole excellent.
The star of the show last
Saturday was the Cavarados-
81, Enrico di Giuseppe, from
New York, and scarcely less
appealing was the Tosca, Kira
Baklanova. Others in the
capable cast were Frank
Whitmore, as Angelotti; Spiro
Malas, as the sacristian; Nor
man Atkins, as Scarpia; Dam
iel Entriken, as Spoletta;
Michael Kaffl, as Sciarrone;
Ronald de Moraes as the
shepherd boy, and Washing
tons James Deere, as the
jailer.
Baltimore likes its opera,
for the house was sold out,
as it had been the night be-
fore. After the show Miss
Ponselle had an end-of-
season party at the Belve-
dere, at which everybody
complimented practic ally
everybody else, and that hap
py spirit prevailed which
only a successful opera per-
formance can generate. Miss
Ponselle introduced a few of
her proteges, and induced
them to sing upon cham
payne and cold buffet.
Among those who sang were
LaVergne Monette, this years
winner of the local Metro
politan Opera additions, and
runner-up in the national
finals.
Next years opera at the
Lyric are "Trovatore," "Bo-
heme" and Andrea Chenier."
In former pieces about the