Le Villi
Puccini’s first opera, Le Villi, had only one brief outing at the Met when it was performed six times in the 1908–09 season.
Even with Arturo Toscanini on the podium and presented in a double bill with Mascagni’s Cavalleria Rusticana starring tenor Enrico Caruso, Le Villi failed to please either audience or critics. The first-rate cast included New Zealand–born soprano Frances Alda, noted bel canto tenor Alessandro Bonci, and admired baritone Pasquale Amato.
Lyric soprano Frances Alda, born Fanny Jane Davis, debuted at the Met in 1908 and sang for more than 30 years with the company. The role of Anna in Le Villi was one of her first assignments. In 1910, she married the Met’s then – General Manager, Giulio Gatti-Casazza. They divorced in 1928.
Photo: Aimée DuPont
Le Villi, Act I, Scene 1, 1908 – 09.
Photo: White Studios
Le Villi