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Musetta in Puccini's Boheme should be a kittenish, sweet-voiced soubrette. Italian Soprano Augusta Oltrabella, making her debut at Manhattan's Metropolitan Opera House, was kittenish enough but her voice was frequently hard, shrill, piercing.
*When Soprano Maria Jeritza made her Metropolitan Opera debut in Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Tote Stadt, Manhattan was scoured for a "property" lute called for in the book. No lute could be found; a guitar was used instead.
*Last week one of proud Toscanini's concerts with Manhattan's Philharmonic-Symphony Orchestra was attended by proud Leopold Stokowski, conductor of the Philadelphia Symphony, who went backstage to congratulate Toscanini during intermission. The Italian is nearsighted. He peered blankly at his famed Polish visitor, who said:
"Don't you recognize me, Maestro? I am Stokowski."
Said Toscanini: "Then put on your hat or you'll catch cold."