Licia's Letter Scene
The celebrated Italian soprano Licia Albanese learned Tatyana’s Letter Scene from EUGENE ONEGIN in Russian at the request of Leopold Stokowski especially for this recording. Albanese reportedly coached the aria with the Russian-born baritone George Cehanovsky, a Met comprimario mainstay who was married to Elisabeth Rethberg.
I saw Licia Albanese twice in the final years of her career: first at the Cincinnati Summer Opera in 1963 as Violetta in TRAVIATA, and secondly in her final performance as Cio-Cio-San in MADAMA BUTTERFLY (her signature role) at the Old Met in 1965.
Many years later, when I was working at Tower Records, Madame Albanese came into the opera room one afternoon with a minder. She seemed quite fragile, but smiled when I greeted her, kissed her hand, and told her I had seen her as Violetta in Cincinnati. "Oh!" said her companion..."...at the Zoo?" Licia perked up, and began making animal noises: roaring lions and screeching birds often interrupted performances at the Zoo/Opera. After a few more moments of browsing, the two women took their leave.