LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Levine; Rendall, Troyanos, Alexander, Montague, Hong
Original Air Date: 02/14/1987
SID.19470320
Unlike Idomeneo, Levine has totally dominated this opera at the Met, conducting 35 of the 45 performances. This is his second broadcast, and the vocal standout is once again Troyanos. MOoD features Levine’s first in 1985, and his last broadcast in 2005.
Verdi
Haider; Alvarez, Siurina, Calleja, Lloyd, Fabiola Herrera
Original Air Date: 12/16/2006
SID.19470321
This is a relatively recent (now ten years already!!) broadcast, and one of Alvarez’ last broadcasts before withdrawing from the vocal scene for some time. Calleja remains an uneven singer, although he certainly has a distinctive voice. There are no Met broadcasts in MOoD for Merrill (Fourth in Met Rigolettos with five broadcasts (my recommendation would be 1968), only one video for MacNeil in 1977, and he has six broadcasts, and his debut broadcast in 1960 is certainly worthy of rebroadcasting and in MOoD (Mac has the house record with 102 Rigolettos) and Warren has only the 1945 in the streaming despite 10 broadcasts (he’s third in overall Rigolettos after MacNeil and De Luca).This is one opera with a major imbalance in terms of Sirius and MoOD performances and three of the greatest Met baritones in its history, and American to boot. This is Alvarez’ last broadcast and except for three non-broadcast Macbeths with Papian, Calleja, and Pape, he is not appeared in the Met in the last five years. He has not appeared widely on other stages in the interim for health reasons.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Monteux; Stevens, Güden, Hurley
Original Air Date: 04/09/1955
SID.19470422
Stevens has two runs at the Met in 1955 under Monteux and three seasons later with a broadcast now under Max Rudolf and with Amara the Euridice. For my money no one ever looked better as Orfeo, but the audio only record is not nearly as memorable. Monteux is a legendary conductor (world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chloe in Paris), but not sure that Gluck finds him at his best. This Orfeo is from his penultimate Met season. Monteux who also recorded it with Stevens, is really part of history (he conducted the world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chlore). Stevens is a much beloved Met figure, but I think there are better ways to experience Orfeo.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470423
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470424
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
LA FAVORITA:Donizetti
López-Cobos; Verrett, Pavarotti, Milnes, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 03/11/1978
SID.19470425
This is a very fully sung performance. I remember better Leonora de Guzmans from Verrett (Dallas about 1971 and a sizzling concert performance at Carnegie with Kraus some years earlier), but this cast gives all they have. Still, this is a zingy performance and one will not be bored. It’s on Met On Demand as well. This remains the only broadcast of Favorita, and it is a shame that it has now been out of the Met repertory for more than three decades. Zajick for one made a great success with the part in Spain. The opera is more easily cast than Puritani. Milnes is far from my favorite baritone, but this performance has all singers well up to the mark with plenty of energy from all.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Patanè; Pavarotti, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Peters, Payne
Original Air Date: 03/01/1980
MOD Video
SID.19470426
New Production for Pavarotti had been telecast two weeks earlier with Quilico for Nucci, Berini for Payne, and Blegen for Peters. Patane is a fine conductor. I think Amelia is a little heavy for Ricciarelli– her best outing in this role is a San Francisco broadcast with Carreras. Ricciarelli, Pavarotti under Patane appear in a video with Quilico, Berini, and Blegen from the same run. I generally prefer the supporting cast that is on the video, and that is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD), formerly Met Player. Riccardo was one of LP’s best roles, and Patane is a solid conductor. Ricciarelli is a bit light for Amelia, but she has a most successful San Francisco outing (maybe Chicago too?) with Carreras. The telecast which comes before the broadcast features Quilico, Berini, and Blegen in the supporting parts. Patane is a solid, idiomatic conductor. Payne isn’t much, it’s starting to get late for Peters, but this is Nucci’s debut season, and he appears as late as 2004 as a strong Monforte in Vespri Siciliani. He premiered a new production of Nabucco at Covent Garden in 2013, which is his most frequent assumption on a calendar that is rather full through October 2017!!! He still has in his repertoire Miller, Boccanegra, Giorgio Germont, and Rigoletto at La Scala this past January with upcoming dates in Budapest and Madrid. No dates on this side of the Atlantic, but 26 years after his Met debut, and at the age of 74, he’s only a year younger than Domingo.Ricciarelli is a bit light for Amelia, but she has a most successful San Francisco outing (maybe Chicago too?) with Carreras. The telecast which comes before the broadcast features Quilico, Berini, and Blegen in the supporting parts is available on DVD and in MOoD. Patane is a solid, idiomatic conductor. Payne isn’t much, it’s starting to get late for Peters, but this is Nucci’s debut season, and he appears at the Met as late as 2004 as a strong Monforte in Vespri Siciliani. He premiered a new production of Nabucco at Covent Garden in 2013, which is his most frequent assumption on a calendar that is rather full through October 2017!!! He still has in his repertoire Miller, Boccanegra, Giorgio Germont, and Rigoletto at La Scala with upcoming dates in Budapest and Madrid. No dates on this side of the Atlantic, but 26 years after his Met debut, and at the age of 74, he’sonly a year younger than Domingo. MOD is 2/16/80 performance with Patanè; Ricciarelli, Blegen, Berini, Pavarotti, Quilico
Various:Various
Various Artists
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19470427
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Abbado; Freni, Lima, Toczyska, Milnes
Original Air Date: 03/19/1994
SID.19470529
I enjoyed seeing Freni in the role, but Fedora turned out to be a much more congenial role for her late period. Tocyzyska is always an alert performer.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Monteux; Stevens, Güden, Hurley
Original Air Date: 04/09/1955
SID.19470530
Stevens has two runs at the Met in 1955 under Monteux and three seasons later with a broadcast now under Max Rudolf and with Amara the Euridice. For my money no one ever looked better as Orfeo, but the audio only record is not nearly as memorable. Monteux is a legendary conductor (world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chloe in Paris), but not sure that Gluck finds him at his best. This Orfeo is from his penultimate Met season. Monteux who also recorded it with Stevens, is really part of history (he conducted the world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chlore). Stevens is a much beloved Met figure, but I think there are better ways to experience Orfeo.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Levine; Rendall, Troyanos, Alexander, Montague, Hong
Original Air Date: 02/14/1987
SID.19470531
Unlike Idomeneo, Levine has totally dominated this opera at the Met, conducting 35 of the 45 performances. This is his second broadcast, and the vocal standout is once again Troyanos. MOoD features Levine’s first in 1985, and his last broadcast in 2005.
Puccini
Levine; Zylis-Gara, Ciannella, Elvira, Capecchi
Original Air Date: 03/21/1981
SID.19470532
This is not the most common of Met Manon Lescaut casts, but Zylis-Gara has some lovely moments, and so does Ciannella even if he is much more tried by the vocal demands of the role. Elvira who left us too soon makes for a fine Lescaut. There are better Manon Lescauts in the broadcast archive that have not yet been rebroadcast, but Zylis-Gara and Ciannella are not without their interest.
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Young; Leech, Morris, Dessay, Larmore, Racette, Mentzer
Original Air Date: 02/07/1998
SID.19470533
Here is Dessay at her youthful supreme, Young’s conducting is not always ideal, but Leech and Morris are on excellent form. Natalie is not to be missed (if only her Violetta sounded even half like this). Dessay in her early Met career literally brought the house down with her Olympia. Simone Young was not a popular addition to the Metropolitan, Unforgettable. Leech and Morris are very solid in their big roles.
LULU:Berg
Levine; Stratas, Mazura, Lear, Riegel, Foldi
Original Air Date: 01/03/1981
SID.19470534
This is Stratas’ only Lulu broadcast from the Met, and by everyone’s reckoning it is a strong cast. The telecast was done a few weeks earlier with Julia Migenes in the title role replacing Stratas. That is available on DVD issued by the Met
MOSES UND ARON:Schoenberg
Levine; Tomlinson, Langridge
Original Air Date: 02/20/1999
MOD Audio
SID.19470535
There are only two broadcasts this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently.There are only two broadcasts – this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently. These same forces broadcast the opera again four years later, and to date these are the only broadcasts of the Schoenberg work from the Met. It’s not on my regular listening schedule, but an important 20th century work for those who determine importance.
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Levine; Frittoli, Shicoff, Frontali, Tian, Ens, Graves
Original Air Date: 03/23/2002
SID.19470636
This performance just doesn’t get off the ground, For me, though Frittoli and Frontali are at least Italianate, they are short of the critical goods necessary to really be full voiced enough for these roles; the interpreters at this new production’s fall premiere earlier in the season did not even have the stylistics. Not one of Met casting’s finest hours. A disappointing revival in a new production. Frittoli was a bit light for the role, and Shicoff would have been much better 10 years earlier. Frontali is a small scaled Miller.
LA FAVORITA:Donizetti
López-Cobos; Verrett, Pavarotti, Milnes, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 03/11/1978
SID.19470637
This is a very fully sung performance. I remember better Leonora de Guzmans from Verrett (Dallas about 1971 and a sizzling concert performance at Carnegie with Kraus some years earlier), but this cast gives all they have. Still, this is a zingy performance and one will not be bored. It’s on Met On Demand as well. This remains the only broadcast of Favorita, and it is a shame that it has now been out of the Met repertory for more than three decades. Zajick for one made a great success with the part in Spain. The opera is more easily cast than Puritani. Milnes is far from my favorite baritone, but this performance has all singers well up to the mark with plenty of energy from all.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Rudolf; Guarrera, Peters, Valletti, Corena, Hines
Original Air Date: 12/21/1957
MOD Audio
SID.19470638
Guarrera is an alert if not so suave Figaro. Rudolf leads an experienced ensemble. One should listen to Corena here to hear why he’s remains so missed. The Met should release the Berganza 1968 video if for no other reason to preserve his Bartolo.
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Abbado; Freni, Lima, Toczyska, Milnes
Original Air Date: 03/19/1994
SID.19470639
I enjoyed seeing Freni in the role, but Fedora turned out to be a much more congenial role for her late period. Tocyzyska is always an alert performer.
Verdi
Haider; Alvarez, Siurina, Calleja, Lloyd, Fabiola Herrera
Original Air Date: 12/16/2006
SID.19470640
This is a relatively recent (now ten years already!!) broadcast, and one of Alvarez’ last broadcasts before withdrawing from the vocal scene for some time. Calleja remains an uneven singer, although he certainly has a distinctive voice. There are no Met broadcasts in MOoD for Merrill (Fourth in Met Rigolettos with five broadcasts (my recommendation would be 1968), only one video for MacNeil in 1977, and he has six broadcasts, and his debut broadcast in 1960 is certainly worthy of rebroadcasting and in MOoD (Mac has the house record with 102 Rigolettos) and Warren has only the 1945 in the streaming despite 10 broadcasts (he’s third in overall Rigolettos after MacNeil and De Luca).This is one opera with a major imbalance in terms of Sirius and MoOD performances and three of the greatest Met baritones in its history, and American to boot. This is Alvarez’ last broadcast and except for three non-broadcast Macbeths with Papian, Calleja, and Pape, he is not appeared in the Met in the last five years. He has not appeared widely on other stages in the interim for health reasons.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470641
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470642
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Patanè; Pavarotti, Ricciarelli, Nucci, Peters, Payne
Original Air Date: 03/01/1980
MOD Video
SID.19470743
New Production for Pavarotti had been telecast two weeks earlier with Quilico for Nucci, Berini for Payne, and Blegen for Peters. Patane is a fine conductor. I think Amelia is a little heavy for Ricciarelli– her best outing in this role is a San Francisco broadcast with Carreras. Ricciarelli, Pavarotti under Patane appear in a video with Quilico, Berini, and Blegen from the same run. I generally prefer the supporting cast that is on the video, and that is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD), formerly Met Player. Riccardo was one of LP’s best roles, and Patane is a solid conductor. Ricciarelli is a bit light for Amelia, but she has a most successful San Francisco outing (maybe Chicago too?) with Carreras. The telecast which comes before the broadcast features Quilico, Berini, and Blegen in the supporting parts. Patane is a solid, idiomatic conductor. Payne isn’t much, it’s starting to get late for Peters, but this is Nucci’s debut season, and he appears as late as 2004 as a strong Monforte in Vespri Siciliani. He premiered a new production of Nabucco at Covent Garden in 2013, which is his most frequent assumption on a calendar that is rather full through October 2017!!! He still has in his repertoire Miller, Boccanegra, Giorgio Germont, and Rigoletto at La Scala this past January with upcoming dates in Budapest and Madrid. No dates on this side of the Atlantic, but 26 years after his Met debut, and at the age of 74, he’s only a year younger than Domingo.Ricciarelli is a bit light for Amelia, but she has a most successful San Francisco outing (maybe Chicago too?) with Carreras. The telecast which comes before the broadcast features Quilico, Berini, and Blegen in the supporting parts is available on DVD and in MOoD. Patane is a solid, idiomatic conductor. Payne isn’t much, it’s starting to get late for Peters, but this is Nucci’s debut season, and he appears at the Met as late as 2004 as a strong Monforte in Vespri Siciliani. He premiered a new production of Nabucco at Covent Garden in 2013, which is his most frequent assumption on a calendar that is rather full through October 2017!!! He still has in his repertoire Miller, Boccanegra, Giorgio Germont, and Rigoletto at La Scala with upcoming dates in Budapest and Madrid. No dates on this side of the Atlantic, but 26 years after his Met debut, and at the age of 74, he’sonly a year younger than Domingo. MOD is 2/16/80 performance with Patanè; Ricciarelli, Blegen, Berini, Pavarotti, Quilico
LULU:Berg
Levine; Stratas, Mazura, Lear, Riegel, Foldi
Original Air Date: 01/03/1981
SID.19470744
This is Stratas’ only Lulu broadcast from the Met, and by everyone’s reckoning it is a strong cast. The telecast was done a few weeks earlier with Julia Migenes in the title role replacing Stratas. That is available on DVD issued by the Met
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Monteux; Stevens, Güden, Hurley
Original Air Date: 04/09/1955
SID.19470745
Stevens has two runs at the Met in 1955 under Monteux and three seasons later with a broadcast now under Max Rudolf and with Amara the Euridice. For my money no one ever looked better as Orfeo, but the audio only record is not nearly as memorable. Monteux is a legendary conductor (world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chloe in Paris), but not sure that Gluck finds him at his best. This Orfeo is from his penultimate Met season. Monteux who also recorded it with Stevens, is really part of history (he conducted the world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chlore). Stevens is a much beloved Met figure, but I think there are better ways to experience Orfeo.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Levine; Rendall, Troyanos, Alexander, Montague, Hong
Original Air Date: 02/14/1987
SID.19470746
Unlike Idomeneo, Levine has totally dominated this opera at the Met, conducting 35 of the 45 performances. This is his second broadcast, and the vocal standout is once again Troyanos. MOoD features Levine’s first in 1985, and his last broadcast in 2005.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Dutoit; Domingo, Verrett, Fondary
Original Air Date: 02/17/1990
SID.19470747
This is Verrett’s broadcast farewell which is followed a few weeks later by two Azucenas which concludes her Met career. The first of those Azucenas was Sharon Sweet’s debut as Leonora,one of the great debuts in Met history (not her career, but her debut was every bit the equal of any Met Leonora I’ve heard live). Dutoit is an excellent conductor. Verrett, known mostly for her Falcon efforts had many triumphs as Dalila, but this catches her very late– her Met debut is 1968, and she had been singing for 10 years when she arrived. She has two excellent videos– Covent Garden (1981) with Vickers and San Francisco with Domingo (1980), so she is well represented with outstanding Dalilas. Her Scala debut was a huge triumph, and I saw her with Pier Miranda Ferraro in Philadelphia as well as San Francisco. A strong plea for Bumbry’s 1972 broadcast with McCracken which has not yet been on Sirius. She did Dalila much less than Verrett, and it wasn’t one of her signature roles, but we should hear this one as well.
Puccini
Levine; Zylis-Gara, Ciannella, Elvira, Capecchi
Original Air Date: 03/21/1981
SID.19470748
This is not the most common of Met Manon Lescaut casts, but Zylis-Gara has some lovely moments, and so does Ciannella even if he is much more tried by the vocal demands of the role. Elvira who left us too soon makes for a fine Lescaut. There are better Manon Lescauts in the broadcast archive that have not yet been rebroadcast, but Zylis-Gara and Ciannella are not without their interest.
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Young; Leech, Morris, Dessay, Larmore, Racette, Mentzer
Original Air Date: 02/07/1998
SID.19470749
Here is Dessay at her youthful supreme, Young’s conducting is not always ideal, but Leech and Morris are on excellent form. Natalie is not to be missed (if only her Violetta sounded even half like this). Dessay in her early Met career literally brought the house down with her Olympia. Simone Young was not a popular addition to the Metropolitan, Unforgettable. Leech and Morris are very solid in their big roles.
TBA:TBA
TBA
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19480101