Donizetti
Varviso; Sutherland; Kónya, Herlea, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 12/05/1964
MOD Audio
SID.19480531
This is Sutherland’s second broadcast Lucia, and not often heard. Konya is not my favorite Edgardo, but for those who don’t want to hear Bonynge, they get another figure at the podium.
Stravinsky
Levine; Bradley, Creech, Catania / Lewis, Troyanos, Mazura
Original Air Date: 01/02/1982
SID.19480532
This is the first year of the Stravinsky/Hockney/Dexter/Levine trilogy with Troyanos the featured Jocasta. Jessye Norman did 5 performances the second year, but the broadcast was with Quivar as Jocasta. Blythe appears in 2004 under Gergiev. I prefer these works to Rake’s Progress (heresy), but the Hockney/Dexter visuals were not as appealing as their Parade French trilogy which preceded it.
Verdi
Nézet-Séguin; Yoncheva, Cano, Antonenko, Pittas, Lucic
Original Air Date: 10/17/2015
Live in HD
SID.19480533
Various:Various
Various Artists
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19480534
Stravinsky
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
MOD Audio
SID.19480636
Rake’s Progress had its American premiere under Fritz Reiner on a Met broadcast. I saw this Jonathan Miller production when it was new in 1998 with the same cast as above except Jerry Hadley was the Tom Rakewell. I find the work cold, and though very well prepared, the Miller production did not make it one whit more interesting.
Gounod
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.19480637
Nezet-Seguin’s conducting was one of the best things he’s done at the Met, and both Kaufmann and Pape were excellent if not exactly erasing aural memories of Bjorling and Siepi (1950 and 1959). The two blots for me were Poplavskaya as Marguerite and the misconceived production by Des McAnuff which will not disturb listening.
Stravinsky
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
MOD Audio
SID.19480638
Rake’s Progress had its American premiere under Fritz Reiner on a Met broadcast. I saw this Jonathan Miller production when it was new in 1998 with the same cast as above except Jerry Hadley was the Tom Rakewell. I find the work cold, and though very well prepared, the Miller production did not make it one whit more interesting.
Donizetti
Müller; Olsen, Battle, Dara, Oswald
Original Air Date: 12/05/1992
SID.19480639
The opera is not of such depth to deserve what seems like a a weekly rotation. There were a number of evening performances broadcast live of the Florez Damrau cast. They don’t exactly overplay the Bergonzi or Kraus performances, CB has 2, and AK has 1. But better to give the opera a rest, because we’ll have plenty of L’elisir come September. This is Battle’s last Elisir broadcast, and the supporting cast is not especially distinguished.Dara was always a rather colorless Dulcamara for me, and I want a bit more Italian sunshine than Olsen. Battle has 30 (!!!) Met Adinas, the champion. She is not the first Adina I think of. Both Freni and Scotto are more to my taste for very different reasons. Once again this ordinary L’elisir is trotted out. The opera itself (not just this performance) seems overplayed in rotation. It does feature very good orchestra playing and excellent sound. This performance has had some rest, but there are several other Battle Elisirs with Pavarotti that also appear so it seems to repeat her assumption a bit too frequently.
Ponchielli
Cleva; Milanov, Baum, Warren, Rankin, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 04/02/1955
SID.19480640
This is a pretty representative Gioconda cast for the 1950s. It should catch Tozzi in his prime condition coming a month after his debut and Rankin was well suited to Laura, an awkward part for many. Warren should also be at his best. That leaves Milanov and Baum in two giant roles. There is no question of Milanov’s legendary status and in this role in particular. She can also be a maddeningly uneven singer, sometimes within the same performance or even section of music. I love Gioconda, but it is a challenging sing. Callas has a fine studio recording made after her firing from the Met that is still very good, but I don’t have any Callas annals handy, but don’t think she has many/any after 1952. Tebaldi saved it till late in her career, and the part didn’t work for Farrell. I enjoyed both Bumbry and Marton, but the part was well beyond Scotto, and recent efforts by Voigt and Urmana are down another rung. Milanov’s melodramatics are solid.
Verdi
Levine; Millo, Domingo, Toczyska, Milnes, Plishka
Original Air Date: 01/07/1989
MOD Video
SID.19480641
This is Domingo’s second of 3 Radames broadcasts (the last is a simulcast video the following season with Zajick instead of Toczyska). Millo is on excellent form, and Tocyzska is an arresting performer who is a very solid Amneris.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Isepp; Vaness, Croft, Graham, Gunn, McLaughlin, Shimell
Original Air Date: 03/15/1997
SID.19480642
This is the season after the Bartoli run as Despina also with Vaness. Most of the interest in this broadcast centers on Richard Croft now in Satyagraha and Susan Graham for whom this is an early broadcast. Her second Dorabella run is in 2001 has also been on Sirius. For Vaness fans she has two Cosi broadcasts from early in her Met career 1984 and 1991, and the 1984 is particularly recommended. Her Mozart singing in the early 1980s was right up there with the very best– Steber, Fleming, Lorengar, Te Kanawa.
BILLY BUDD:Britten
Mackerras; Hampson, Clark, Morris, Held, Courtney
Original Air Date: 04/04/1992
MOD Audio
SID.19480743
Morris has sung almost every Claggart in the production and it is one of his best parts. Hampson isn’t always ideal as an innocent, but he’s a fine musician and the cast under Mackerras is top drawer. There is also an excellent Met video of the production with Dwayne Croft on MOoD.
Verdi
Nézet-Séguin; Yoncheva, Cano, Antonenko, Pittas, Lucic
Original Air Date: 10/17/2015
Live in HD
SID.19480744
Stravinsky
Levine; Bradley, Creech, Catania / Lewis, Troyanos, Mazura
Original Air Date: 01/02/1982
SID.19480745
This is the first year of the Stravinsky/Hockney/Dexter/Levine trilogy with Troyanos the featured Jocasta. Jessye Norman did 5 performances the second year, but the broadcast was with Quivar as Jocasta. Blythe appears in 2004 under Gergiev. I prefer these works to Rake’s Progress (heresy), but the Hockney/Dexter visuals were not as appealing as their Parade French trilogy which preceded it.
Massenet
Rudel; Swenson, Sabbatini, de Candia
Original Air Date: 03/03/2001
MOD Audio
SID.19480746
I’m not sure if anyone has conducted Manon more than Julius Rudel, the opera having been a mainstay during his NYCO stewardship. This is an OK performance, but wish we could hear the 1959 DeLosAngeles Gedda Manon under Jean Morel as well.I’m not sure if anyone has conducted Manon more than Julius Rudel, the opera having been a mainstay during his NYCO stewardship. This is an OK performance, but wish we could hear the 1959 De Los Angeles/Gedda Manon under Jean Morel as well. This opera is available on MOoD to listen to anytime.1/29/11 – This is uncommon casting, but maybe one way to start preparing for the new production of Manon. I would be happier if someone would dig deeper into the archives for the single De Los Angeles/Gedda broadcast under Jean Morel from 1959.
Puccini
Domingo; Zhang, Smith, Zifchak, Salsi, Sorensen
Original Air Date: 12/17/2011
SID.19480747
Good to hear Zhang on a broadcast. I thought she was very impressive in the theatre. This is a promotion from the matinee to the archival series rather quickly. The controversial part of this run of Butterfly was the conducting shared by Yves Abel and Placido Domingo. Zhang was a very high profile Butterfly both on the radio and in the theatre, so no conductor was going to get the best of her.
Ponchielli
Cleva; Milanov, Baum, Warren, Rankin, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 04/02/1955
SID.19480748
This is a pretty representative Gioconda cast for the 1950s. It should catch Tozzi in his prime condition coming a month after his debut and Rankin was well suited to Laura, an awkward part for many. Warren should also be at his best. That leaves Milanov and Baum in two giant roles. There is no question of Milanov’s legendary status and in this role in particular. She can also be a maddeningly uneven singer, sometimes within the same performance or even section of music. I love Gioconda, but it is a challenging sing. Callas has a fine studio recording made after her firing from the Met that is still very good, but I don’t have any Callas annals handy, but don’t think she has many/any after 1952. Tebaldi saved it till late in her career, and the part didn’t work for Farrell. I enjoyed both Bumbry and Marton, but the part was well beyond Scotto, and recent efforts by Voigt and Urmana are down another rung. Milanov’s melodramatics are solid
Wagner
Levine; Domingo, Tomowa-Sintow, Marton, McIntyre, Macurdy
Original Air Date: 02/16/1985
SID.19480749
This performance is also available in MOoD. Domingo sings very well, but for me the special excitement of this performance comes from the two ladies. Marton had not yet started her heavy round of Elektra performances, and her singing is commanding without ever being less than very feminine. Lohengrin is one of Levine’s best efforts, and here’s the cast for it. The ladies are simply splendid, among the best exponents of their roles in the last 3 decades. Lohengrin is one of Levine’s best Wagner efforts.
Wagner
Levine; Domingo, Tomowa-Sintow, Marton, McIntyre, Macurdy
Original Air Date: 02/16/1985
SID.19490101
This performance is also available in MOoD. Domingo sings very well, but for me the special excitement of this performance comes from the two ladies. Marton had not yet started her heavy round of Elektra performances, and her singing is commanding without ever being less than very feminine. Lohengrin is one of Levine’s best efforts, and here’s the cast for it. The ladies are simply splendid, among the best exponents of their roles in the last 3 decades. Lohengrin is one of Levine’s best Wagner efforts.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Cleva; Stratas, Raimondi, Bower, Sereni, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 02/04/1967
SID.19490102
This is early Stratas, and Raimondi, Sereni, and Tozzi are a very authentic group of supporting Bohemians. What is unusual is this has not been on Sirius in the last five years. Stratas has a famous video with Carreras from the premiere season of the Zeffirelli Boheme in 1982 20 years after her first Met Boheme as a 23 year old. From her debut in 1959 until 1964 she appears on the airwaves only in very small roles but with the new production of Last Savage she jumps to the big time and this Boheme is her first broadcast from the new house in Lincoln Center. Gianni Raimondi does not have a long Met career (1965-1968) but both of his broadcasts this Rodolfo and a later Tosca with Crespin are of fine quality. He was over 40 at his Met debut and died in 2008 at the age of 85. His Rodolfo is preserved on film as he originated the famous Zeffirelli Boheme at La Scala with Freni and Karajan. Beverly Bower has the distinction of singing the first performance in the new Lincoln Center Opera House, a student matinee of Fanciulla del West . She had also been an NYCO stalwart before joining the Met. Sereni and Tozzi were part of the normal Met Boheme ensemble.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490103
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was on the rocks as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490104
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was on the rocks as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Levine; Hampson, James, Cheek, Schuman, Olsen, Swenson
Original Air Date: 01/13/1996
SID.19490105
I’m not a big fan of Hampson’s Giovanni, but in his three broadcasts (all with Levine) he has some interesting supporting casts in 1991 and 2004. I lean toward more encounters with the 2004 broadcast with the elusive (for the Met) Anja Harteros. This is an all-American cast FWIW.
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Levine; Meier, Kollo, Gruberova, Troyanos, Monk, Duesing
Original Air Date: 03/10/1979
SID.19490106
Even though Kollo is rather hard pressed, Johanna Meier substituting for Leontyne Price is a worthy replacement, and Gruberova and Troyanos among the very best to have ever touched their two roles. It is one of Gruberova’s two Met broadcasts (the other is Puritani), so highly recommended.
SIMON BOCCANEGRA:Verdi
Levine; Milnes, Tomowa-Sintow, Moldoveanu, Plishka, Clark
Original Air Date: 12/29/1984
SID.19490107
The main attraction here is Tomowa-Sintow who has only 7 Met broadcasts. This performance is also available on DVD. This performance lacks a certain spark, but the singing is very solid.
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE:Mozart
Levine; Milne, Polenzani, Goerne, Miklósa, Moll
Original Air Date: 04/16/2005
MOD Audio
SID.19490208
This is the broadcast from the first year of the Taymor production. This is an extremely solid cast with no weak links. Goerne was originally scheduled for the premiere in the fall, but had an injury, and was replaced by Pogossov. Roschmann was the premiere Pamina (and an outstanding one) but her only appearances on Sirius so far have been non-matinee broadcasts for Sirius subscribers. The Sirius 3 x a week of contemporary performances are invaluable. This is Moll’s broadcast farewell and his final Met appearance is Sarastro one week later (not marked in the Met Database-still true 4/2015) Moll also sang Commendatore in Don Giovanni in the evening after this Zauberflote matinee.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Noseda; Voigt, Licitra, Delavan, Ramey, Komlósi, Pons
Original Air Date: 03/11/2006
MOD Audio
SID.19490209
I love Forza del Destino, but it’s a rather disjointed work, and not an easy sing for ANYONE. I saw Voigt who did the part early in her Met career with the lamented Sergej Larin. For this broadcast, it’s Licitra, also destined to leave us too soon. For me it’s too late for Ramey, Delavan does not impress me and this 2006 broadcast does not catch Voigt in anything like the voice she had a decade earlier. What is MOoD doing featuring this performance when another Sirius Forza broadcast with Tebaldi and Tucker from 1960 only gets an occasional rotation and no presence for Tebaldi in this role in MOoD. Noseda is a quality conductor, but why such special pleading for Voigt and Licitra?
DER FREISCHÜTZ:Weber
Ludwig; Kónya, Lorengar, Feldhoff, Mathis
Original Air Date: 04/15/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19490211
This is the only Met broadcast of Freischutz, and despite some good work from the treble/tenor clef, Ludwig’s conducting does not give it the sparkle it needs. Feldhoff is more adequate than commanding. One cannot blame the Met entirely, this work simply is not as much a part of the standard opera house repertoire as it was 50 years ago.
Verdi
Panizza; Ponselle, Jagel, Tibbett
Original Air Date: 01/05/1935
SID.19490212
This is now the oldest broadcast to appear in the Sirius series. Ponselle and Tibbett are absolute magic in the 2nd act duet under Panizza. It’s not SACD, but still a remarkable document. The Met database is still [October 2016]) not up to date on some of these more recent additions to the Sirsi and MOoD coverage. This is now the oldest broadcast to appear in the Sirius series. Ponselle and Tibbett are absolute magic in the 2nd act duet under Panizza. Will be curious to hear what improvement if any they’ve made to the sound.
CARMEN:Bizet
Lewis; Horne, McCracken, Amara, Krause
Original Air Date: 03/10/1973
SID.19490213
I was surprised to find that there is only one other Horne-McCracken Carmen broadcast (from a year later with Reardon for Krause). The loss to the broadcasts is the premiere of the production with them under Bernstein (there is a commercial DG recording, but esp. for McCracken, live is very different). Most of the protagonists in Met broadcast Carmens have been represented back to 1937 with Ponselle. There are three 1950s performances which include two Joses from Mario del Monaco,and one with Giuseppe di Stefano, all with Stevens. I’ve heard excerpts of these, and they should be broadcast. The second Del Monaco from 1957 features Mitropoulos in the pit, so that would be first on my list. The DiStefano has been available on private recordings and features Di Stefano breaking her arm (literally) and her clearly saying Put my arm down. I would put in a word for Borodina’s 2001 Carmen (she has been streamed in recent years) with Richard Leech and snappy conducting from Bertrand de Billy. Vocally she is the most glamorous Carmen in some time, and especially so on this broadcast. Horne was very good when she opened the season under Bernstein, but the performance became steadily less subtle vocally,and by the time Lenny was gone, I found it very vin ordinaire Same cast and conductor (except Reardon for Krause) broadcast it again a year later in a performance available on MOoD. The performers are no better.