L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Campanella; Larmore, Polenzani, Ramey, Corbelli
Original Air Date: 02/17/2001
MOD Audio
SID.20010426
This is Ramey’s only Mustafa broadcast, and early appearances by Polenzani and Kwiecien who are Met regulars in star parts these days. My own favorite Isabella is Borodina whose performance with Florez and Furlanetto is also on MOoD.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Cleva; Sayão, Di Stefano, Hunt, Valdengo, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/17/1951
MOD Audio
SID.20010427
The oldest BOHEME in the MOD catalog, it’s Siepi’s debut MET season. Although Sayao is Brazilian, she is certainly at one with the idiom and the luxury of Di Stefano, Valdengo, and Siepi among the Bohemians is pleasure indeed. Paul Jackson in his survey of Met broadcasts isn’t thrilled with Cleva, but listening to the MOoD is quite a dose of sunshine, and the sound for a 65 year old broadcast is quite clear.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Weikert; Cole, Upshaw, Taddei, Schexnayder
Original Air Date: 02/20/1988
SID.20010428
This is Kaufmann’s debut year, and Michaels-Moore is below the standard of Gheorghiu. Kaufmann is still a bit green, but I plan to listen again to see how close he was vocally to his current very high performance standard. My memory in the theatre was AG was still the star; it’s one of her best roles.
WERTHER:Massenet
Bonynge; Kraus, Crespin, Battle, Carlson
Original Air Date: 02/03/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20010529
This performance is one I always enjoy. Kraus and Crespin are solid exponents of the style, and Battle is a delight as Sophie. This is Crespin’s final Charlotte, and finds Kraus on very congenial ground. This is also on Met Player. Nice to have a mini-Crespin festival this week. One of the most enjoyable of Met Werther broadcasts.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Tate; Vaness, Rendall, Murray, Holloay, Hamari, MacNeil
Original Air Date: 12/22/1984
SID.20010530
This is Vaness’ first of four Cosi broadcasts, and amazingly, the only one with Levine in the pit is 1996 when the opera gets a new production and features the debut of Cecilia Bartoli as Despina. This 1984 on the Sirius airwaves features Cornell MacNeil in his only Mozartean appearance (a run of 14 including a tour) all with Vaness who has the house record for Fiordiligi at 44 (Steber is not a close 2nd at 29, but Te Kanawa a very distant 3d at 16) in a line of very distinguished Fiordiligis. It’s a shame that none of the 4 Steber broadcsts (1952-1955, 3 with Tucker,one with Valletti) have made it to the Sirius airwaves. The Columbia studio recording made during the opening season is a fine memento, but a LIVE performance record of one of the great Met productions should be heard. Translation rights again appears to be the stumbling block.
DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA:Strauss
Luisi; Voigt, Kerl, Damrau, Grove, Brendel
Original Air Date: 03/31/2007
MOD Audio
SID.20010531
This is the Met’s only broadcast of the Strauss work and Kerl and Damrau are very impressive. I don’t love the work, but like most Strauss, it has its moments. It’s repeated too often in rotation which in no way approximates its importance in the Strauss canon. This was the first Met production in more than eight decades. I love the awakening scene, but for me it’s one of the weaker Strauss works. I shouldn’t complain. No Strauss at all this season or next. To date this is the only Met matinee broadcast of this uncommon Strauss work. The strongest profile is from Damrau who is an excellent Aithra. The opera has some great moments, and was one of Met audience’s first chances to encounter Luisi, now the Principal Conductor.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Weikert; Cole, Upshaw, Taddei, Schexnayder
Original Air Date: 02/20/1988
SID.20010532
This is Kaufmann’s debut year, and Michaels-Moore is below the standard of Gheorghiu. Kaufmann is still a bit green, but I plan to listen again to see how close he was vocally to his current very high performance standard. My memory in the theatre was AG was still the star; it’s one of her best roles.
OTELLO:Verdi
Gergiev; Domingo, Vaness, Leiferkus, Croft
Original Air Date: 04/02/1994
SID.20010533
Vaness’ Desdemona is professional and musical without being especially memorable. In the current controversy [this was over Gergiev’s close support of Putin and around the time of the Onegin opening night, where will Ukraine be in January 2015 when Gergiev is back at the house?] Gergiev was hardly deserving of an Otello production, but he was Joe Volpe’s counterbalance to Levine. His participation here is not a plus. Domingo’s Otello is a known quantity and he’s heard better elsewhere. though surprisingly streaming only features one audio performance and 2 videos; his actual broadcast total from the Met is 2 videos and 4 audios.
CARMEN:Bizet
Domingo; Horne, Luchetti, Freni, Ramey
Original Air Date: 12/17/1988
SID.20010534
I love Carmen, but Horne does two of her three Met broadcasts with her ex-husband, Henry Lewis, and this performance rather late in her career. Horne’s collaboration with Bernstein is at least partially transferred to the studio. Her live performance that fall with Lenny was one of the best things I ever saw from her. Luchetti was more often encountered in Verdi Requiems when Bergonzi, Pavarotti, and Richard Lewis were not available. This is his final Met performance in a one season, one role Met career (his wife Mietta Sighele Met debuted in an earlier performance in the run as Micaela and two Micaelas are her Met total; I saw her do an excellent Butterfly in Philadelphia 21 years earlier– much in the Tucci lyric mod). Luchetti is rather a good Jose, as they go. Ramey is an excellent Escamillo. Domingo, despite many fine Don Joses, is not the Carmen conductor I want. Freni is quite good for a 50+ Micaela, having brought the house down 20 years earlier and stealing the show from Verrett (debut) and Vickers.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Stiedry; Svanholm, Harshaw, Schöffler, Edelmann, Pechner
Original Air Date: 03/24/1956
SID.20010535
Except for a glancing mention of Svanholm, this performance is ignored in favor of the 1954 Stiedry performance which he doesn’t much care for which features Hotter’s farewell to the Met (very few appearances). Only Hotter comes in for considerable praise. A few pages later he takes great pleasure in the Pretre 1966 Parsifal with Konya , Crespin and Hines. This is one of Crespin’s very best broadcast efforts, and belongs both on Sirius and in MOoD.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Stiedry; Svanholm, Harshaw, Schöffler, Edelmann, Pechner
Original Air Date: 03/24/1956
SID.20010636
Except for a glancing mention of Svanholm, this performance is ignored in favor of the 1954 Stiedry performance which he doesn’t much care for which features Hotter’s farewell to the Met (very few appearances). Only Hotter comes in for considerable praise. A few pages later he takes great pleasure in the Pretre 1966 Parsifal with Konya , Crespin and Hines. This is one of Crespin’s very best broadcast efforts, and belongs both on Sirius and in MOoD.
MACBETH:Verdi
Levine; Milnes, Scotto, Plishka, Ciannella
Original Air Date: 01/28/1984
SID.20010637
This is the second season of the infamous Peter Hall Macbeth. The first season broadcast also with Levine, Scotto, Milnes and Plishka is available on (MOoD). Generally with Scotto, earlier is better. This part, despite many insightful line readings, is simply not for her.
WERTHER:Massenet
Bonynge; Kraus, Crespin, Battle, Carlson
Original Air Date: 02/03/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20010638
This performance is one I always enjoy. Kraus and Crespin are solid exponents of the style, and Battle is a delight as Sophie. This is Crespin’s final Charlotte, and finds Kraus on very congenial ground. This is also on Met Player. Nice to have a mini-Crespin festival this week. One of the most enjoyable of Met Werther broadcasts.
THE QUEEN OF SPADES:Tchaikovsky
Gergiev; Grigorian, Guleghina, Rysanek, Hvorostovsky, Svendén, Putilin
Original Air Date: 12/30/1995
SID.20010640
This was the year of the new production which had starred Mattila and Heppner along with Rysanek in her last Met role. This is Rysanek’s broadcast farewell, and her final Met performance took place three days later. Guleghina and Grigorian are very solid and Gergiev is at his best. and oh yes, there’s Hvorostovsky in absolute prime. This performance should really be in MOoD. This is Rysanek’s broadcast farewell, and Hvorostovsky’s broadcast debut. Rysanek’s farewell to the Met is three days later after a career spanning five decades (38 years). A shame the cameras did not catch the opening run with Mattila and Heppner at their best, but this is a very solid broadcast. Heppner and Mattila were replaced by Guleghina and Greigorian. Both pairs were very good. The two baritones are also outstanding. Among the very best of Queen of Spades’ broadcasts. The 1966 English language (we’ll never hear it ;(((( ) with McCracken and Stratas should really be heard; I’m sorry Resnik didn’t have the broadcast instead of Madeira, but would really like to break the Sirius logjam on translations.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Stiedry; Milanov, Penno, Warren, Hines, Madeira, Pechner
Original Air Date: 03/20/1954
SID.20010641
Milanov’s four broadcast Leonoras begin in 1952 with much of the above cast except Tucker for Penno. That performance is on MOoD and there are many fine moments. Penno is the point of interest in this week’s Forza, and clearly he must have had one of the largest tenor voices in an era of big voiced singers. His Met career was not long, but he is long remembered as well for several appearances with Callas– Macbeth and Medea. He is also the Pollione at the Met in Milanov’s final series of Normas. Milanov’s Norma has not appeared in the Sirius series, and while the 2 1940s performances will catch her in smoother voice, I would love to hear the 1954 performance as well. If memory serves, this is the best of MIlanov’s 50s Forza Leonoras. Penno is a comet that didn’t turn out so well, but other than not being Tucker or Del Monaco, he’s fine.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Campanella; Larmore, Polenzani, Ramey, Corbelli
Original Air Date: 02/17/2001
MOD Audio
SID.20010642
This is Ramey’s only Mustafa broadcast, and early appearances by Polenzani and Kwiecien who are Met regulars in star parts these days. My own favorite Isabella is Borodina whose performance with Florez and Furlanetto is also on MOoD.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Cleva; Sayão, Di Stefano, Hunt, Valdengo, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/17/1951
MOD Audio
SID.20010743
The oldest BOHEME in the MOD catalog, it’s Siepi’s debut MET season. Although Sayao is Brazilian, she is certainly at one with the idiom and the luxury of Di Stefano, Valdengo, and Siepi among the Bohemians is pleasure indeed. Paul Jackson in his survey of Met broadcasts isn’t thrilled with Cleva, but listening to the MOoD is quite a dose of sunshine, and the sound for a 65 year old broadcast is quite clear.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Weikert; Cole, Upshaw, Taddei, Schexnayder
Original Air Date: 02/20/1988
SID.20010744
This is Kaufmann’s debut year, and Michaels-Moore is below the standard of Gheorghiu. Kaufmann is still a bit green, but I plan to listen again to see how close he was vocally to his current very high performance standard. My memory in the theatre was AG was still the star; it’s one of her best roles.
DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA:Strauss
Luisi; Voigt, Kerl, Damrau, Grove, Brendel
Original Air Date: 03/31/2007
MOD Audio
SID.20010745
This is the Met’s only broadcast of the Strauss work and Kerl and Damrau are very impressive. I don’t love the work, but like most Strauss, it has its moments. It’s repeated too often in rotation which in no way approximates its importance in the Strauss canon. This was the first Met production in more than eight decades. I love the awakening scene, but for me it’s one of the weaker Strauss works. I shouldn’t complain. No Strauss at all this season or next. To date this is the only Met matinee broadcast of this uncommon Strauss work. The strongest profile is from Damrau who is an excellent Aithra. The opera has some great moments, and was one of Met audience’s first chances to encounter Luisi, now the Principal Conductor.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Tate; Vaness, Rendall, Murray, Holloay, Hamari, MacNeil
Original Air Date: 12/22/1984
SID.20010746
This is Vaness’ first of four Cosi broadcasts, and amazingly, the only one with Levine in the pit is 1996 when the opera gets a new production and features the debut of Cecilia Bartoli as Despina. This 1984 on the Sirius airwaves features Cornell MacNeil in his only Mozartean appearance (a run of 14 including a tour) all with Vaness who has the house record for Fiordiligi at 44 (Steber is not a close 2nd at 29, but Te Kanawa a very distant 3d at 16) in a line of very distinguished Fiordiligis. It’s a shame that none of the 4 Steber broadcsts (1952-1955, 3 with Tucker,one with Valletti) have made it to the Sirius airwaves. The Columbia studio recording made during the opening season is a fine memento, but a LIVE performance record of one of the great Met productions should be heard. Translation rights again appears to be the stumbling block.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Kozma; Steber, Kullman, Munsel, Hayward, Novotná, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/23/1954
SID.20010747
Steber lets the end of the Czardas get away from her, and John Brownlee is never a voice I want to hear, but Munsel is quite a trouper in this role; Novotna is a stylish Orlofsky. Why is the Fledermaus translation not a problem for the Met, but their Arabella is? This is Steber’s only broadcast Rosalinde, and she makes a meal of it. This is getting toward the end of Munsel’s reign at the Met with mostly Perichole and some Depinas ahead of her. My problem is with Brownlee, one of the driest voices ever .
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Cleva; Sayão, Di Stefano, Hunt, Valdengo, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/17/1951
MOD Audio
SID.20010748
The oldest BOHEME in the MOD catalog, it’s Siepi’s debut MET season. Although Sayao is Brazilian, she is certainly at one with the idiom and the luxury of Di Stefano, Valdengo, and Siepi among the Bohemians is pleasure indeed. Paul Jackson in his survey of Met broadcasts isn’t thrilled with Cleva, but listening to the MOoD is quite a dose of sunshine, and the sound for a 65 year old broadcast is quite clear.
OTELLO:Verdi
Gergiev; Domingo, Vaness, Leiferkus, Croft
Original Air Date: 04/02/1994
SID.20020101
Vaness’ Desdemona is professional and musical without being especially memorable. In the current controversy [this was over Gergiev’s close support of Putin and around the time of the Onegin opening night, where will Ukraine be in January 2015 when Gergiev is back at the house?] Gergiev was hardly deserving of an Otello production, but he was Joe Volpe’s counterbalance to Levine. His participation here is not a plus. Domingo’s Otello is a known quantity and he’s heard better elsewhere. though surprisingly streaming only features one audio performance and 2 videos; his actual broadcast total from the Met is 2 videos and 4 audios.
IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Cleva; Bergonzi, Stella, Simionato, Bastianini, Wilderman
Original Air Date: 02/27/1960
SID.20020102
Wonder of wonders. Sirius/the Met finally figured out they could broadcast this again. This is Simionato’s only Met broadcast, and her supporting singers are in her league. Now this performance is worth hearing at least twice a year (at least until the Met sees fit to put it in the MOoD catalog. It’s also Bergonzi’s only broadcast Manrico from the Met. Please note that this performance is NOT in MOoD (it should be) and is rarely in rotation Outstanding broadcast alert. Simionato’s only Met broadcast; Bergonzi’s only Manrico broadcast. One of Bastianini’s outstanding broadcasts, as also for Stella.
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Santi; Ricciarelli, Pavarotti, Nucci, Plishka, Cheek, Berini
Original Air Date: 01/23/1982
MOD Audio
SID.20020105
Luisa is probably Ricciarelli’s best role, and is well suited to the lyricism as well as technical skill for this part. This performance is also available in MOoD and one I highly recommend, even if Santi is rather lethargic at some critical points. Act 3 of Luisa Miller is among Verdi’s greatest inspirations.
TOSCA:Puccini
Adler; Price, Corelli, MacNeil
Original Air Date: 04/07/1962
SID.20020106
One of the great Saturday afternoons. Adler is at best dutiful, and Price is not an ideal Tosca, but she is returning after a vocal rest in full command of her resources. It is her last New York appearance in the role. Cavaradossi was always one of Corelli’s best parts, and MacNeil is in magnificent form. With such vocal riches, it’s a barnburner of an afternoon. The Met has issued this performance as part of Sony’s Historical CD series.
IL PIRATA:Bellini
Campanella; Fleming, Giordani, Croft
Original Air Date: 02/08/2003
MOD Audio
SID.20020107
This is the Met premiere of Pirata and to date its only broadcast season, but I don’t find either the soprano or tenor quite right for their parts. This was the performance that started me on my Giordani no listen zone . RWW was lucky enough to see Caballe do a stage Pirata (2x) in Philadelphia, and she was almost ideally cast. Fleming is a versatile, highly skilled singer, but this part was not for her.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Bonynge; Morris, Sutherland, Bacquier, Varady, Brecknock, Tourangeau
Original Air Date: 03/25/1978
MOD Audio
SID.20020208
This is Julia Varady’s only season and broadcast from the Met, and earns a well-deserved place in MOoD. The missing piece is that 9 days earlier the Met telecast this, and it operatic stage. Traubel has never appeared in any form. There is so little Sutherland video from the Met. Of particular interest is Bacquier in his only season as Leporello and Morris makes a youthful but powerful Don. It also captures the last of the Berman production. The video please! Also Sutherland’s only other Donna Anna from the Met is from opening season of the new house at Lincoln Center under Karl Bohm with Siepi, Flagello, and Giaiotti with Lorengar as the Elvira. This has not been recently discussed on SIrius in 5 years and should be in MOoD.
LA GIOCONDA:Ponchielli
Cleva; Milanov, Poggi, Warren, Rankin, Siepi
Original Air Date: 04/20/1957
SID.20020209
Paul Jackson in his history of Met broadcasts only deals with 1953 and 1961 in his volume that covers post 1950 Milanov. Rankin, Warren and Siepi are all among the very best exponents of their roles, but I’ve never gotten Poggi’s message. So it’s all about Milanov, and generally always want her earlier (like 1939) rather than later. Milanov was definitely variable in the 50s for her Giocondas. She has 2 more going as last as 1961. Rankin, Warren and Siepi are fine support, and it all depends what kind of a day ZM is having. Her first (not yet broadcast by Sirius) is her best, though the 1946 is also very good (Tucker’s debut year, and he is leagues ahead of Poggi).
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Perick; Connell, Lakes, Welker, Moll, Donath, Kaasch
Original Air Date: 02/16/1991
SID.20020210
This revival comes in for some harsh words from Tim Page, and this broadcast marks the late Elizabeth Connell’s farewell to the Met. She has a more considerable overall career than her appearances at the Met show, but this Fidelio does not help much. Moll and Donath are the two members of the A team, but Rocco and Marzelline are not the essential casting for Fidelio, though I certainly appreciate good singers in the canon quartet.