“DIE WALKUERE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Cast: Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
Media: MOD Audio SID.18160638 Tags: Archive; 2018, Nilsson, Wagner
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.”
“DON CARLO : Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/05/1952
Cast: Stiedry; Tucker, Rigal, Silveri, Barbieri, Hines, Hotter
Media: MOD Audio SID.18160749 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
This is the first of Tucker’s three Don Carlo broadcasts, and I find his 1955 preferable. What I’ve never heard, but also from 1952 (but next season) is his second which has a better supporting cast with Merrill for Silveri, and Siepi for Hines as Filippo; Erede is in the pit for his only Don Carlo broadcast. May we hear this please?
This is most distinctive for being Tucker’s first Don Carlo broadcast and one of Hotter’s few. Tucker broadcast the opera again 8 months later in 1952 (but new season) with the production opening night cast (Merrill and Siepi replacing Silveri and Hines, and him of course replacing Bjorling) I’ve never heard this second 1952 broadcast.
Also unusual is that though Tucker went on to sing the opera for 15 more years after his 1955 broadcast with Steber, he never went to the airwaves for it again. At 26 performances, he is by far the Don Carlo champion– I saw him in it three times. most notably at a fall 1968 matinee not broadcast with (Orlandi, Verrett, Merrill, Ghiaurov, and Talvela under Abbado).
Bing did not see Hotter in leading roles and in Walkure he was cast as
Hunding, not Wotan. What has not been rebroadcast on Sirius is Hotter’s
farewell which is a 1954 Parsifal with Svanholm, Varnay, and London, and Hotter as Gurnemanz under Stiedry. I would love to hear that.”
“ERNANI : Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/29/1956
Cast: Mitropoulos; Del Monaco, Milanov, Warren, Siepi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18160743 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
This is the first Met broadcast of Ernani, and although Del Monaco is slightly better in his Florence broadcast with Cerquetti, he is the Verdian bandit to the life. This is a bit late for Milanov, but Warren and Siepi are certainly top drawer as well. Mitropoulos brings his accustomed fire and a few odd choices in musical text. Not a bad preparation for the revival coming in February with Meade.
I love Ernani, but I don’t love this performance. Mitropoulos and Del Monaco are better represented from Florence, and this part is simply too late for Milanov. This part is HARD– check Freni’s challenge at La Scala. Ernani involvami demands full blown coloratura mastery from the moment you open your mouth, and while the rest of the role is mostly ensembles, it’s challenging. Leona Mitchell is mostly very up to the challenges. Two good stabs at the part were NOT broadcast, Arroyo’s
opening night with Bergonzi and Milnes, and Millo, (2 in the house, 4 in the parks very early in her Met career). The good news on Ernani is the complete Met broadcast history is documented on Sirius.
The Met trots out its star Verdians for the first appearance of Ernani in a quarter century. It’s a bit too late for Milanov, but Del Monaco and Siepi are in especially fine form. This is also available on MOoD.
Elvira is definitely a bit late for Milanov, but the men are the best in the business for these roles in 1956, and all among the greatest ever in these roles.”
“IL PIRATA : Bellini
Original Air Date: 02/08/2003
Cast: Campanella; Fleming, Giordani, Croft
Media: MOD Audio SID.18160746 Tags: Archive; 2018
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. I 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.”
“DEATH IN VENICE : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/14/1974
Cast: Bedford; Pears, Shirley Quirk, Velis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170102 Tags: Archive; 2018
The Met saw the USA premiere of Britten’s Death in Venice and for the Met debut of Peter Pears. His only other role at the Met was Captain Vere in Billy Budd four years later; fortunately both of Pears’ roles are on MOoD. I always enjoy returning to Billy Budd, but I find Death in Venice a hard sit despite all the talent involved.”
“SIEGFRIED : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/30/1937
Cast: Bodanzky; Melchior, Flagstad, Schorr, Thorborg, Laufkötter, Habich
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170104 Tags: Archive; 2018, Wagner
Melchior is simply in a class by himself because no one has a voice like his. The supporting cast are of major stature. This also appears in the Sony Wagner CD box from the Met.
This writer fails to recall an occasion when they sang the final duet of the opera in such fashion, with such wealth of tone and heroic passion … It was the lyrical flight of eagles – New York Times, 1937
Melchior had learned the role under the composer’s son, Siegfried, and widow, Cosima, at Bayreuth in the 1920s. Quite simply, no other tenor has been able to sing Siegfried like this – how the role was meant to be sung.
Two other cast members stand out. Friedrich Schorr was the leading interpreter of Wotan / Wanderer in the inter-war years. Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Brunnhilde was the dominant Wagnerian soprano at the Met between 1935 and 1941 and Melchior and Flagstad together were the hottest opera ticket in New York. Her voice is beautifully controlled, delivering golden tone with ease.
This is the only complete recording of Melchior in Siegfried, and it is the only recording of Melchior and Flagstad together in the opera.
by Andrew Rose May 26, 2017”
“SIEGFRIED : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/30/1937
Cast: Bodanzky; Melchior, Flagstad, Schorr, Thorborg, Laufkötter, Habich
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170105 Tags: Archive; 2018, Wagner
Melchior is simply in a class by himself because no one has a voice like his. The supporting cast are of major stature. This also appears in the Sony Wagner CD box from the Met.
This writer fails to recall an occasion when they sang the final duet of the opera in such fashion, with such wealth of tone and heroic passion … It was the lyrical flight of eagles – New York Times, 1937
Melchior had learned the role under the composer’s son, Siegfried, and widow, Cosima, at Bayreuth in the 1920s. Quite simply, no other tenor has been able to sing Siegfried like this – how the role was meant to be sung.
Two other cast members stand out. Friedrich Schorr was the leading interpreter of Wotan / Wanderer in the inter-war years. Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Brunnhilde was the dominant Wagnerian soprano at the Met between 1935 and 1941 and Melchior and Flagstad together were the hottest opera ticket in New York. Her voice is beautifully controlled, delivering golden tone with ease.
This is the only complete recording of Melchior in Siegfried, and it is the only recording of Melchior and Flagstad together in the opera.
by Andrew Rose May 26, 2017”
“SIMON BOCCANEGRA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/28/1950
Cast: Stiedry; Warren, Varnay, Tucker, Székely, Valdengo
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170209 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
Reissued on Sony Classical in the Met’s Verdi box for his bicentennial. This is Warren’s only broadcast of the title role. He had done Paolo (the Valdengo role) a decade earlier shortly after winning the Met Auditions of the Air. His Simon was Lawrence Tibbett. This is Tucker’s first venture into the more dramatic tenor roles, and he sang it outstandingly for the next quarter century until his final Gabriel on the 1974 Met broadcast with plenty of gas still in the tank. This 1974 performance with Wixell and Maliponte is long overdue for a Sirius rebroadcast.”
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 02/19/1972
Cast: Franci, Bergonzi, Scotto, Corena, Sereni
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170213 Tags: Archive; 2018
In my book, this is as good as it gets. I think Bergonzi is just that scintilla more seductive than Kraus, and the other 3 Italians are close to perfection. I miss Sereni and Corena a lot when I hear the current crop of buffos. Don’t miss. “
“AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY : Picker
Original Air Date: 12/24/2005
Cast: Conlon; Gunn, Racette, Graham, Zajick, Larmore
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170316 Tags: Archive; 2018
An American Tragedy was premiered at the Met and should have been HDd during a scheduled revival in 2008 which was taken by Last Emperor (in hopes of a China tour which did not materialize).
Zambello directed, and she remains faithful to the work which was revived at Glimmerglass in 2014 in a revised edition. On the radio the real standout is Zajick who makes conventional lines sound momentous, but the overall cast was well chosen.”
“DEATH IN VENICE : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/14/1974
Cast: Bedford; Pears, Shirley Quirk, Velis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170319 Tags: Archive; 2018
The Met saw the USA premiere of Britten’s Death in Venice and for the Met debut of Peter Pears. His only other role at the Met was Captain Vere in Billy Budd four years later; fortunately both of Pears’ roles are on MOoD. I always enjoy returning to Billy Budd, but I find Death in Venice a hard sit despite all the talent involved.”
“SIEGFRIED : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/30/1937
Cast: Bodanzky; Melchior, Flagstad, Schorr, Thorborg, Laufkötter, Habich
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170321 Tags: Archive; 2018, Wagner
Melchior is simply in a class by himself because no one has a voice like his. The supporting cast are of major stature. This also appears in the Sony Wagner CD box from the Met.
This writer fails to recall an occasion when they sang the final duet of the opera in such fashion, with such wealth of tone and heroic passion … It was the lyrical flight of eagles – New York Times, 1937
Melchior had learned the role under the composer’s son, Siegfried, and widow, Cosima, at Bayreuth in the 1920s. Quite simply, no other tenor has been able to sing Siegfried like this – how the role was meant to be sung.
Two other cast members stand out. Friedrich Schorr was the leading interpreter of Wotan / Wanderer in the inter-war years. Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Brunnhilde was the dominant Wagnerian soprano at the Met between 1935 and 1941 and Melchior and Flagstad together were the hottest opera ticket in New York. Her voice is beautifully controlled, delivering golden tone with ease.
This is the only complete recording of Melchior in Siegfried, and it is the only recording of Melchior and Flagstad together in the opera.
by Andrew Rose May 26, 2017”
“SIEGFRIED : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/30/1937
Cast: Bodanzky; Melchior, Flagstad, Schorr, Thorborg, Laufkötter, Habich
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170422 Tags: Archive; 2018, Wagner
Melchior is simply in a class by himself because no one has a voice like his. The supporting cast are of major stature. This also appears in the Sony Wagner CD box from the Met.
This writer fails to recall an occasion when they sang the final duet of the opera in such fashion, with such wealth of tone and heroic passion … It was the lyrical flight of eagles – New York Times, 1937
Melchior had learned the role under the composer’s son, Siegfried, and widow, Cosima, at Bayreuth in the 1920s. Quite simply, no other tenor has been able to sing Siegfried like this – how the role was meant to be sung.
Two other cast members stand out. Friedrich Schorr was the leading interpreter of Wotan / Wanderer in the inter-war years. Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Brunnhilde was the dominant Wagnerian soprano at the Met between 1935 and 1941 and Melchior and Flagstad together were the hottest opera ticket in New York. Her voice is beautifully controlled, delivering golden tone with ease.
This is the only complete recording of Melchior in Siegfried, and it is the only recording of Melchior and Flagstad together in the opera.
by Andrew Rose May 26, 2017”
“SIMON BOCCANEGRA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/28/1950
Cast: Stiedry; Warren, Varnay, Tucker, Székely, Valdengo
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170426 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
Reissued on Sony Classical in the Met’s Verdi box for his bicentennial. This is Warren’s only broadcast of the title role. He had done Paolo (the Valdengo role) a decade earlier shortly after winning the Met Auditions of the Air. His Simon was Lawrence Tibbett. This is Tucker’s first venture into the more dramatic tenor roles, and he sang it outstandingly for the next quarter century until his final Gabriel on the 1974 Met broadcast with plenty of gas still in the tank. This 1974 performance with Wixell and Maliponte is long overdue for a Sirius rebroadcast.”
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 02/19/1972
Cast: Franci, Bergonzi, Scotto, Corena, Sereni
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170530 Tags: Archive; 2018
In my book, this is as good as it gets. I think Bergonzi is just that scintilla more seductive than Kraus, and the other 3 Italians are close to perfection. I miss Sereni and Corena a lot when I hear the current crop of buffos. Don’t miss. “
“AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY : Picker
Original Air Date: 12/24/2005
Cast: Conlon; Gunn, Racette, Graham, Zajick, Larmore
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170533 Tags: Archive; 2018
An American Tragedy was premiered at the Met and should have been HDd during a scheduled revival in 2008 which was taken by Last Emperor (in hopes of a China tour which did not materialize).
Zambello directed, and she remains faithful to the work which was revived at Glimmerglass in 2014 in a revised edition. On the radio the real standout is Zajick who makes conventional lines sound momentous, but the overall cast was well chosen.”
“DEATH IN VENICE : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/14/1974
Cast: Bedford; Pears, Shirley Quirk, Velis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170636 Tags: Archive; 2018
The Met saw the USA premiere of Britten’s Death in Venice and for the Met debut of Peter Pears. His only other role at the Met was Captain Vere in Billy Budd four years later; fortunately both of Pears’ roles are on MOoD. I always enjoy returning to Billy Budd, but I find Death in Venice a hard sit despite all the talent involved.”
“SIEGFRIED : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/30/1937
Cast: Bodanzky; Melchior, Flagstad, Schorr, Thorborg, Laufkötter, Habich
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170637 Tags: Archive; 2018, Wagner
Melchior is simply in a class by himself because no one has a voice like his. The supporting cast are of major stature. This also appears in the Sony Wagner CD box from the Met.
This writer fails to recall an occasion when they sang the final duet of the opera in such fashion, with such wealth of tone and heroic passion … It was the lyrical flight of eagles – New York Times, 1937
Melchior had learned the role under the composer’s son, Siegfried, and widow, Cosima, at Bayreuth in the 1920s. Quite simply, no other tenor has been able to sing Siegfried like this – how the role was meant to be sung.
Two other cast members stand out. Friedrich Schorr was the leading interpreter of Wotan / Wanderer in the inter-war years. Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Brunnhilde was the dominant Wagnerian soprano at the Met between 1935 and 1941 and Melchior and Flagstad together were the hottest opera ticket in New York. Her voice is beautifully controlled, delivering golden tone with ease.
This is the only complete recording of Melchior in Siegfried, and it is the only recording of Melchior and Flagstad together in the opera.
by Andrew Rose May 26, 2017”
“SIEGFRIED : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/30/1937
Cast: Bodanzky; Melchior, Flagstad, Schorr, Thorborg, Laufkötter, Habich
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170638 Tags: Archive; 2018, Wagner
Melchior is simply in a class by himself because no one has a voice like his. The supporting cast are of major stature. This also appears in the Sony Wagner CD box from the Met.
This writer fails to recall an occasion when they sang the final duet of the opera in such fashion, with such wealth of tone and heroic passion … It was the lyrical flight of eagles – New York Times, 1937
Melchior had learned the role under the composer’s son, Siegfried, and widow, Cosima, at Bayreuth in the 1920s. Quite simply, no other tenor has been able to sing Siegfried like this – how the role was meant to be sung.
Two other cast members stand out. Friedrich Schorr was the leading interpreter of Wotan / Wanderer in the inter-war years. Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad as Brunnhilde was the dominant Wagnerian soprano at the Met between 1935 and 1941 and Melchior and Flagstad together were the hottest opera ticket in New York. Her voice is beautifully controlled, delivering golden tone with ease.
This is the only complete recording of Melchior in Siegfried, and it is the only recording of Melchior and Flagstad together in the opera.
by Andrew Rose May 26, 2017”
“SIMON BOCCANEGRA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/28/1950
Cast: Stiedry; Warren, Varnay, Tucker, Székely, Valdengo
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170642 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
Reissued on Sony Classical in the Met’s Verdi box for his bicentennial. This is Warren’s only broadcast of the title role. He had done Paolo (the Valdengo role) a decade earlier shortly after winning the Met Auditions of the Air. His Simon was Lawrence Tibbett. This is Tucker’s first venture into the more dramatic tenor roles, and he sang it outstandingly for the next quarter century until his final Gabriel on the 1974 Met broadcast with plenty of gas still in the tank. This 1974 performance with Wixell and Maliponte is long overdue for a Sirius rebroadcast.”
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 02/19/1972
Cast: Franci, Bergonzi, Scotto, Corena, Sereni
Media: MOD Audio SID.18170746 Tags: Archive; 2018
In my book, this is as good as it gets. I think Bergonzi is just that scintilla more seductive than Kraus, and the other 3 Italians are close to perfection. I miss Sereni and Corena a lot when I hear the current crop of buffos. Don’t miss. “
“ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA : Barber
Original Air Date: 09/16/1966
Cast: Schippers; Díaz, Price, Thomas, Flagello, Elias
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180103 Tags: Archive; 2018
From MOD: Expectations were high when the Metropolitan Opera announced that the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra would christen its new house at Lincoln Center in the fall of 1966—a suitably grand work based on Shakespeare’s tragedy and written specifically for Leontyne Price as Cleopatra. A singer himself, the composer knew Price’s voice and what it could do, shaping his conception of the opera’s heroine around this iconic American diva.
The 26-year-old Puerto Rican–born bass Justino Díaz starred alongside Price as Antony while Ezio Flagello portrayed Antony’s friend Enobarbus. Tenor Jess Thomas brought his heroic presence to the role of Octavius Caesar, and the beloved mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias, already a Met veteran in her 30s, sang the role of Cleopatra’s attendant Charmian.
Thanks to a Texaco–Metropolitan Opera Radio Network broadcast from the opera’s world premiere, this indelible piece of Met history has been preserved for generations.
***
This is the opening of the new Met at Lincoln Center and the world premiere of the opera. Leontyne never sang better than this night, and luckily it is well preserved for all to hear. Lady Bird Johnson and Imelda Marcos were among the dignitaries that night”
“DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN : Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/09/1989
Cast: Perick; Meier, Schunk, Martin, Courtney, Dernesch
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180104 Tags: Archive; 2018, Strauss
The big gap is Courtney being a late fill-in for Weikl as Barak. Dernesch finds some tough sledding in a lot of the Nurse’s part. I love the work, and Perick works hard. Though Johanna Meier is no Rysanek or Marton, she still has her moments. Listening to the COMPLETE performance under Jurowski from last season finds the Met and Frau particularly congenial partners. Maybe this is a minor hommage to Janis Martin who recently passed away, and so far as I can tell got no paid obituary from the Met in the NYTimes [rechecked this afternoon and still so]”
“LA TRAVIATA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/21/1962
Cast: Strasfogel; Moffo, Morell, Sereni
Media: SID.18180105 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
I’m sure I heard this performance while I was still living in Texas, but despite the visual glamor of Moffo, I find her appeal in this part limited. Along with Albanese (not one of my favorites) with 87, Moffo with her 80 Violettas totally dominate the chronology. Sembrich and Bori are the next two down and by more than two and half dozen. Most Violetta totals at the Met hover between 15 and 25. This is Moffo’s first Violetta
broadcast, so probably her best. Her other two (in different seasons) come in 1967, and I know those performances well.
Although Moffo had a high selling Traviata for RCA, this is the first of her three broadcasts, and the only one that has been on Sirius. I like her commercial, but as early as 1967, vocally I found her compromised (but always with huge E flat). Morell and Sereni are OK, no more.
This is the first of Moffo’s three Violetta broadcasts; the other two are in 1967 (in different seasons). Moffo was a gorgeous Violetta, and very successful. I’m not sure how well it bears up in live performance in an audio only mode, but I’ll give this a try.
As for the other Met broadcast Traviatas, I wish the Met would reach back to the 1935 Ponselle/Tibbett Traviata under Panizza. This has been on private labels for years and exists in good enough sound. Ponselle will not be to everyone’s taste, but I find the duet with Tibbett with Panizza’s masterly support to be of the highest quality. Albanese is the dominant Violetta (with several broadcasts from Sayao none on Sirius), but her only appearance on Sirius is her last Violetta broadcast in 1959. It’s a little late, but since I don’t much care for her Violetta (see Paul Jackson’s analysis of Met broadcasts– he worships Albanese), she is partnered by Valletti, and they make a winning pair.
Two performances which have been on Sirius and are both on Met Player are the Steber with DiStefano and Merrill from 1949 (she’s replacing Sayao and practically doing a lesson in vocal technique and exquisite vocalism) and Tebaldi from 1957, where first act transpositions are mostly irrelevant to one of the most celebrated performances ever. Tebaldi did 21 performances in a single season, and Bing sent her everywhere. If not quite the perfection of the Tosca, this Violetta is quite memorable. Almost worth a Met Player subscription on its own.
Surprisingly, the 1964 Sutherland Violetta has not been on Sirius. This omission should be corrected as part of the Guild’s upcoming memorial to her. I saw her Violetta at least 3 times, and it was one of her most memorable roles. Sutherland is not the only omission that should make its way to Sirius.
I remember Cruz-Romo’s fine 1973 broadcast (very much in the Tebaldi tradition), Rita Shane replacing Sills in 1976 (Wixell’s only Germont broadcast), Maria Chiara in 1977, Malfitano in 1982 (I think the first to do two verses of Addio del passato), Maliponte in 1984 (I don’t remember this performance but she’s a favorite of many on this list including me) 1987 with Tomowa Sintow (again I have no memory, but she’s a singer I remember fondly) and the 2000 broadcast with Gallardo-Domas. While I thought Butterfly too heavy for her, her Violetta is one of the very best,
and this has not made it to Sirius. Sirius has some heavy lifting to do for
Traviata!”
“DAS RHEINGOLD : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/27/1951
Cast: Stiedry; Hotter, Harshaw, Svanholm, Davidson, Hines, Ernster
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180209 Tags: Archive; 2018, Wagner
Hans Hotter’s MET debut season This performance is taken from the Wagner at the Met CD box set.
I have not heard this broadcast, but the chief vocal interest lies in
Hotter’s broadcast of Wotan one of only two Ring performances he broadcast from the Met; the other was Hunding (not Wotan) in Walkure in 1954. Branzell returns to the Met after a 7 year absence and moves down from Fricka to Erda, appearing in 2 Rheingolds and 3 Siegfrieds in 1951. Her Met career spans 27 years from 1924 to 1951 and 412 performances.
Paul Jackson in his survey of Met broadcasts is not enamored of Stiedry’s conducting. I still hope this means we will hear the rest of the 1951 Ring on Sirius soon (which includes Traubel’s Siegfried & Gotterdammerung Brunnhildes; Jackson is especially fond of her Siegfried even though she omits the few Bs and Cs of the role..*”
“LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/28/1940
Cast: Papi; Pons, Jobin, Petina, Baccaloni
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180210 Tags: Archive; 2018
This performance has also been issued in the Sony Historical CD series from the Met. The surprise was that this was Pons’ only Met broadcast of Marie– she has 13 Lucia broadcasts!!!!! This broadcast is her first time in the part at the Met (Broadcast production premieres were not common prior to Gelb) She was a huge Met star. She was my 3d Lucia (Callas and Sutherland first); that Fort Worth Lucia was not the way to remember her. Generally I don’t find Fille as strong a work as either Don Pasquale or L’Elisir d’Amore.
***
This is not only the incomparable Lily Pons’s first performance in Donizetti’s comic opera at the Met; it is her only broadcast as Marie. Equal parts dazzling singer and romping tomboy, she is totally charming. No wonder Time magazine put her on its cover. Salvatore Baccaloni is Sergeant Sulpice and Raoul Jobin is the man who steals Pons’s heart. In this famous World War II-era broadcast Pons interpolates “La Marseillaise” at the end—bringing a cheering Met audience to its feet.”
“BILLY BUDD : Britten
Original Air Date: 04/04/1992
Cast: Mackerras; Hampson, Clark, Morris, Held, Courtney
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180211 Tags: Archive; 2018
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.”
“LA FORZA DEL DESTINO : Verdi
Original Air Date: 11/29/1952
Cast: Stiedry; Milanov, Tucker, Warren, Hines, Miller, Pechner
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180212 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
Here’s Milanov, Tucker, and Warren again and very well cast. This performance is available on Met Player and despite the odd (Bruno Walter) arrangement and cuts brings you a Forza you simply can’t hear today. two Leontyne Price Forzas (one from 1968 with Corelli, and the other from 1972 with Bergonzi whould be rebroadcast. She is very well represented in Sirius but the 1977 with Domingo and the 1984 video
do not show her as well as the earlier broadcasts.
This performance is available in MOoD, and with good reason. At pretty much close to their best, one of the strongest Forza casts in the postwar period.
All four of Milanov’s Forza broadcasts (all with Sitedry conducting)
have been on Sirius, and this, the earliest has also appeared in
MOoD. Despite the cuts and re-arrangement, when this performance
concludes you know you’ve heard Forza. Tucker and Warren make very
challenging parts sound almost easy. Hines is not as impressive as
Siepi, but he toweres over what passes for most bass singing today.”
“OTELLO : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1967
Cast: Mehta; Caballé, McCracken, Gobbi, Lorenzi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180315 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
This is the first Otello broadcast from the new house at Lincoln
Center, and I attended an earlier performance in the run. Caballe is very fine in the fourth act, but earlier acts do not find her fully engaged. McCracken and Gobbi are fully engaged from first note, and Mehta is a solid participant. Sirius continues to deprive us of Tebaldi’s 1955 and 1958 Desdemonas which capture her (especially 1955) in remarkable voice. This performance is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD)
and definitely worth your time.
1/16/12 – I remember this revival well, but in the house and on the airwaves, it was certainly strongly performed by all. This is Caballe’s first broadcast from the Met, and McCracken, Gobbi and Mehta are wonderful partners. Compared to some other Desdemonas, I found her a little short until Act Four, but in the final act she was on all eight cylinders. I love the chemistry of McCracken and Gobbi. This fine performance is available on MetPlayer also.
There never was a tenor quite like James McCracken—a veritable force of nature vocally, he fought his way to an international career that would come to be dominated by his seething portrayal of the title role of Verdi’s Otello. In this March 11, 1967, broadcast conducted by Zubin Mehta, McCracken’s finely sung Otello rages with a raw-nerve fury but also brings heroic tenderness to the love duet and his final moments. Montserrat Caballé’s singing, regal in its beauty throughout, gives way to towering passion in Desdemona’s clash with Otello in Act III. Tito Gobbi is utter, impeccable evil as Iago, heard in the savage glee he finally takes in hurling Cassio’s name, like a knife, at Otello at the end of Act II.”
“LA BOHÈME : Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/17/1951
Cast: Cleva; Sayão, Di Stefano, Hunt, Valdengo, Siepi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18180317 Tags: Archive; 2018, Puccini
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. I haven’t heard a better Boheme in quite some time, yet Sirius gave it a 2 year rest. Welcome back.”