Various:Various
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
Various Artists
SID.19080639
Various selections between scheduled operas. Siriusxm Radio and web player will show the Composer and Title.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/23/2019
Luisotti; Sierra, Zaharia, Grigolo, Frontali, Kocán
SID.19080640
Verdi’s tragic jester returns in Michael Mayer’s neon-bedecked, Las Vegas–themed production. Baritones Roberto Frontali and George Gagnidze share the title role, and soprano Nadine Sierra reprises her portrayal of Gilda, the role that helped launch her now-blossoming Met career. Tenors Vittorio Grigolo, Francesco Demuro, Matthew Polenzani, and Stephen Costello share the role of the lascivious Duke, and Nicola Luisotti conducts.
First Intermission
-Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Nadine Sierra and Roberto Frontali
-TOLL BROTHERS – METROPOLITAN OPERA QUIZ
Guest Artist: Jamie Barton; Host: Brian Zeger
Panelists: Cori Ellison, Jeff McMillan, and Rich Miller
Second Intermission
-Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Vittorio Grigolo
-Mary Jo Heath interviews General Manager Peter Gelb
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 04/07/1956
Rudolf, Siepi, Conner, de los Angeles, Guarrera, Miller
MOD Audio SID.19080641
I don’t remember this performance specifcally, but Siepi and de los Angeles are among my favorite Figaro and Countess. What is so critical in a FIgaro is the conductor and Max Rudolf was starting to fill in some of the assignments Stiedry had regularly commanded. I’ll be checking this performance out to see if it merits the many positive comments from Jackson. I’m not as taken with Conner and Guarrera as Jackson is, but the overall performance is worthwhile.
JENUFA:Janácek
Original Air Date: 12/21/1974
Nelson; Kubiak, Varnay, Vickers, Lewis, Kraft
SID.19080642
This was my second encounter with Jenufa, the first had been 7 years earlier when Hamburg brought a German language version to the 1967 Lincoln Center Festival. This performance is in English, which is a rarity on Sirius since almost no translations are ever heard. The standout performance for me is Jon Vickers as Laca. The giant disappointment was Varnay’s Kostelnicka. I had been much impressed by Kniplova (native Czech, but singing in German with Hamburg) in this pivotal role, but Varnay was a dud dramatically and vocally. Later on I saw Rysanek (San Francisco and New York) and Eva Marton (Barcelona) and each time the effect was powerful. I view Varnay’s Elektra as one of the great assumptions by any dramatic soprano, but I find her late appearances in New York not so much to my taste. Kubiak’s English is surprisingly adequate, and overall I enjoy listening to this performance.
DAS RHEINGOLD:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/27/1993
Levine; Morris, Schwarz, Langridge, Wlaschiha, Hölle, Koptchak
MOD Audio SID.19080743
This is close to the end of Schwarz’s Met career. Not quite. She is back for the 2016 season for Buryja in Jenufa after an absence of 14 years. She has an earlier Rheingold Fricka in 1993, and I saw her in the Chereau Ring in 1978 and she closes her Met career with a 2002 Klytemnestra with Schnaut. I also saw her do an excellent Erda in Madrid in 2007. One also encounters Phillip Langridge’s fine Loge.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 02/03/1979
Bonynge; Kraus, Crespin, Battle, Carlson
MOD Audio SID.19080744
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.
MOSES UND ARON:Schoenberg
Original Air Date: 02/20/1999
Levine; Tomlinson, Langridge
MOD Audio SID.19080745
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.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/17/1940
Leinsdorf; Flagstad, Lawrence, Branzell, Melchior, Huehn, List
MOD Audio SID.19080746
This performance was issued on Sony CD as part of the Wagner at the Met box in honor of the composer’s bicentenary in 2013. Sirius postings didn’t see the need for adding Branzell or List to the listing, but Fricka and Hunding are both important roles. Flagstad moves up to Brunnhilde with Lawrence as Sieglinde. There is a 1937 broadcast with Lawrence as Brunnhilde and Flagstad as Sieglinde; Schorr is the Wotan and Olszewska as Fricka, and Althouse as Siegmund. That performance has not been on Sirius either, but also has the distinction of being conducted by Bodanzky. Several things are unusual about this 1940 broadcast. It is uncut, primarily championed by Leinsdorf, and is Flagstad’s only Walkure Brunnhilde broadcast until her return 11 years later in 1951 under Stiedry. Melchior is in particularly resplendent voice and his long-held Walse cries in the first act are as much a taunt to Leinsdorf as anything. Julius Huehn’s Wotan ( he was 30 at the time of this broadcast (!!!!) wins high praise from Paul Jackson in his Met broadcast review.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/17/1940
Leinsdorf; Flagstad, Lawrence, Branzell, Melchior, Huehn, List
MOD Audio SID.19080747
This performance was issued on Sony CD as part of the Wagner at the Met box in honor of the composer’s bicentenary in 2013. Sirius postings didn’t see the need for adding Branzell or List to the listing, but Fricka and Hunding are both important roles. Flagstad moves up to Brunnhilde with Lawrence as Sieglinde. There is a 1937 broadcast with Lawrence as Brunnhilde and Flagstad as Sieglinde; Schorr is the Wotan and Olszewska as Fricka, and Althouse as Siegmund. That performance has not been on Sirius either, but also has the distinction of being conducted by Bodanzky. Several things are unusual about this 1940 broadcast. It is uncut, primarily championed by Leinsdorf, and is Flagstad’s only Walkure Brunnhilde broadcast until her return 11 years later in 1951 under Stiedry. Melchior is in particularly resplendent voice and his long-held Walse cries in the first act are as much a taunt to Leinsdorf as anything. Julius Huehn’s Wotan ( he was 30 at the time of this broadcast (!!!!) wins high praise from Paul Jackson in his Met broadcast review.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/19/1983
Guadagno; Bergonzi, Neblett, Nucci, Peters, Berini
SID.19080748
This is Bergonzi’s signature role and his final Met broadcast of a complete opera, but he is better enjoyed on either the the 1962 or 1966 Ballos. His 1981 is also with Berini and Peters, but Milnes for Nucci. More importantly Cruz-Romo is a stronger Amelia than Neblett, but she is heard to even better advantage in 1973 with Tucker, a younger Milnes, and Dalis. Guadagno was a familar figure in Philadelphia and Miami as well as the Verona arena. This is his only Met season. Not sure of the circumstances but guess he just didn’t fit in. He’s on a number of airchecks from opera houses around the world with the top echelon of singers, Corelli, Tebaldi, etc.
LULU:Berg
Original Air Date: 01/03/1981
Levine; Stratas, Mazura, Lear, Riegel, Foldi
SID.19080749
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
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 03/26/2005
Davies; Urmana, Villa, Burchinal / Racette, Mac Master, Pons
SID.19090101
I repeat my annotation in the hope that someone at Sirius is listening. The Met can and has done better for the ham and eggs of opera. For the life of me I can’t figure out why Sirius singles THIS performance out for rebroadcast. Not an Italian in the bunch, and no singers I want to hear in this music.
NORMA:Bellini
Original Air Date: 04/04/1970
Bonynge; Sutherland, Horne, Bergonzi, Siepi
MOD Audio SID.19090317
This is Sutherland/Horne’s first of two Met broadcasts of Norma (both in 1970 but different seasons). One will not find stronger support than Bergonzi and Siepi, and the ladies stand up very well to the competition. This performance is available in MOoD, and if the fall performances are even half this level we will be very lucky indeed. The only appearances I know for Bergonzi as Pollione. Siepi goes back to Milanov and Callas. This is available also on MOoD (Met Opera on Demand) so you can listen to it anytime you want. The ladies’ duet singing is remarkable.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/24/2004
Levine; Eaglen, West, Salminen, Held, Wray, Naef
SID.19090318
This is Eaglen’s final Met appearance, although not so marked yet in the database. Her 2000 broadcast is on MOoD with Stig Anderson and Eric Halvarson and Felicity Palmer’s Met debut as Waltraute. West was always a solid singer for me and I will take a listen to see how sounds vis a vis current competition, and Salminen is the standard for Hagen. But don’t expect too much from Eaglen. The tone had become significantly compromised by the final round of her Met performances.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/24/2004
Levine; Eaglen, West, Salminen, Held, Wray, Naef
SID.19090319
This is Eaglen’s final Met appearance, although not so marked yet in the database. Her 2000 broadcast is on MOoD with Stig Anderson and Eric Halvarson and Felicity Palmer’s Met debut as Waltraute. West was always a solid singer for me and I will take a listen to see how sounds vis a vis current competition, and Salminen is the standard for Hagen. But don’t expect too much from Eaglen. The tone had become significantly compromised by the final round of her Met performances.
Various:Various
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
Various Artists
SID.19090320
Various selections between scheduled operas. Siriusxm Radio and web player will show the Composer and Title.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/27/2019
Farnes; Schultz, Pérez, Lemieux, Johnson Cano, Demuro, Maestri, Rodríguez
SID.19090321
Baritone Ambrogio Maestri brings his larger-than-life portrayal of the title role back for the first time since his Met role debut in the 2013–14 season. Robert Carsen’s insightful production—which moves the action to postwar England in the 1950s—features an exceptional cast that includes soprano Ailyn Pérez as Alice Ford and soprano Golda Schultz as Nannetta.
MACBETH:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/28/1984
Levine; Milnes, Scotto, Plishka, Ciannella
SID.19090422
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.
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 01/19/1952
Reiner; Welitsch, Svanholm, Hoengen, Hotter, Sullivan
SID.19090423
The performance was issued on LP as an upper tier Guild fundraiser. Reiner and Welitsch had caused a sensation in 1949, but the magic was not the same 3 years later, primarily because Welitsch’s voice was well into a steep decline that she never recovered from. The sound is ostensibly better here than 1949, but that is the performance which should be heard on Sirius. This afternoon in 1952 also featured Gianni Schicci with Baccaloni (with Erede conducting, NOT Reiner) which is not being rebroadcast. From 1961-62 season on Salome has been performed without a companion work.
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS:Stravinsky
Original Air Date: 01/17/1998
Levine; Hadley, Upshaw, Ramey, Blythe
SID.19090424
This is a solid cast, but I find the Stravinsky work rather cold. We are not finished with the first quarter of 2016 and already we are on our second Rake’s Progress rotation for the year (different cast and performance) Is there a Stravinsky anniversary I’ve missed?
L’ASSEDIO DI CORINTO:Rossini
Original Air Date: 04/19/1975
Schippers; Sills, Verrett, Theyard, Díaz
MOD Audio SID.19090425
The following season also with Sills and Verrett under Woitach) are the Met broadcast history of this problematic Rossini work, and both are on MOoD. Verrett is in top form, but I find Sills too late for these assumptions. I find the work as edited for these performances a jumble and they don’t make this reluctant Rossinian any less so. Barbiere remains a miracle and though done to death, still sparkles.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/01/1966
Schick; Scotto, Alexander, Grillo, Dunlap, Schmorr
MOD Audio SID.19090426
This is *Scotto*’s first broadcast, after debuting the previous October. This EVENING broadcast had one of the more infamous Singers Roundtables as I remember (Milanov and Gedda come to mind) remember but alas we never get the interrmission features. I don’t much care for *Dunlap* as Sharpless, but *Scotto* is a major *Butterfly*.
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 12/13/1975
Lewis; Crespin, Lewis, Ricciarelli, Van Dam
MOD Audio SID.19090427
No, William Lewis did not conduct and sing Jose simultaneously. Conductor is Henry Lewis, and W. Lewis is deputizing for Domingo. I like Crespin even better on her 1978 broadcast which was on Sirius a few weeks ago. This 1975 performance is on MOoD, but I like the 1978 cast with Chauvet, Mitchell, a good deal more. Van Dam is the best Escamillo around, but Devlin (STILL at the Met in small, mostly single line roles) in the 1978 is very capable. A Crespin Carmen is almost always a listen for me, no matter the performance.
I PURITANI:Bellini
Original Air Date: 01/06/2007
Summers; Netrebko, Cutler, Vassallo, Relyea
Live in HDMOD Video SID.19090428
This Puritani run launched Netrebko into superstardom, but also engendered some controversy from some bel cantists and Callas widows. Netrebko is a controversial singer in bel canto, but she had a huge success following her premiere of the new Don Pasquale the previous season. Netrebko is very fresh of voice, and will impress many. Her supporting cast is no more than OK, and for Callas fanatics she is totally inadequate. Watch and hear for yourself. I did see Sutherland in 1976, which was well up to her standard even though she had just turned 50. Netrebko in the second Live in HD performance (the English Flute had kicked the series off) was uisually electrifying, and that performance is available on DG Blu-Ray. This audio broadcast is also available in MOoD. This performance duplicates the HD transmission and the DVD cast. This performance is best experience in its simultaneous HD video which is on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) or on DVD or BLu-Ray.
LA JUIVE:Halévy
Original Air Date: 12/13/2003
Viotti; Isokoski, Shicoff, Futral, Cutler, Furlanetto
MOD Audio SID.19090529
“Viotti died only a year or so after premiering the Juive. He was a real talent, and Shicoff, Isokoski and Furlanetto all bring their considerable talents in a production transferred from Vienna. This is the Met’s first season since the mid 1930s and its only broadcast to date. Some early 1930s operas were broadcast but don’t exist. La Juive was never broadcast until 2003.”
LA GIOCONDA:Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 02/12/1983
Patanè; Marton, Domingo, MacNeil, Dunn, Furlanetto
SID.19090530
This performance marks Patane’s final Met performance. You can’t accuse the Met of undercasting Gioconda, and Marton puts out all of her considerable resources. Though he only has 6 more seasons (she left in a tiff over the Brunnhilde casting), her broadcasts of both Elsa and esp. Ortrud, Turandot, Fidelio Leonora with Vickers and Tennstedt, and her powerhouse Salome (the antithesis best roles. The remainder of above) are among the most rewarding broadcasts of the 1980s. Furlanetto who was primarily a Mozartean this early in his Met career cast is still going strong, and arguably the most important bass singing the Italian (and lots of others) repertoire today. If you love Gioconda just as I do, this is always a welcome performance.”
I PURITANI:Bellini
Original Air Date: 01/06/2007
Summers; Netrebko, Cutler, Vassallo, Relyea
Live in HDMOD Video SID.19090531
This Puritani run launched Netrebko into superstardom, but also engendered some controversy from some bel cantists and Callas widows. Netrebko is a controversial singer in bel canto, but she had a huge success following her premiere of the new Don Pasquale the previous season. Netrebko is very fresh of voice, and will impress many. Her supporting cast is no more than OK, and for Callas fanatics she is totally inadequate. Watch and hear for yourself. I did see Sutherland in 1976, which was well up to her standard even though she had just turned 50. Netrebko in the second Live in HD performance (the English Flute had kicked the series off) was uisually electrifying, and that performance is available on DG Blu-Ray. This audio broadcast is also available in MOoD. This performance duplicates the HD transmission and the DVD cast. This performance is best experience in its simultaneous HD video which is on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) or on DVD or BLu-Ray.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/13/2004
Levine; Hampson, Harteros, Pape, Goerke, Turay, Hong
SID.19090532
This is a relatively recent broadcast from the previous new production (the Met has had mostly bad luck with all productions after Berman in 1957. ) The casting here is very strong with Harteros a fine Anna (she hardly appears in North America anymore), Pape singing Leporello to a fare thee well and one of the early appearances of Abdrazakov. This is also good exposure for Christine Goerke, who returned to the Met last season as the Dyer’s Wife in Frau ohne Schatten.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 02/27/1937
Papi; Pons, Jagel, Brownlee, Pinza
SID.19090533
Lily Pons seduced a whole generation of New Yorkers with her glamour, her Gallic presence, and staccati in alt., but I saw her last Lucia in Fort Worth, and never much cared for her recordings. Whatever I think, this is one of the oldest Met broadcasts on Sirius, and Pons’ appeal continues. John Brownlee has a voice that can be passable in Fledermaus, but for me not in Lucia. Ezio Pinza is as good as one gets.
MACBETH:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/28/1984
Levine; Milnes, Scotto, Plishka, Ciannella
SID.19090534
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.