“OTELLO : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1958
Cast: Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren, Franke
Media: MOD Audio SID.18250212 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
This is a splendid performance, and should also note the number of fine Otellos which have not been on Sirius, including but not limited to the the 3 1940s Otellos with Stella Roman, Tebaldi’s two Desdemonas from 1955 and 1958 (the 1955 is uncommon on the private market, and the 1958 never seen, even the 1958 from La Scala with the same trio– Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Warren is not that common and the 1963 Tucci, McCracken , Merrill with Solti have all been missed by Sirius. Really too many omissions for relatively recent performances. Also the Bohm (his only Verdi at the Met) from April 1972”
“MANON : Massenet
Original Air Date: 12/15/1951
Cast: Cleva; Albanese, Di Stefano, Singher
Media: MOD Audio SID.18250422 Tags: Archive; 2018
If Singher is the only one to really be a master of the French style, Albanese and Di Stefano are not without interest.”
“GIULIO CESARE : Handel
Original Air Date: 04/17/1999
Cast: Nelson; Larmore, McNair, Daniels, Blythe, Asawa
Media: MOD Audio SID.18250531 Tags: Archive; 2018
This is the first Met broadcast of Cesare as the 1988 production with Troyanos and Battle was not broadcast (a special shame because of Troyanos’ way with Handel) This was an early success for both Blythe and Daniels, but this is still not my work — too many countertenors and too few ensembles. Brian Asawa recently passed away, and was one of the major groundbreaking countertenors.”
“GIULIO CESARE : Handel
Original Air Date: 04/17/1999
Cast: Nelson; Larmore, McNair, Daniels, Blythe, Asawa
Media: MOD Audio SID.18250640 Tags: Archive; 2018
This is the first Met broadcast of Cesare as the 1988 production with Troyanos and Battle was not broadcast (a special shame because of Troyanos’ way with Handel) This was an early success for both Blythe and Daniels, but this is still not my work — too many countertenors and too few ensembles. Brian Asawa recently passed away, and was one of the major groundbreaking countertenors.”
“FEDORA : Giordano
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
Cast: Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
Media: MOD Video SID.18260102 Tags: Archive; 2018, Domingo
This is the Met’s only broadcast of this verismo work, and is available on DVD also. This is a solid performance even if it catches Freni in the extreme twilight of a very long career. This is Freni’s penultimate opera performance at the Met, with another Fedora 5 days later. She appears 5 years later in an opening night gala doing Act 2 of Fedora, and she returns 3 years later for an end of season concert that marks her last vocal appearance on any stage.”
“HÄNSEL UND GRETEL : Humperdinck
Original Air Date: 12/29/2001
Cast: Mackerras; Larmore, Upshaw, Forst, Blythe, Josephson
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260209 Tags: Archive; 2018
This performance is indeed in German and yet is performed by a 100% Anglophone cast. Irony indeed. Mackerras is the most distinctive contributor to a work whose orchestral passages are among its most interesting. Also worth noting is there is a separate listing in MOoD for the English language versions and the German version. But though the language was German it was the same production as premiered in English in 1967-1968 by O’Hearn and Merrill and concluded with these performances in 2001-2. Hansel returned in a new also English language production by Richard Jones in 2007-2008.”
“DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN : Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/17/1966
Cast: Böhm; Rysanek, King, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260210 Tags: Archive; 2018, Strauss
This is the Met broadcast premiere of one of Strauss’ greatest works. I went to a performance a few weeks earlier in the gala opening weeks of the Met’s Lincoln Center house. Hearing the performance almost five decades later it still holds up as one of the great ensemble and individual performance efforts in Met history. All of the singers are excellent, and for radio only, the voice that makes the best effect is Walter Berry. His work may be less well known to newer opera-goers, but for my money he is my favorite Barak on disc or in the theatre. FiDi was by all accounts quite memorable in the theatre, but I never saw him in the role. This performance really belongs in the Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) series as well, but for the moment it is now being issued as part of the Met at Lincoln Center 50th anniversary CD box.”
“CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI : Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 04/04/1953
Cast: Erede; Milanov, Baum, Valentino / Rigal, Del Monaco, Silveri
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260212 Tags: Archive; 2018
This performance is most notable for Del Monaco’s relatively early Canio. The role is his farewell 6 years later in 1959. The 1959 broadcast should be added to the Sirius rotation / MOoD because it features Mitropoulos in the pit, but also Warren in one of his greatest roles. Warren’s previous broadcast Tonio was 1951.”
“DON PASQUALE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 01/09/1965
Cast: Varviso; Corena, Peters, Alva, Guarrera
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260213 Tags: Archive; 2018
“
“FEDORA : Giordano
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
Cast: Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
Media: MOD Video SID.18260318 Tags: Archive; 2018, Domingo
This is the Met’s only broadcast of this verismo work, and is available on DVD also. This is a solid performance even if it catches Freni in the extreme twilight of a very long career. This is Freni’s penultimate opera performance at the Met, with another Fedora 5 days later. She appears 5 years later in an opening night gala doing Act 2 of Fedora, and she returns 3 years later for an end of season concert that marks her last vocal appearance on any stage.”
“HÄNSEL UND GRETEL : Humperdinck
Original Air Date: 12/29/2001
Cast: Mackerras; Larmore, Upshaw, Forst, Blythe, Josephson
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260425 Tags: Archive; 2018
This performance is indeed in German and yet is performed by a 100% Anglophone cast. Irony indeed. Mackerras is the most distinctive contributor to a work whose orchestral passages are among its most interesting. Also worth noting is there is a separate listing in MOoD for the English language versions and the German version. But though the language was German it was the same production as premiered in English in 1967-1968 by O’Hearn and Merrill and concluded with these performances in 2001-2. Hansel returned in a new also English language production by Richard Jones in 2007-2008.”
“CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI : Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 04/04/1953
Cast: Erede; Milanov, Baum, Valentino / Rigal, Del Monaco, Silveri
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260428 Tags: Archive; 2018
This performance is most notable for Del Monaco’s relatively early Canio. The role is his farewell 6 years later in 1959. The 1959 broadcast should be added to the Sirius rotation / MOoD because it features Mitropoulos in the pit, but also Warren in one of his greatest roles. Warren’s previous broadcast Tonio was 1951.”
“DON PASQUALE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 01/09/1965
Cast: Varviso; Corena, Peters, Alva, Guarrera
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260529 Tags: Archive; 2018
“
“FEDORA : Giordano
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
Cast: Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
Media: MOD Video SID.18260636 Tags: Archive; 2018, Domingo
This is the Met’s only broadcast of this verismo work, and is available on DVD also. This is a solid performance even if it catches Freni in the extreme twilight of a very long career. This is Freni’s penultimate opera performance at the Met, with another Fedora 5 days later. She appears 5 years later in an opening night gala doing Act 2 of Fedora, and she returns 3 years later for an end of season concert that marks her last vocal appearance on any stage.”
“SAMSON ET DALILA : Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/18/1987
Cast: Fournet; Vickers, Horne, Quilico
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260637 Tags: Archive; 2018
This is Vickers’ farewell to the Met (not announced in advance). For many of us, he is a legendary singer who spans the beginning of our operatic journey, and 26 years later still shines very brightly indeed. In almost every assumption he not only gave his individual commitment (he was Giasone to Callas in my first opera in 1958 in Dallas) but simply encompassed roles as few ever do and was always in the top rank and usually best ever seen in the roles. Samson is certainly one of those roles, and if the opera has been a bit overdone on Sirius, I am never finished with my enjoyment of Vickers. Horne is a singer I admire on many fronts– her support of young artists, the advocacy for vocal recitals, and certainly outstanding Rossinian efforts. But I’m not much of Rossini guy, and I find many of her ventures beyond not to my taste, Verdi (even as Quickly) really doesn’t work and Dalila doesn’t compare with my first (Rita Gorr in the premiere of the O’Hearn Merrill production in 1964) or some of my best more recent ones– Borodina’s voice was made for those languorous lines. This is Vickers’ only broadcast of Samson et Dalila, and sometime min the last 3 years has been added to MOoD as a testament to his work and whom we lost July 13, 2015 after a long illness.”
“HÄNSEL UND GRETEL : Humperdinck
Original Air Date: 12/29/2001
Cast: Mackerras; Larmore, Upshaw, Forst, Blythe, Josephson
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260641 Tags: Archive; 2018
This performance is indeed in German and yet is performed by a 100% Anglophone cast. Irony indeed. Mackerras is the most distinctive contributor to a work whose orchestral passages are among its most interesting. Also worth noting is there is a separate listing in MOoD for the English language versions and the German version. But though the language was German it was the same production as premiered in English in 1967-1968 by O’Hearn and Merrill and concluded with these performances in 2001-2. Hansel returned in a new also English language production by Richard Jones in 2007-2008.”
“DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN : Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/17/1966
Cast: Böhm; Rysanek, King, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18260642 Tags: Archive; 2018, Strauss
This is the Met broadcast premiere of one of Strauss’ greatest works. I went to a performance a few weeks earlier in the gala opening weeks of the Met’s Lincoln Center house. Hearing the performance almost five decades later it still holds up as one of the great ensemble and individual performance efforts in Met history. All of the singers are excellent, and for radio only, the voice that makes the best effect is Walter Berry. His work may be less well known to newer opera-goers, but for my money he is my favorite Barak on disc or in the theatre. FiDi was by all accounts quite memorable in the theatre, but I never saw him in the role. This performance really belongs in the Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) series as well, but for the moment it is now being issued as part of the Met at Lincoln Center 50th anniversary CD box.”
“FEDORA : Giordano
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
Cast: Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
Media: MOD Video SID.18260748 Tags: Archive; 2018, Domingo
This is the Met’s only broadcast of this verismo work, and is available on DVD also. This is a solid performance even if it catches Freni in the extreme twilight of a very long career. This is Freni’s penultimate opera performance at the Met, with another Fedora 5 days later. She appears 5 years later in an opening night gala doing Act 2 of Fedora, and she returns 3 years later for an end of season concert that marks her last vocal appearance on any stage.”
“FALSTAFF : Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/16/1967
Cast: Amaducci; Flagello, Curtin, Guarrera, Barbieri, Raskin, Alva
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270102 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
Barbieri, Guarrera, and Alva are veterans of many Falstaffs, and Flagello features a lot of voice for a bass Falstaff. Amaducci, by memory, didn’t have much sparkle. High praise for Alva and Barbieri; she is a characterful Quickly, and he a perfect Fenton, but Amaducci is possibly the weakest Falstaff conductor in Met history(certainly on broadcasts).
The 1964 Bernstein has never been on Sirius, and though the Met Database records the 1972 as having been on Sirius with Gobbi, Tebaldi, and Paskalis under von Dohnanyi, it has not been on more than once, and should be heard again. Both of these performances belong in MOoD not this performance.
Flagello who had one of the great voices in a time when the Met’s bass cabinet was chock full sings the part very well, but for this work, you must have a conductor to work with you, and that he doesn’t have. Alas, Falstaff is about ensemble, not individual efforts.”
“MANON LESCAUT : Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/12/1966
Cast: Adler; Kabaivanska, Tucker, Walker, Esparza
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270105 Tags: Archive; 2018, Puccini
While I still want to hear Tucker and Tebaldi from 7 years earlier, this gives us the advantage of hearing a young Kabaivanska. I saw her do this part with a young Domingo pretty contemporaneous with this broadcast in Fort Worth, and what a pair they were. Esparza is for party tapes, and Walker was promoted as a more cornfed Merrill. Cornfed he may be, but any comparison to Merrill is not critically alert. Merrill on the Albanese Bjorling recording is like sable (the fur not the fish).
Also available on MOoD (Met Opera on Demand)
Manon Lescaut is my favorite Puccini and Kabaivanska is an excellent Manon. Sirius is still omitting the 1959 broadcast with Tebaldi and Tucker when both are at their absolute best. Esparza is an unfunny Thanksgiving joke; he makes Corena sound like Ezio Pinza.”
“PETER GRIMES : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/31/1994
Cast: Conlon; Rolfe Johnson, Fleming, Opie, Walker, Howard
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270209 Tags: Archive; 2018
Fleming in an unusual role and Rolfe Johnson taken from us much too soon. One of Fleming’s most successful outings. I like hearing a young
fresh voice as Ellen Orford. This is Fleming’s only season as Ellen Orford, and I find her youthful singing a most pleasant plus.
Excellent all-around performance. One of Fleming’s most successful outings. I like hearing a young fresh voice as Ellen Orford. Excellent all-around performance.”
“DER ROSENKAVALIER : Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/14/1946
Cast: Busch; Stevens, Jessner, List, Steber, Lechner
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270211 Tags: Archive; 2018, Strauss
This performance has been on before, and this is Steber’s only 40s broadcast to have made it to Sirius (and to MOoD). This is the kind of voice I love as Sophie, a full lyric, not a soubrette. Jessner has a lot of time in support mostly on the rocks (she debuted as a Valkyrie in 1936, and ended as Gutrune (but preceded by more rocks work). Her solo roles were most often Marschallin (cover for Lehmann?) and Eva. She is OK, and this is Stevens still in reasonably fresh voice. glad to have a peek at the 1940s.”
“I PURITANI : Bellini
Original Air Date: 01/06/2007
Cast: Summers; Netrebko, Cutler, Vassallo, Relyea
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.18270213 Tags: Archive; 2018, Netrebko
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 visually
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. “
“FALSTAFF : Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/16/1967
Cast: Amaducci; Flagello, Curtin, Guarrera, Barbieri, Raskin, Alva
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270318 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
Barbieri, Guarrera, and Alva are veterans of many Falstaffs, and Flagello features a lot of voice for a bass Falstaff. Amaducci, by memory, didn’t have much sparkle. High praise for Alva and Barbieri; she is a characterful Quickly, and he a perfect Fenton, but Amaducci is possibly the weakest Falstaff conductor in Met history(certainly on broadcasts).
The 1964 Bernstein has never been on Sirius, and though the Met Database records the 1972 as having been on Sirius with Gobbi, Tebaldi, and Paskalis under von Dohnanyi, it has not been on more than once, and should be heard again. Both of these performances belong in MOoD not this performance.
Flagello who had one of the great voices in a time when the Met’s bass cabinet was chock full sings the part very well, but for this work, you must have a conductor to work with you, and that he doesn’t have. Alas, Falstaff is about ensemble, not individual efforts.”
“MANON LESCAUT : Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/12/1966
Cast: Adler; Kabaivanska, Tucker, Walker, Esparza
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270321 Tags: Archive; 2018, Puccini
While I still want to hear Tucker and Tebaldi from 7 years earlier, this gives us the advantage of hearing a young Kabaivanska. I saw her do this part with a young Domingo pretty contemporaneous with this broadcast in Fort Worth, and what a pair they were. Esparza is for party tapes, and Walker was promoted as a more cornfed Merrill. Cornfed he may be, but any comparison to Merrill is not critically alert. Merrill on the Albanese Bjorling recording is like sable (the fur not the fish).
Also available on MOoD (Met Opera on Demand)
Manon Lescaut is my favorite Puccini and Kabaivanska is an excellent Manon. Sirius is still omitting the 1959 broadcast with Tebaldi and Tucker when both are at their absolute best. Esparza is an unfunny Thanksgiving joke; he makes Corena sound like Ezio Pinza.”
“PETER GRIMES : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/31/1994
Cast: Conlon; Rolfe Johnson, Fleming, Opie, Walker, Howard
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270425 Tags: Archive; 2018
Fleming in an unusual role and Rolfe Johnson taken from us much too soon. One of Fleming’s most successful outings. I like hearing a young
fresh voice as Ellen Orford. This is Fleming’s only season as Ellen Orford, and I find her youthful singing a most pleasant plus.
Excellent all-around performance. One of Fleming’s most successful outings. I like hearing a young fresh voice as Ellen Orford. Excellent all-around performance.”
“DER ROSENKAVALIER : Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/14/1946
Cast: Busch; Stevens, Jessner, List, Steber, Lechner
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270427 Tags: Archive; 2018, Strauss
This performance has been on before, and this is Steber’s only 40s broadcast to have made it to Sirius (and to MOoD). This is the kind of voice I love as Sophie, a full lyric, not a soubrette. Jessner has a lot of time in support mostly on the rocks (she debuted as a Valkyrie in 1936, and ended as Gutrune (but preceded by more rocks work). Her solo roles were most often Marschallin (cover for Lehmann?) and Eva. She is OK, and this is Stevens still in reasonably fresh voice. glad to have a peek at the 1940s.”
“I PURITANI : Bellini
Original Air Date: 01/06/2007
Cast: Summers; Netrebko, Cutler, Vassallo, Relyea
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.18270529 Tags: Archive; 2018, Netrebko
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 visually
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. “
“MANON LESCAUT : Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/12/1966
Cast: Adler; Kabaivanska, Tucker, Walker, Esparza
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270638 Tags: Archive; 2018, Puccini
While I still want to hear Tucker and Tebaldi from 7 years earlier, this gives us the advantage of hearing a young Kabaivanska. I saw her do this part with a young Domingo pretty contemporaneous with this broadcast in Fort Worth, and what a pair they were. Esparza is for party tapes, and Walker was promoted as a more cornfed Merrill. Cornfed he may be, but any comparison to Merrill is not critically alert. Merrill on the Albanese Bjorling recording is like sable (the fur not the fish).
Also available on MOoD (Met Opera on Demand)
Manon Lescaut is my favorite Puccini and Kabaivanska is an excellent Manon. Sirius is still omitting the 1959 broadcast with Tebaldi and Tucker when both are at their absolute best. Esparza is an unfunny Thanksgiving joke; he makes Corena sound like Ezio Pinza.”
“PETER GRIMES : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/31/1994
Cast: Conlon; Rolfe Johnson, Fleming, Opie, Walker, Howard
Media: MOD Audio SID.18270641 Tags: Archive; 2018
Fleming in an unusual role and Rolfe Johnson taken from us much too soon. One of Fleming’s most successful outings. I like hearing a young
fresh voice as Ellen Orford. This is Fleming’s only season as Ellen Orford, and I find her youthful singing a most pleasant plus.
Excellent all-around performance. One of Fleming’s most successful outings. I like hearing a young fresh voice as Ellen Orford. Excellent all-around performance.”