“AIDA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1950
Cast: Cooper; Welitsch, Vinay, Harshaw, Merrill, Hines
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290317 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
According to my records this is new to Sirius [ in 2013]. It may have
been broadcast in the first three years of Sirius when I wasn’t doing
the playlists.
I’ve heard this performance, and Welitsch has some powerful moments, and a pleasure to hear early Merrill in this role. He is the Met champion Amonasro with 72 (MacNeil is 71, and Amato 70) “
“DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÃNDER : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/27/1968
Cast: Klobucar; MacNeil, Rysanek, Parly, Tozzi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290318 Tags: Archive; 2018
I saw one of the performances in this run and MacNeil is quite a fine Dutchman, and Rysanek continues to be the standard in this role. No one does the end of the opera like her.
I very much enjoyed this run. People may forget that MacNeil studied under the premiere Dutchman of the 20th century–Friedrich Schorr. This is one of Tozzi’s most congenial parts, and I’ve certainly never seen a Senta to compare with Rysanek. She broadcasts the opera 5 times between 1960 and 1970, and both the 1963 with Bohm, London, and Konya and this 1968 are available in MOoD. Both are wonderful.
Three of Rysanek’s peerless Senta are available in MOoD, including
this one. If Klobucar and MacNeil are not Bohm or London, this performance still has much to commend it. Ticho Parly is far from being up to Konya’s high quality Erik however.”
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 04/06/1974
Cast: Rudolf; Pavarotti, Blegen, Flagello, Reardon
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290319 Tags: Archive; 2018, Pavarotti
This is Pavarotti’s first Nemorino broadcast from the Met. Blegen and Pavarotti are a good pair, but the later Dulcamaras are not interesting.”
“DIE WALKÃRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Cast: Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290423 Tags: Archive; 2018, Nilsson, Wagner
This performance was on not so long ago, and I caught most of it. Kuchta was much better than I had remembered; alas Edelmann seemed quite a bit worse. The two real vocal standouts were Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London , Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, who for me is a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.”
“DIE WALKÃRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Cast: Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290424 Tags: Archive; 2018, Nilsson, Wagner
This performance was on not so long ago, and I caught most of it. Kuchta was much better than I had remembered; alas Edelmann seemed quite a bit worse. The two real vocal standouts were Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London , Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, who for me is a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.”
“DIE ZAUBERFLÃTE : Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/21/1998
Cast: de Waart; Bonney, Lopardo, Finley, Dunleavy, Moll
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290529 Tags: Archive; 2018, Mozart
I want to take a listen to this broadcast, esp. for Bonney and Finley. I wrote a few months ago on some missing gaps in Zauberflote:
If relatively recent sound is the criterion, more rotation of the Lorengar, Deutekom from 1968 is called for and I would love to hear again the 1970 and 1972 broadcasts which have not yet made it to Sirius. The 1970 features the matchless Papageno of Hermann Prey (and live performance is quite a different thing than the recording studio) Popp is out there for one of her last times as the QotN; the 1972 features the strong Queen of Edda Moser and an unusual Pamina, Adriana Maliponte. If sound is not the sole criterion, it would be nice to hear Bruno Walter conducting in the early 40s, with Steber leading the three ladies in three broadcasts succeeded in 1945 by Regina Resnik. Kipnis and Pinza are 2 of the Sarastros. For really splendid Mozart in English, the 1950 with Steber moving up to Pamina, and Tucker as Tamino; Erna Berger sings the Queen in English under Stiedry.”
“COSÃ FAN TUTTE : Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/22/1972
Cast: Pritchard; Zylis- Gara, Bottazzo, Elias, Uppman, Stratas, Berry
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290532 Tags: Archive; 2018, Mozart
This is the first season Cosi returns to the original Italian at the Met, but still retains the Lunt/Gerard production. Pritchard is an experienced Mozartean, if rarely to my taste. Stratas is sharp casting for Despina, and nice to see Berry in a congenial part.This is Vickers’ first of four Otello broadcasts and in the Zeffirelli production new the previous year. This is Levine’s first season out in Otello, and Quilico is a familiar figure with a voice well suited to Verdi baritone roles– in an era of Merrill, MacNeil, and Milnes, Quilico doesn’t seem so top tier. Among today’s baritones he sings the pants off of any of them”
“AIDA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1950
Cast: Cooper; Welitsch, Vinay, Harshaw, Merrill, Hines
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290533 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
According to my records this is new to Sirius [ in 2013]. It may have
been broadcast in the first three years of Sirius when I wasn’t doing
the playlists.
I’ve heard this performance, and Welitsch has some powerful moments, and a pleasure to hear early Merrill in this role. He is the Met champion Amonasro with 72 (MacNeil is 71, and Amato 70) “
“DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÃNDER : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/27/1968
Cast: Klobucar; MacNeil, Rysanek, Parly, Tozzi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290636 Tags: Archive; 2018
I saw one of the performances in this run and MacNeil is quite a fine Dutchman, and Rysanek continues to be the standard in this role. No one does the end of the opera like her.
I very much enjoyed this run. People may forget that MacNeil studied under the premiere Dutchman of the 20th century–Friedrich Schorr. This is one of Tozzi’s most congenial parts, and I’ve certainly never seen a Senta to compare with Rysanek. She broadcasts the opera 5 times between 1960 and 1970, and both the 1963 with Bohm, London, and Konya and this 1968 are available in MOoD. Both are wonderful.
Three of Rysanek’s peerless Senta are available in MOoD, including
this one. If Klobucar and MacNeil are not Bohm or London, this performance still has much to commend it. Ticho Parly is far from being up to Konya’s high quality Erik however.”
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 04/06/1974
Cast: Rudolf; Pavarotti, Blegen, Flagello, Reardon
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290743 Tags: Archive; 2018, Pavarotti
This is Pavarotti’s first Nemorino broadcast from the Met. Blegen and Pavarotti are a good pair, but the later Dulcamaras are not interesting.”
“DIE ZAUBERFLÃTE : Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/21/1998
Cast: de Waart; Bonney, Lopardo, Finley, Dunleavy, Moll
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290745 Tags: Archive; 2018, Mozart
I want to take a listen to this broadcast, esp. for Bonney and Finley. I wrote a few months ago on some missing gaps in Zauberflote:
If relatively recent sound is the criterion, more rotation of the Lorengar, Deutekom from 1968 is called for and I would love to hear again the 1970 and 1972 broadcasts which have not yet made it to Sirius. The 1970 features the matchless Papageno of Hermann Prey (and live performance is quite a different thing than the recording studio) Popp is out there for one of her last times as the QotN; the 1972 features the strong Queen of Edda Moser and an unusual Pamina, Adriana Maliponte. If sound is not the sole criterion, it would be nice to hear Bruno Walter conducting in the early 40s, with Steber leading the three ladies in three broadcasts succeeded in 1945 by Regina Resnik. Kipnis and Pinza are 2 of the Sarastros. For really splendid Mozart in English, the 1950 with Steber moving up to Pamina, and Tucker as Tamino; Erna Berger sings the Queen in English under Stiedry.”
“DIE WALKÃRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Cast: Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290746 Tags: Archive; 2018, Nilsson, Wagner
This performance was on not so long ago, and I caught most of it. Kuchta was much better than I had remembered; alas Edelmann seemed quite a bit worse. The two real vocal standouts were Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London , Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, who for me is a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.”
“DIE WALKÃRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Cast: Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290747 Tags: Archive; 2018, Nilsson, Wagner
This performance was on not so long ago, and I caught most of it. Kuchta was much better than I had remembered; alas Edelmann seemed quite a bit worse. The two real vocal standouts were Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London , Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, who for me is a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.”
“AIDA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1950
Cast: Cooper; Welitsch, Vinay, Harshaw, Merrill, Hines
Media: MOD Audio SID.18290749 Tags: Archive; 2018, Verdi
According to my records this is new to Sirius [ in 2013]. It may have
been broadcast in the first three years of Sirius when I wasn’t doing
the playlists.
I’ve heard this performance, and Welitsch has some powerful moments, and a pleasure to hear early Merrill in this role. He is the Met champion Amonasro with 72 (MacNeil is 71, and Amato 70) “
“COSÃ FAN TUTTE : Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/22/1972
Cast: Pritchard; Zylis- Gara, Bottazzo, Elias, Uppman, Stratas, Berry
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300101 Tags: Archive; 2018, Mozart
This is the first season Cosi returns to the original Italian at the Met, but still retains the Lunt/Gerard production. Pritchard is an experienced Mozartean, if rarely to my taste. Stratas is sharp casting for Despina, and nice to see Berry in a congenial part.This is Vickers’ first of four Otello broadcasts and in the Zeffirelli production new the previous year. This is Levine’s first season out in Otello, and Quilico is a familiar figure with a voice well suited to Verdi baritone roles– in an era of Merrill, MacNeil, and Milnes, Quilico doesn’t seem so top tier. Among today’s baritones he sings the pants off of any of them”
“LUISA MILLER : Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/23/1982
Cast: Santi; Ricciarelli, Pavarotti, Nucci, Plishka, Cheek, Berini
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300103 Tags: Archive; 2018, Pavarotti, Verdi
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.”
“LE NOZZE DI FIGARO : Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/23/1960
Cast: Leinsdorf; Siepi, Söderström, Della Casa, Borg, Miller
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300105 Tags: Archive; 2018, Mozart
This performance has been on before, and chiefly notable for Siepi’s Figaro and Soderstroem’s Susanna. Soderstroem and Borg had made their debuts when this production premiered a few months before the broadcast with largely the same cast. .
***
Leinsdorf is second only to Levine in number of Figaro performances, Della Casa at 47 second only to Steber’s 55 Countesses and of course Siepi’s 79 Figaros, almost twice Pinza’s number and Mildred Miller at 61 holds the Met record for Cherubino. So solid performances all around, not least from relative newcomer Soderstrom as Susanna. There are many fine Figaros today, but I do miss Siepi’s combination of elegance and rich dark sound.”
“EUGENE ONEGIN : Tchaikovsky
Original Air Date: 04/19/1997
Cast: Pappano; Chernov, Gorchakova, Farina, Tarassova, Ognovenko
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300107 Tags: Archive; 2018
We hear so much more of Onegin these days, and this run is Pappano’s (CGarden music director) only Met appearance. Good to hear Chernov again in retrospect. Turned out to not be the Russian Robert Merrill.
***
Antonio Pappano, though an American resident for some years has ended up basing most of his operatic career as the music director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Met thought enough to give him this new production as his debut and only run of Met appearances Chernov was originally brought in as a Russian Robert Merrill. The voice is attractive and smoothly lyric, but not a patch on his countryman, Yuri Mazurok, and at least two sizes too small to even be compared to Merrill.
***
Even in the Met’s own archives, the Peter G. Davis review of the opening night comes in for some very hard knocks musically for both the singers and the conductor. Why this was picked for MOoD when the two Mazurok broadcasts (regularly on Sirius) were not picked gives one pause about performance selection on MOoD.”
“DER FREISCHÃTZ : Weber
Original Air Date: 04/15/1972
Cast: Ludwig; Kónya, Lorengar, Feldhoff, Mathis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300210 Tags: Archive; 2018
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.”
“LA GIOCONDA : Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 01/03/1953
Cast: Cleva; Milanov, Baum, Warren, Barbieri, Siepi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300316 Tags: Archive; 2018
This is a big voiced Gioconda cast– the work does not call for chamber voices and this is the third of Milanov’s 7 broadcasts of the street singer. Baum is on a lower plane than the other starry principals, but for Gioconda aficionados (I’m one), this is a performance to enjoy.”
“EUGENE ONEGIN : Tchaikovsky
Original Air Date: 04/19/1997
Cast: Pappano; Chernov, Gorchakova, Farina, Tarassova, Ognovenko
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300317 Tags: Archive; 2018
We hear so much more of Onegin these days, and this run is Pappano’s (CGarden music director) only Met appearance. Good to hear Chernov again in retrospect. Turned out to not be the Russian Robert Merrill.
***
Antonio Pappano, though an American resident for some years has ended up basing most of his operatic career as the music director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Met thought enough to give him this new production as his debut and only run of Met appearances Chernov was originally brought in as a Russian Robert Merrill. The voice is attractive and smoothly lyric, but not a patch on his countryman, Yuri Mazurok, and at least two sizes too small to even be compared to Merrill.
***
Even in the Met’s own archives, the Peter G. Davis review of the opening night comes in for some very hard knocks musically for both the singers and the conductor. Why this was picked for MOoD when the two Mazurok broadcasts (regularly on Sirius) were not picked gives one pause about performance selection on MOoD.”
“LUISA MILLER : Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/23/1982
Cast: Santi; Ricciarelli, Pavarotti, Nucci, Plishka, Cheek, Berini
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300319 Tags: Archive; 2018, Pavarotti, Verdi
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.”
“LE NOZZE DI FIGARO : Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/23/1960
Cast: Leinsdorf; Siepi, Söderström, Della Casa, Borg, Miller
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300321 Tags: Archive; 2018, Mozart
This performance has been on before, and chiefly notable for Siepi’s Figaro and Soderstroem’s Susanna. Soderstroem and Borg had made their debuts when this production premiered a few months before the broadcast with largely the same cast. .
***
Leinsdorf is second only to Levine in number of Figaro performances, Della Casa at 47 second only to Steber’s 55 Countesses and of course Siepi’s 79 Figaros, almost twice Pinza’s number and Mildred Miller at 61 holds the Met record for Cherubino. So solid performances all around, not least from relative newcomer Soderstrom as Susanna. There are many fine Figaros today, but I do miss Siepi’s combination of elegance and rich dark sound.”
“DER FREISCHÃTZ : Weber
Original Air Date: 04/15/1972
Cast: Ludwig; Kónya, Lorengar, Feldhoff, Mathis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300426 Tags: Archive; 2018
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.”
“LA GIOCONDA : Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 01/03/1953
Cast: Cleva; Milanov, Baum, Warren, Barbieri, Siepi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300532 Tags: Archive; 2018
This is a big voiced Gioconda cast– the work does not call for chamber voices and this is the third of Milanov’s 7 broadcasts of the street singer. Baum is on a lower plane than the other starry principals, but for Gioconda aficionados (I’m one), this is a performance to enjoy.”
“EUGENE ONEGIN : Tchaikovsky
Original Air Date: 04/19/1997
Cast: Pappano; Chernov, Gorchakova, Farina, Tarassova, Ognovenko
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300533 Tags: Archive; 2018
We hear so much more of Onegin these days, and this run is Pappano’s (CGarden music director) only Met appearance. Good to hear Chernov again in retrospect. Turned out to not be the Russian Robert Merrill.
***
Antonio Pappano, though an American resident for some years has ended up basing most of his operatic career as the music director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Met thought enough to give him this new production as his debut and only run of Met appearances Chernov was originally brought in as a Russian Robert Merrill. The voice is attractive and smoothly lyric, but not a patch on his countryman, Yuri Mazurok, and at least two sizes too small to even be compared to Merrill.
***
Even in the Met’s own archives, the Peter G. Davis review of the opening night comes in for some very hard knocks musically for both the singers and the conductor. Why this was picked for MOoD when the two Mazurok broadcasts (regularly on Sirius) were not picked gives one pause about performance selection on MOoD.”
“LE NOZZE DI FIGARO : Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/23/1960
Cast: Leinsdorf; Siepi, Söderström, Della Casa, Borg, Miller
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300638 Tags: Archive; 2018, Mozart
This performance has been on before, and chiefly notable for Siepi’s Figaro and Soderstroem’s Susanna. Soderstroem and Borg had made their debuts when this production premiered a few months before the broadcast with largely the same cast. .
***
Leinsdorf is second only to Levine in number of Figaro performances, Della Casa at 47 second only to Steber’s 55 Countesses and of course Siepi’s 79 Figaros, almost twice Pinza’s number and Mildred Miller at 61 holds the Met record for Cherubino. So solid performances all around, not least from relative newcomer Soderstrom as Susanna. There are many fine Figaros today, but I do miss Siepi’s combination of elegance and rich dark sound.”
“DER FREISCHÃTZ : Weber
Original Air Date: 04/15/1972
Cast: Ludwig; Kónya, Lorengar, Feldhoff, Mathis
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300642 Tags: Archive; 2018
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.”
“LUISA MILLER : Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/23/1982
Cast: Santi; Ricciarelli, Pavarotti, Nucci, Plishka, Cheek, Berini
Media: MOD Audio SID.18300743 Tags: Archive; 2018, Pavarotti, Verdi
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.”
“LA GIOCONDA : Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 01/03/1953
Cast: Cleva; Milanov, Baum, Warren, Barbieri, Siepi
Media: MOD Audio SID.18310101 Tags: Archive; 2018
This is a big voiced Gioconda cast– the work does not call for chamber voices and this is the third of Milanov’s 7 broadcasts of the street singer. Baum is on a lower plane than the other starry principals, but for Gioconda aficionados (I’m one), this is a performance to enjoy.”