LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/12/1994
Rudel; Morris, McLaughlin, Fleming, Croft, Bunnell
MOD Audio SID.18420321
This is is Fleming’s first featured broadcast (she has a small part in Ghosts of Versailles) and it’s one of her best roles. The late — he died just a few weeks ago (2016) –Julius Rudel is too often underestimated, but he presided over many a fine Figaro at the NYCO before taking up residence at the Met. Morris and McLaughlin are an interesting servant pair and any performance with Senechal is guaranteed some attention. This performance is featured in MOoD.
7/8/13 – Fleming’s previous broadcast appearance was in the small role of Rosina (Countess) in Ghosts of Versailles, so her Nozze Countess is really her first broadcast feature. Rudel is a fine Mozartean with plenty of fine Figaros over at NYCO before moving over to the Met. Fleming and the whole cast are well matched. Recommended. Also in MOoD.
3/29/11 – Fleming’s Countess is rarer than you might think. She only has nine performances since her Met debut (in this role) in 1991. This broadcast is only her third and is available also on Met Player. She premieres the new production with Terfel and Bartoli, but only does the telecast (which is available on Met PLayer).
As for missing historic broadcasts, the original Texaco broadcast with Albanese and Pinza from 1940 should certainly be rebroadcast, and the Countesses of Eleanor Steber (five from 1943-50) and Victoria de los Angeles (1952) with the superb Count of Giuseppe Valdengo. Jarmila Novotna is a superb Cherubino on many of those Steber Countesses.
MARNIE : Nico Muhly
Original Air Date: 10/19/2018
Cast: Spano; Leonard, Kelly, Graves, Davies, Maltman
SID.18420535
* Live Broadcast on Siriusxm * Program * Synopsis *
Composer Nico Muhly unveils his second new opera for the Met with this gripping reimagining of Winston Graham’s novel, set in the 1950s, about a beautiful, mysterious young woman who assumes multiple identities. Director Michael Mayer and his creative team have devised a fast-moving, 1842cinematic world for this exhilarating story of denial and deceit, which also inspired a film by Alfred Hitchcock. Mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard sings the enigmatic Marnie, and baritone Christopher Maltman is the man who pursues her—with disastrous results. Robert Spano conducts.
Music by Nico Muhly, libretto by Nicholas Wright, based on the novel by Winston Graham
Production: Michael Mayer; Set/Projection Designers: Julian Crouch, 59 Productions; Costume Designer: Arianne Phillips; Lighting Designer: Kevin Adams, Choreographer: Lynne Page
Commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera
A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera and English National Opera
By special arrangement with Universal Pictures 
TANNHÄUSER:Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/24/1987
Levine; Cassilly, Norman, Randová, Hagegård, Rootering
MOD Audio SID.18430101
NOTE: Levine has three broadcasts after these in October 2015 (8,19,27) with Westbroek, DeYoung, Botha, Mattei, Groissbock
RWW: Amazingly, this is Levine’s last broadcast Tannhauser. A run of performances 10 years later with Sharon Sweet, Jon Frederic West, and Bryn Terfel was prior to the broadcast season (I saw one of these terrific performances) are his final Met appearances in the opera to date. Tannhauser remains one of Levine’s highest totals at 62, but none since 1997, and none broadcast since this 1987, but I also think it’s one of his best efforts and Norman presents a beautiful, if unconventional Elisabeth, and the orchestra and chorus are on top form. This performance is in MOoD and highly recommended on Sirius this week as well.
For my money although Tannhauser does not have as much great music as Lohengrin, the Paris/Vienna revisions make Tannhauser a bit more exciting in the theatre. This performance is available on Met Player and is Levine’s most recent in theatre broadcast. Levine does have a wonderful run in 1997 with Jon Frederic West , Terfel and Sweet , but that run was not on the matinee broadcasts (in the current environment we would get to hear this cast.) Levine’s strong conducting, and Jessye Norman’s Elisabeth (not commercially recorded) are the most distinctive features.
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/18/1972
Böhm; Rysanek, Stolze, Dalis, Stewart, MacWherter
SID.18430102
Rysanek’s first Salomes at the Met came after the groundbreaking new production for Nilsson eight years earlier. Longtime Metgoers were still talking about Welitsch from the late 1940s.
My first Salome was the Met on tour with Brenda Lewis, who had broadcast it a few months earlier in February 1962. For my money the Met Salomes are Welitsch, Nilsson, Bumbry, Marton, and Mattila (first season). Rysanek, Silja, G. Jones and Behrens (who has a great studio performance with Karajan) just didn’t make it for me in live performance at the Met.
My memory says that Rysanek was significantly better five years later when Leinsdorf took the reins with Norman Bailey, Astrid Varnay and Ragnar Ulfung; the 1977 performance is available on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD). I will be listening next week to see if my memory of Rysanek is faulty.
The royal couple are distinctively portrayed by Stolze and Dalis (who had premiered the Nilsson production with Liebl). Stolze is on the Nilsson studio recording, and his voice is not for everyone. In this role, it works.
MANON:Massenet
Original Air Date: 04/08/2006
López-Cobos; Fleming, Giordano, Chaignaud
MOD Audio SID.18430103
This is Fleming’s last Manon from the Met and her only full length Met broadcast. Fleming was more interesting in her telecast opening night St. Sulpice scene than here. She is even better in a Paris Opera DVD from the early 2000s with Alvarez. I love Manon, but she does not always have an easy time of it at the Met. Alvarez (from Paris, but who opened this run with Fleming) was much better than Giordano (not to be confused with Marcello Giordani who was in Fleming’s first Manons at the Met in 1997 and not broadcast).
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/09/1960
Leinsdorf; Liebl, Harshaw, Uhde, Hines, Pechner
SID.18430104
This broadcast was from a 3 performance run that mark Leinsdorf’s only postwar Parsifals at the Met. Modl made her farewell at the previous performance, and Liebl, a name not especially well known, has several fine Met performances to his credit. The performance is not uncut, per the review attached to the Database listing for the premiere.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/09/1960
Leinsdorf; Liebl, Harshaw, Uhde, Hines, Pechner
SID.18430105
This broadcast was from a 3 performance run that mark Leinsdorf’s only postwar Parsifals at the Met. Modl made her farewell at the previous performance, and Liebl, a name not especially well known, has several fine Met performances to his credit. The performance is not uncut, per the review attached to the Database listing for the premiere.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/06/1997
Levine; Rolfe Johnson, von Otter, Vaness, Kirchschlager, Grant Murphy
SID.18430106
Vaness and von Otter team up with Levine for Idomeneo also. Clemenza has some glorious moments, but I like Idomeneo better. One of Carol Vaness’s best efforts at the Met.
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Original Air Date: 04/01/1978
Böhm; Rysanek, King, Schröder-Feinen, Berry, Dunn
MOD Audio SID.18430107
This is the last of the 4 Bohm broadcasts starting in 1966 all with Rysanek and Berry; 3 of the 4 are with King, but the first three feature Ludwig and Dalis in their parts; Schroder-Feinen and Dunn are first rate presences as well. It is a shame that the 1966 premiere season and 1971 performances which have been on Sirius with some regularity have not made their way to MOoD. The 1969 broadcast is reported in the MetDatabase as having been on Sirius, but according to my records it has not been broadcast in the last four years. as has the 1971 Unfortunately Bohm never came close to the near completeness of his 1955 Decca recording at the Met, and a steady increase of cuts came with each revival. NEVERTHELESS, one could do much worse than hear one of the great Straussian ensembles he held together for over 2 decades in New York. Frau’s best moments are right up there with Ariadne, Elektra, and Rosenkavalier, and the weaker stuff is better than the weaker Rosenkavalier pages.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/2006
Noseda; Voigt, Licitra, Delavan, Ramey, Komlósi, Pons
MOD Audio SID.18430208
I love Forza del Destino, but it’s a rather disjointed work, and not an easy sing for ANYONE. I saw Voigt who did the part early in her Met career with the lamented Sergej Larin. For this broadcast, it’s Licitra, also destined to leave us too soon. For me it’s too late for Ramey, Delavan does not impress me and this 2006 broadcast does not catch Voigt in anything like the voice she had a decade earlier. What is MOoD doing featuring this performance when another Sirius Forza broadcast with Tebaldi and Tucker from 1960 only gets an occasional rotation and no presence for Tebaldi in this role in MOoD. Noseda is a quality conductor, but why such special pleading for Voigt and Licitra?
7/22/13 – Also on MOoD (thought I can hardly imagine WHY) Voigt had done a promising Leonora 10 years earlier with Larin, but this later revival with another tenor who died way before his time doesn’t show anyone particularly up to the task. I love Forza, but Milanov, Tebaldi, and Price are in a different world, not to mention Tucker, Bergonzi, or Corelli. The cast at hand are not worthy.
9/12/11 – I’m assuming this is some sort of tribute to the lamented Licitra who never quite fulfilled his promise (the Times paid obituary was one of the longest I can remember). Voigt, who had done a promising Leonora with Larin (who also left us much too soon) 10 years earlier (no broadcast) with Chernov, and a wobble free Plishka, did not bring an artistry to compensate for a significant loss of vocal freshness. I don’t feel a need to revisit this performance.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
MOD Audio SID.18430209
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again). 2/22/16
***
This is a good part for Racette, and Langridge’s death just a few years ago was a shock. Atherton is a strong Britten conductor. 8/12/12
***Racette’s first try at the Met as Ellen Orford and with Langridge as a distinguished Grimes. 11/14/11
DAS RHEINGOLD:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/22/1969
Karajan; Adam, Reynolds, Stolze, Kelemen, Talvela, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.18430210
One of Karajan’s only 2 broadcasts. This performance is available in MOoD, and if Adam is far from my favorite Wotan, Reynolds, Kelemen and Stolze are wonderful as Fricka, Alberich, and Loge respectively. Reynolds replaced Veasey who was will, and also sing Flosshilde (her originally scheduled role) with Shirley Love picking up the Rhinemaiden in the final scene. Milnes is an excellent Donner. I was in the theatre for this very special performance and still have wonderful memories of it. Karajan’s Met farewell is the following Saturday with the Walkure broadcast.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/03/1996
Levine; Plishka, Daniels, Quilico, Horne, Bonney, Groves
MOD Audio SID.18430211
“Levine, Plishka, Bonney, and Horne are all in the 1992 revival which is on MOoD, but with Freni for Daniels, and Bruno Pola for Quilico. My experience with almost all of the Falstaff casting in the Levine era is OK, but not really an ensemble. We still keep having the Bernstein performance overlooked (LB’s only other Met broadcast beside Cavalleria) from 1964. The bad luck continues with Rosenstock’s conducting from 1965 and Amaducci’s conducting fom 1967. The Dohnanyi performance from 1972 features Gobbi in one of HIS two Met broadcasts (the other is Otello, no Scarpia on the Met airwaves alas) with Tebaldi, Resnik, Paskalis in sterling support. This performance has been on Sirius but by my records not in the last three years, but again should be in MOoD.”
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Original Air Date: 01/04/1986
Levine; Horne, Ahlstedt, Montarsolo, Monk
MOD Video SID.18430212
This performance precedes the telecast by one week and that telecast is available in MOoD. For me, the distinction of the performance is mostly Montarsolo. Isabella is Horne’s second most performed role at 37 (Carmen unsurprisingly is first at 49) Her 3d is Adalgisa in Norma (all with Sutherland). MOD is 1/11/86 performance with same cast.
LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST : Puccini
Armiliato; Westbroek, Kaufmann, Bosi, Lucic, Simpson, Rose, Gradus
Live Broadcast on SIRIUSXM
PROGRAM Synopsis
Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings Puccini’s gun-slinging heroine in this romantic epic of the Wild West. Tenor Yusif Eyvazov portrays Dick Johnson for opening night (Oct 4, 8, 12) Jonas Kaufmann returns to the MET for performances on Oct 17, 20, 23, and 27. Baritone Željko Lučić is the vigilante sheriff Jack Rance, and Marco Armiliato conducts.
NYTimes Review: Jonas Kaufmann, Back at the Met, Is Good, Not Great
BWWReview: Kaufmann Returns to the Met with a ‘Heigh-ho Silver’ in Puccini’s FANCIULLA DEL WEST
Live Broadcast SID.18430214 
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/12/1963
Santi; Tucker, Nilsson, Merrill, Dobbs, Madeira
MOD Audio SID.18430315
This performance finds the principals in very strong form (Nilsson’s only broadcast from the Met of Amelia) and Tucker is an excellent match for her. Merrill is in his run of 8 of the 9 Ballo broadcasts between 1955 and 1985!!!! Definitely worth a listen.
SUSANNAH:Floyd
Original Air Date: 04/03/1999
Conlon; Fleming, Hadley, Ramey
MOD Audio SID.18430316
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Susannah to date, and finds all three principals on especially fine form. I’ve seen the opera 4 times, and each time it is very successful and attention holding. Even without the visual appeal, the opera makes an impact from the music alone.
This was a highly successful Met repertory debut for the Carlisle Floyd opera and both Fleming and Ramey are extremely well cast. Conlon is very committed to the work, and it is a contemporary work that works almost as well in audio only as in the theatre with its sure-fire theatrics. One of the best efforts of the Met for both American and contemporary opera.
Very fine performances from both Fleming and Ramey under Conlon bring great credit to the Met and the artists. One of the most distinctive broadcasts of the week.
This is one of Fleming’s very best outings, and Ramey and Hadley are well cast as well. One of the better 20th century American operas.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/20/1982
Levine; Price, Quivar, Domingo, Cheek
MOD Audio SID.18430320
This broadcast is in memory of long-time Met Assistant Manager and Press representative, Francis Robinson. This is getting to be pretty late Price, and Domingo is not in my first tier of tenor soloists for the Requiem. Quivar is a very solid mezzo soloist, and for me to be preferred to many commercially recorded mezzos. Cheek is OK. On Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) you can listen to a 1964 Requiem (in memory of John F. Kennedy) under Solti with Price,Elias, Bergonzi, and Siepi. Sound is not digital, but the performance is splendid and marks Solti’s final appearance with the Met
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Original Air Date: 01/26/1985
Rudel; Kraus, Malfitano, Morris, Bybee
SID.18430422
I always liked Kraus in the title role, and though Domingo, Shicoff, Gedda, and Tucker all have trumps to play, Kraus cedes nothing to them in terms of style. Malfitano does all the heroines, and in 1985 she was within hailing distance of doing that respectably. I’ll be taking a listen to see how my memory has been. Morris also appears to good effect 3 years later in a Met video with Shicoff. Rudel, after a lengthy association with the New York City Opera is the 2nd leading Met conductor of Hoffmann with 37 (Hasselmanns runs up 40 performances in the 20s)
TOSCA:Puccini
Original Air Date: 10/25/2018
Rizzi; Radvanovsky, Calleja, Koch, Carfizzi
SID.18430428
Live Broadcast * Program
Met favorite Sondra Radvanovsky and rising star Jennifer Rowley share the title role of the volatile diva at the heart of Puccini’s operatic thriller. Joseph Calleja brings his stylish tenor to the role of Cavaradossi, and Wolfgang Koch and Claudio Sgura share the role of the nefarious police chief Scarpia. Carlo Rizzi conducts Sir David McVicar’s resplendent production.
Production a gift of Jacqueline Desmarais, in memory of Paul G. Desmarais Sr; The Paiko Foundation; and Dr. Elena Prokupets, in memory of her late husband, Rudy Prokupets
Major funding from Rolex
Revival a gift of NPD Group, Inc.
LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST : Puccini
Armiliato; Westbroek, Kaufmann, Bosi, Lucic, Simpson, Rose, Gradus
Live in HD
Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings Puccini’s gun-slinging heroine in this romantic epic of the Wild West. Tenor Yusif Eyvazov portrays Dick Johnson for opening night (Oct 4, 8, 12) Jonas Kaufmann returns to the MET for performances on Oct 17, 20, 23, and 27. Baritone Željko Lučić is the vigilante sheriff Jack Rance, and Marco Armiliato conducts.
NYTimes Review: Jonas Kaufmann, Back at the Met, Is Good, Not Great
BWWReview: Kaufmann Returns to the Met with a ‘Heigh-ho Silver’ in Puccini’s FANCIULLA DEL WEST
JENUFA:Janácek
Original Air Date: 12/26/1992
Conlon; Benacková, Rysanek, Heppner, Trussel, Christin
SID.18440102
One of the great Met performances, and why is this performance not in MOoD– in fact NO performances of Jenufa are there? All the ingredients are there, and I saw the combo of Benackova and Rysanek in both San Francisco and New York. Heppner is an additional bonus.
ALCESTE:Gluck
Original Air Date: 03/08/1941
Panizza; Bamptom, Maison, Warren
SID.18440103
This is one of the few 1940s broadcasts that gets to Sirius, but neither the 1952 with Flagstad, nor the 1961 with Farrell (both in English) have made it to Sirius. Again, it seems the translation is inhibiting their inclusion
. Review of Pitts Sanborn in the World-Telegraph
Mme. Bampton Sings Role of Alceste
Following the present method of frequently changing the allotment of prominent roles, the Metropolitan management offered its third “Alceste” last evening with a new representative of the name part. After the fiery magnificence of Marjorie Lawrence as Alcestis came the lyric charm of Rose Bampton. Comely, tall and statuesque, Mme. Bampton showed in her carefully studied poses and gestures what pains she had taken to portray the self-sacrificing heroine persuasively to the eye. And in her singing tenderness and pathos found touching expression. Since this was only Mme. Bampton’s first assumption of an inexorably exacting role, we may look for further development later on of its more cogently dramatic aspects. Her voice seems now, under sympathetic guidance, to have found a congenial lyric field. Her tones were often of delightful quality last evening, her phrasing was marked by grace and fine taste and there was always the thought of the accomplished musician. Altogether, Mme. Bampton may be congratulated cordially on her present achievement, which holds the promise of even better things to come. Once more Rene Maison supplied an admirable Admetus. Francesco Valentino replaced the indisposed Leonard Warren as the High Priest of Apollo, singing well apart from an excessive vibrato. The beauty of the tableau at the end of Act II made up in part for the pinchbeck naiveties that met the eye.
AIDA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/07/1989
Levine; Millo, Domingo, Toczyska, Milnes, Plishka
MOD Video SID.18440104
This is Domingo’s second of 3 Radames broadcasts (the last is a simulcast video the following season with Zajick instead of Toczyska). Millo is on excellent form, and Tocyzska is an arresting performer who is a very solid Amneris.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/02/1957
Stiedry; Harshaw, Windgassen, Böhme, Uhde, Schech, Madeira
MOD Audio SID.18440105
This is a very solid performance and Windgassen in one of only two broadcasts from his single season at the Met. While Frick was the pre-eminent Wagner bass of the 50s, for Hagen there was a strong competition between Bohme and Greindl for next slot. I always preferred Bohme’s voice. Harshaw is up to the score in every way if without the star presence of Nilsson or Varnay. This performance is also available in MOoD. This used to be a very rare performance.
11/21/11 – The Siegfried from this cycle was on a few weeks ago, and while Harshaw is a far different Brunnhilde than Modl, I look forward to hearing this. These are major Wagnerians (mostly native Europeans) from the late 1950s, and well worth hearing.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 01/18/1975
Nelson; Bumbry, Theyard, Colzani / McCracken, Moffo, Milnes
SID.18440107
TBA
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Original Air Date: 02/07/1976
Mauceri; Jones, Thomas, McIntyre, Macurdy, Blegen, Riegel
SID.18440208
I attended one of the performances in this run where Bernstein had opted out some months before the performances. Jones was a moving Leonore visually, but musically this revival did not come together.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/28/1959
Cleva; Warren, Peters, Fernandi, Wilderman, Roggero
SID.18440209
This is the the last of Warren’s 9 Rigoletto broadcasts. His 1945 broadcast with Sayao and Bjorling is on Met Player and while maybe not quite as deep dramatically has all the vocal goods in order. Fernandi is not what one is usually looking for as Duke beyond his native familiarity The performance is most notable for being Warren’s final Rigoletto broadcast. I never saw him live, but always loved his Rigoletto. Only Warren really impressed me.
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS:Stravinsky
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
MOD Audio SID.18440210
Rake’s Progress had its American premiere under Fritz Reiner on a Met broadcast. I saw this Jonathan Miller production when it was new in 1998 with the same cast as above except Jerry Hadley was the Tom Rakewell. I find the work cold, and though very well prepared, the Miller production did not make it one whit more interesting.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 01/10/2004
Lacombe; Alagna, Kasarova, Petrova, Schaldenbrand
MOD Audio SID.18440211
Alagna has had steady employment at the Met in the last decade and his Werther is a solid accomplishment. Kasarova was not to my taste in the theater and even less so in audio only.
8/11/2013 – Alagna made a hasty exit around the time of 9/11 and with the new Faust production (with Isokowski and Pape under Levine) in 2003. The following year this Werther showed him on good behavior, but I find Kasarova’s voice totally wrong for Massenet, and she didn’t make for much electricity with Alagna. Werther is more popular than Manon these days– a good bit shorter, and the Manon leads harder to cast well. In light of the mercurial (and new papa to be) Alagna, it will be interesting to hear this again.
2/24/2012 – Kasarova took multiple attempts before finally showing up at the Met, and I felt her unusual timbre was not a good fit for Charlotte, nor an especially congenial match for Alagna. In many ways I feel as if Alagna sings better today. Let’s see if I feel the same way listening to this broadcast.
4/21/2011 – When I saw this in the house in 2004 with this cast I was pretty disappointed. This was when Alagna’s singing was not really appealing at all. He had the style down, but I wish he would return to Werther with the kind of singing he has been doing the last two seasons. Both of Kraus’ fine performances (one with Crespin, the other with von Stade) are on Met Player.