DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/09/1991
Levine; Battle, Araiza, Hemm, Serra, Moll
SID.19220749
This is the simultaneous broadcast/telecast of the new David Hockney production (based on a Glyndebourne original). The video has been on DVD also. Serra’s tone is a bit white, but very accurate, and the overall casting is of high quality.
KATA KABANOVA:Janácek
Original Air Date: 01/09/1999
Mackerras; Malfitano, Randová, Straka, Koptchak, Clarke, Karnéus
SID.19230101
Mackerras is a notable Janacek conductor, and the whole is well performed, but I don’t feel the warmth I do from Jenufa or even Makropoulos. Still, a nice contrast to other repertory. Mackerras is a master of the Czech repertoire, but I really need the visual to work for me with Kata.
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/27/2004
Gergiev; Mattila, Jerusalem, Diadkova, Dohmen, Polenzani
MOD Audio SID.19230317
This is Mattila’s first season as Salome, and she delivered one of the greatest Salomes ever at the Met. Though she did the part again in 2008 as part of the HD telecasts, she didn’t have the same supremacy she had four years earlier (this HD is available on MOoD). This week’s audio broadcast is the one to hear in case you are in any doubt of what her top form sounds like. I like the supporting cast better in this 2004 performance as well. She filmed it in 2004 at the Met (not HD and pre Gelb) with Terfel, but we are likely to never see this which is a shame. Maybe they could put the audio version on MOoD. (editors note… it is on MOD now) Although this has been on before, because of the HD 4 years later, that performance is more frequently encountered. The 2004 performance was filmed also, but we think will never see the light of day. I’m happy that the Sirius audio survives (the video included Terfel, not Dohmen) and so warmly welcome this rebroadcast again. I would still love to hear the 1958 with Borkh under Mitropoulos (Schicchi is the curtain-raiser!!!!!)
LE PROPHÈTE:Meyerbeer
Original Air Date: 01/29/1977
Lewis; McCracken, Scotto, Horne, Hines
SID.19230318
Though this is the only broadcast of Prophete from the Met, I find the work of little interest. The big name singers work hard, but Lewis is not the man to make the work seem better than it is. The second season is in the opening weeks under Charles Mackerras (typically a much higher profile conductor), but not broadcast. In the current environment we would have had one and possibly two offerings with new casting of both Berthe (Rita Shane) and Jean (Guy Chauvet).
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/09/1968
Molinari-Pradelli; Price, Corelli, Merrill, Hines, Pearl, Corena
SID.19230319
This performance marks Price’s first Leonora de Vargas broadcast and Corelli’s second and last Alvaro broadcast; Merrill only has two Met broadcasts as Leonora’s brother, the first with Farrell and Tucker in 1961 which has not been on Sirius at all and this 1968 performance. This should be in MOoD as it is one of the few main Corelli roles unrepresented. Molinari-Pradelli is also at the helm of the classic Decca London studio performance with Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Bastianini, Siepi, Corena all in their prime. This 1968 broadcast is probably Price’s best effort before the broadcast mikes, as her final broadcast (also video) in 1984 is much too late.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/08/1994
Fulton; Soviero, Leech, Deng, Allen, Anthony
SID.19230320
Soviero sometimes seems like the last of the “veristas”, but I am glad this performance which has been on Sirius before is once again in the rotation. I’m still waiting for the Stella/Fernandi Butterfly from 1958 and the Tucci/Bergonzi (this one time was scheduled for Sirius, but for some reason never happened). This is Thomas Fulton’s last Met broadcast, and his solid support in the pit is still much missed. *** I don’t remember this performance, but Soviero is a fine singer, Scotto-like detail with a more agreeable upper register. Leech was still a fine Pinkerton at this stage. Soviero and Leech are together again 2 years later (Soviero’s last Met Butterfly), but this performance features Thomas Allen and Thomas Fulton conduting (the latter’s farewell Met performance).
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/20/1976
Levine; Caballé, Remedios, Welting, Troyanos, Dooley, Titus
SID.19230321
The star is Troyanos shortly after her debut. Caballe, though not noted as a Straussian pleased many, but it does not reappear in her repertoire (and only two more after this broadcast premiere) Remedios is in his Met debut at this broadcast, and does not return for future seasons at the Met. This is Levine’s first go at Ariadne at the Met, and he does just short of half (41) of the 91 performances since Bohm premiered it in 1962. He got much better as the seasons stretched on, but Bohm is definitely the more authentic but neither his premiere year 1963 has been broadcast (possibly affected by the English translation nor the 1970, the first time the complete opera and prologue were done in German.
Rigoletto, without threatening anyone in the top tier. The same goes for Blegen and Raffanti. Our odds on a well cast Rigoletto today might not be nearly so good as dependable a Rigoletto as Louis Quilico would be hard to find today.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 03/14/1953
Cleva; Vinay, Stevens, Björling
SID.19230424
I like Vinay but prefer the 1949 versions with same leads, but with Merrill as High Priest. Stevens’ first Dalila broadcast is 1941 with Maison and L. Warren under Pelletier which has not been on Sirius. Stevens’ last broadcast of Dalila comes in 1958 with Del Monaco and Singher. That is available on MOoD. This performance is not for everyone, though I enjoy Vinay a lot. The main Sirius problem with Samson is it is not a work that is worthy of MONTHLY programming (albeit in different performances) which is what it has received in 2013. It’s appeal is more limited
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/07/1987
Levine; Behrens, McIntyre, Altmeyer, Hofmann, Fassbaender, Haugland
MET On Record SID.19230425
This is Levine’s first broadcast of Walkure and the opening production in the Schenk/Schneider-Siemssen Ring. The opening night of the production in the fall had Simon Estes as Wotan. I had seen Hofmann in the Chereau Ring nine years earlier at Bayreuth, and his voice was already showing wear and tear to the extent he never made it to Siegfried or beyond the Ring, Tristan for which he was scheduled. This broadcast is his antepenultimate Met appearance which totals twenty-nine performances and concludes a year later with another Walkure notable more for being Rysanek’s final Met Sieglinde and Waltraud Meier’s only broadcast Walkure Fricka. McIntyre was also in the Chereau Ring and was in much better condition and whose Met career goes on for another nine years beyond this broadcast.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/07/1987
Levine; Behrens, McIntyre, Altmeyer, Hofmann, Fassbaender, Haugland
MET On Record SID.19230426
This is Levine’s first broadcast of Walkure and the opening production in the Schenk/Schneider-Siemssen Ring. The opening night of the production in the fall had Simon Estes as Wotan. I had seen Hofmann in the Chereau Ring nine years earlier at Bayreuth, and his voice was already showing wear and tear to the extent he never made it to Siegfried or beyond the Ring, Tristan for which he was scheduled. This broadcast is his antepenultimate Met appearance which totals twenty-nine performances and concludes a year later with another Walkure notable more for being Rysanek’s final Met Sieglinde and Waltraud Meier’s only broadcast Walkure Fricka. McIntyre was also in the Chereau Ring and was in much better condition and whose Met career goes on for another nine years beyond this broadcast.
FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 01/05/1991
Fulton; Leech, Soviero, Morris, Quilico, Quittmeyer
SID.19230427
This all north American cast does just fine by Gounod, and especially nice to see Leech and Soviero featured. They stack up very well against the competition, as does Morris. Like Gioconda, Faust knows how to make grand opera work, and even more memorably. MOoD is missing a number of important Fausts, not least of which are the two Bjorling performances with Siepi; this one would be welcome as well.
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Original Air Date: 12/03/1955
Monteux; Tucker, Singher, Peters, Stevens, Amara, Miller
SID.19230428
To Monteux went the honor of conducting the world premieres of Sacre du Printemps Petruchka and Daphnis et Chloe all for Diaghilev and was principal viola in the world premiere of Pelleas. He appeared at the Met for the first time in 1917 and came back 37 years later for a series of performances which allowed three broadcasts of Faust, Pelleas, Carmen, Manon (just issued on Met Player), Orfeo and this delightful performance of Contes d’Hoffmann. Tucker might not be the stylist of a Gedda or Kraus but he certainly gives his all. This is also on Met Player, and the villains are in the most capable hands of Martial Singher. What a treat to hear ANY week. This performance has also been issued Sony Historical CD and is on MOoD. The women are musical if not especially satisfying. Tucker and Singher fill their considerable duties with tone (Tucker) and style (Singher). Just the right touch comes from the legendary Monteux.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/20/1982
Levine; Price, Quivar, Domingo, Cheek
MOD Audio SID.19230529
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, but if you are a 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
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/08/1994
Fulton; Soviero, Leech, Deng, Allen, Anthony
SID.19230530
Soviero sometimes seems like the last of the “veristas”, but I am glad this performance which has been on Sirius before is once again in the rotation. I’m still waiting for the Stella/Fernandi Butterfly from 1958 and the Tucci/Bergonzi (this one time was scheduled for Sirius, but for some reason never happened). This is Thomas Fulton’s last Met broadcast, and his solid support in the pit is still much missed. *** I don’t remember this performance, but Soviero is a fine singer, Scotto-like detail with a more agreeable upper register. Leech was still a fine Pinkerton at this stage. Soviero and Leech are together again 2 years later (Soviero’s last Met Butterfly), but this performance features Thomas Allen and Thomas Fulton conduting (the latter’s farewell Met performance).
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 02/18/1989
Müller; Devia, Glassman, Quilico, Howell
SID.19230531
This is Devia’s first Lucia broadcast; she also broadcast the role five years later in 1994 with Hadley, Pons, Plishka under Santi. This later performance is available in MOoD.She is still singing and has an active schedule with Anna Bolena currently in the Canaries, and Roberto Devereux upcoming in Madrid in September October. This is for a woman who made her Met debut in 1979 as Gilda Her Met 73 performance history (none since 1994) is equally as eclectic with Despina and two broadcasts Constanze in Entfuhrung, and appearances as Nannetta (Falstaff) and Gilda (Rigoletto) with no broadcasts. Still a 40+ year career in major houses. NOTE: Ms. Devia retires after singing three performances of NORMA at Teatro La Fenice the week of May 13, 2018. Devia has announced that after the “Norma” performances she will be retiring from the Opera stage and will dedicate her career to singing concerts and teaching. Ms. Devia was awarded the “Premio Una vita nella musica 2018” on May 14, 2018,
MACBETH:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/24/1962
Rosenstock; Colzani, Rysanek, Tozzi, Bergonzi
SID.19230532
Rosenstock picked up much of the conducting load previously assigned to Leinsdorf, who had decamped to the Boston Symphony as Music Director. Rosenstock had debuted at the Met in 1929 with six appearances not to reappear again until 1961 when he began a 248 performance run at the Met ending in 1969 with Meistersinger which he had premiered in November 1962 in a new production by Robert O’Hearn and Nathaniel Merrill. In other repertory most of this late career could be described as correct, and nowhere at the level of Bohm, Leinsdorf, or Stiedry. This is Rysanek’s third and last Lady Macbeth performance, and she is not in the form of her debut 4 years earlier, nor is Rosenstock as up to the task as Leinsdorf who replaced the orgiinally scheduled Mitropoulos in 1958. Colzani can be a bit rough hewn, but that works as Macbeth, and Bergonzi is as classy as it gets; Tozzi I prefer to HInes, but I prefer Giaiotti to either– a role Siepi never did at the Met (and don’t notice it elsewhere either).
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/27/2004
Gergiev; Mattila, Jerusalem, Diadkova, Dohmen, Polenzani
MOD Audio SID.19230533
This is Mattila’s first season as Salome, and she delivered one of the greatest Salomes ever at the Met. Though she did the part again in 2008 as part of the HD telecasts, she didn’t have the same supremacy she had four years earlier (this HD is available on MOoD). This week’s audio broadcast is the one to hear in case you are in any doubt of what her top form sounds like. I like the supporting cast better in this 2004 performance as well. She filmed it in 2004 at the Met (not HD and pre Gelb) with Terfel, but we are likely to never see this which is a shame. Maybe they could put the audio version on MOoD. (editors note… it is on MOD now) Although this has been on before, because of the HD 4 years later, that performance is more frequently encountered. The 2004 performance was filmed also, but we think will never see the light of day. I’m happy that the Sirius audio survives (the video included Terfel, not Dohmen) and so warmly welcome this rebroadcast again. I would still love to hear the 1958 with Borkh under Mitropoulos (Schicchi is the curtain-raiser!!!!!)
LULU:Berg
Original Air Date: 04/02/1988
Levine; Malfitano, Mazura, Troyanos, Hamilton, Foldi
SID.19260101
Lulu is not a regular item for me, but Mazura and Troyanos were specialists, and Leighton Kerner, the late Village Voice critic found her the most satisfying of 11 Lulus he had encountered. I don’t find Lulu a very good audio only encounter, and it’s sad that the Dexter production which was telecast with Migenes (replacing Stratas) has not made its way to Met OperaonDemand, but is on a Met issued DVD in the Levine 40th anniversary DVD box.
LOHENGRIN:Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/11/1953
Stiedry; Sullivan, Steber, Harshaw, Björling, Ernster
SID.19260317
I prefer Steber at Bayreuth, but this is a very decent performance. There are two strange omissions in modern Met broadcast Lohengrins: the 1967 new production with Bjoner, Ludwig, Konya, Berry, Milnes (very well cast!) under Bohm and even more inexplicable the 1985 with Tomowa-Sintow, Marton, Domingo. Very unusual for a Domingo assumption to go undocumented, and T-S and Marton are a fabulous combination. I find the best of Lohengrin as great as anything Wagner ever wrote. Two years later Uhde and Edelmann now anchor the bass clef, and Steber after her summer at Bayreuth is much more to the task. The 1955 revival is on MOoD and is more strongly recommended. Sigurd Bjorling (no relation to Jussi) has one season at the Met.
THE QUEEN OF SPADES:Tchaikovsky
Original Air Date: 04/10/1999
Gergiev; Domingo, Gorchakova, Söderström, Hvorostovsky, Borodina, Putilin
MOD AudioMOD Video SID.19260318
This performance is too late for Soderstrom, too late for Domingo, and too late for Gorchakova. You can see the video of from five days later on MOoD as well. Better to hear the first season of the production with Gregorian who succeeded Heppner, Guleghina who succeeded Mattila with Rysanek. That has been on Sirius, but is not on MOoD. If Sirius had been at work when the production premiered we would have a broadcast of Heppner and Mattila at their very best. MOD is from 4-15-99 performance.
ERNANI:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/09/1985
Fulton; Mauro, Mitchell, Elvira, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19260319
This first revival retains only Leona Mitchell from the production premiere. Particular attention should be paid to Pablo Elvira, a little light for his character, but a most agreeable voice. Mauro is no Pavarotti, but this is a well prepared performance of one of my favorite Verdi operas. Only Mitchell survives from the production opening cast the previous season. Elvira was a lovely lyric baritone, but I prefer a MacNeil or Cappuccilli in this showy part. Among my very favorite early Verdi, even if this is not the performance I would first pull off the shelf.
MANON LESCAUT:Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/12/1966
Adler; Kabaivanska, Tucker, Walker, Esparza
MOD Audio SID.19260320
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.
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/21/1998
de Waart; Bonney, Lopardo, Finley, Dunleavy, Moll
MOD Audio SID.19260321
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.
IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/21/1989
Levine; Pavarotti, Millo, Cossotto, Milnes, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19260422
Milnes’ farewell comes in Aida in March 1997, but his appearances in plum video and broadcast assignments drop off in his final decade. This IS Cossotto’s Met farewell, and she is authoritative in her standard way. Pavarotti and Millo are both very solid.
THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Original Air Date: 12/23/2000
Fisch; von Stade, Hagegård, Welch-Babidge, Groves
SID.19260423
This is the second year of the production originally mounted for Von Stade with Domingo. I hadn’t noticed until preparing this list that the production is by Tim Albery who is also responsible for this coming season’s Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Britten centenary. It’s not often that anything in English translation is on Sirius, but this is. Now if only they could have some of much worthier English translation evenings like Arabella and Cosi fan tutte with Steber and some of the great Boris Godunovs of the 1950s and 60s.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 02/23/1952
Reiner; Varnay, Wegner, Höngen, Schöffler, Svanholm
MOD Audio SID.19260424
The Met premiere of Elektra was broadcast in 1932 with Gertude Kappel making a memorable appearance in the title role. I have only heard parts of this, but the whole broadcast does survive. The remaining four performances that season had Rossini’s Il Signor Bruschino as a “”curtain raiser””. The 1938 revival with Rose Pauly was not broadcast and was paired with Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (from Trittico) for the first four, and the fifth was with Menotti’s Amelia goes to the ball. The 1952 broadcast featured this week is the first broadcast in 20 years and features Varnay at the ripe age of 34 in the title role. She went on to sing the role all over the world for two decades before moving on to Klytemnestra. Reiner had conducted a groundbreaking Salome in 1949 with Welitsch, and conducted Varnay in the last two Salomes of the 1952 season after this run of 5 Elektras. I can’t think of a singer (all of 34) who did both title roles in the same season. This is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) as well. 2/6/2012 – This is not a premiere on Sirius, but it is not played often enough. Reiner and Varnay are in tremendous form–one of her very best roles, and this revival was the first at the Met in more than a decade. Reiner was a supreme Straussian. He broadcast Salome with Welitsch, this Elektra, and 3 Rosenkavaliers, 2 with Steber (1 with Stevens, 1 with Novotna) and one with Varnay as Marie Therese. The only thing more interesting about that broadcast would have been to SEE her as Marie Therese. Let’s hear it for the unearthing of Varnay’s Rosenkavalier. Until then, enjoy the House of Mycenae from this February 1952 matinee. 3/11/2011 – Reiner is a great Straussian, and Varnay a great Elektra. That’s quite enough for me. The only broadcast Elektra to precede this is 1932 with Gertrude Kappel. Alas, I do not believe this 1952 performance survives. Certainly I’ve never heard it. The reviews are ecstatic. The 1966 performance which features Resnik’s only Met broadcast Klytemnestra I would like to hear again (it hasn’t been on Sirius). Nilsson and Rysanek are well caught 5 years later with Bohm; Madeira is at the very end of her career and not well served. Ute Vinzing (with Christa Ludwig as Klytemnestra) and Penelope Daner (with Rysanek as Klytemnestra), both under Levine have not been on Sirius, and i would especially like to hear the Vinzing performance again. Daner had replaced Behrens for all performances after the premiere of the new production. Two years after the disastrous Behrens premiere (the Times gave a glowing review to her for a performance that I thought would be interrupted at any moment) , Behrens returned in much-restored voice, and that broadcast was captured in a video with Fassbander that is in the Levine 40th DVD box set as well as Sirius broadcasting.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/10/1955
Mitropoulos; Peerce, Milanov, Merrill, Peters, Anderson
SID.19260425
Historically, the major importance is Anderson in her only broadcast. She’s showing every one of her years. She had made her debut the previous season in a short run of 3 Ulricas. I’m not a Peerce fan, but he is OK. Merrill begins his string of eight of nine Ballo broadcasts over a 20 year period (only Milnes breaks the chain in 1973 for 1). Milanov is better heard with Bjorling from the Met in 1940 which was issued in the Verdi Bicentennial Met CD box. It should also be in MOoD. conducted by Mitropoulos– always of interest to me. This performance is in MOoD (as is Anderson’s premiere season with Tucker and Metternich) She’s in pretty rough voice on both outings. 10 years earlier and it would have been a different story. A great singer, and I didn’t know until checking the Met Database this afternoon that her Met farewell was actually in Cleveland in Ballo with Bjorling a few months later.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
MOD Audio SID.19260426
The work was revived under Conlon in 2013 for 3 Sirius streamed live broadcasts, one of which was rebroadcast on Sirius as part of their June Friday night encores, but no national free network. I saw a lovely production at the original Sadler’s Wells Theatre almost 20 years ago under the late Richard Hickox. It’s one of those works I seem to like less as the years go on, but that may be just me.
ESCLARMONDE:Massenet
Original Air Date: 12/11/1976
Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
MOD Audio SID.19260427
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Esclarmonde, and the performance in addition to the predictable glitter from Sutherland, captures Aragall in one of his best performances. For many, his material was the best of absolute best, and the new generation of tenors in the 1970s, but it never quite all came together. Here is the exception. Enjoy.