LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Original Air Date: 03/27/1982
Chailly; Domingo, Morris, Welting, Troyanos, Eda-Pierre, Howells
MOD Audio SID.19380101
This is Chailly’s only Met appearance, and is the premiere year of the Schenk, Schneider-Siemssen production. I’m surprised this performance is not the one in MOoD instead of the Levine from 1993. Much as I like Vaness and Held, an 11 year younger Domingo with the above cast (and especially Senechal) would seem more likely. Still, this performance is a welcome choice for the Sirius rotation (it’s not new this week, but not often included).
Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 12/26/1936
Abravanel; Maison, Wettergren, Pinza
MOD Audio SID.19010103
This is the second oldest Met performance to have been rebroadcast on Sirius — the Lawrence/Melchior Gotterdammerung also from 1936 (but previous season) is the oldest. Abravanel is more remembered as longtime conductor of the Utah Symphony, but his three Met seasons beginning with this broadcast showed him as a sure hand in the French and German wings of the repertory. The principals have plenty of profile, and Pinza is an excellent High Priest.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 1/29/2000
Kout; Mentzer, Studer, Halfvarson, Norberg-Schulz, Opie
SID.19010107
This is Cheryl Studer’s penultimate Met performance in her 39 performance Met career. The Met has cast Rosenkavalier more strongly, but Studer still has major Strauss credentials.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
MOD Audio SID.19010208
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.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010209
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010210
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19010211
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
MOD Audio SID.19010212
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/12/1992
Panni; Anderson, Leech, Fu, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19010315
Nothing really saves this afternoon as can be read in the Met database listing for the second performance of this new production by Francesca Zambello which comes in for some pretty harsh treatment from Martin Mayer– far from my favorite critic, but I think he has the right bead on this performance if not the musical excellence of Lucia as a great musical achievement. A Volpe miscue of large proportions (18 performances this season). 9/3/2013 – From my comments then: This is the newly preferred Sirius Lucia which I don’t think is very good. It does feature the conducting of Marcello Panni, who died shortly after his run of La Juive at the Met.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 12/26/1936
Abravanel; Maison, Wettergren, Pinza
MOD Audio SID.19010318
This is the second oldest Met performance to have been rebroadcast on Sirius — the Lawrence/Melchior Gotterdammerung also from 1936 (but previous season) is the oldest. Abravanel is more remembered as longtime conductor of the Utah Symphony, but his three Met seasons beginning with this broadcast showed him as a sure hand in the French and German wings of the repertory. The principals have plenty of profile, and Pinza is an excellent High Priest.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
MOD Audio SID.19010321
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.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 1/29/2000
Kout; Mentzer, Studer, Halfvarson, Norberg-Schulz, Opie
SID.19010422
This is Cheryl Studer’s penultimate Met performance in her 39 performance Met career. The Met has cast Rosenkavalier more strongly, but Studer still has major Strauss credentials.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
MOD Audio SID.19010424
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010425
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010426
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19010427
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
MOD Audio SID.19010428
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/12/1992
Panni; Anderson, Leech, Fu, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19010531
Nothing really saves this afternoon as can be read in the Met database listing for the second performance of this new production by Francesca Zambello which comes in for some pretty harsh treatment from Martin Mayer– far from my favorite critic, but I think he has the right bead on this performance if not the musical excellence of Lucia as a great musical achievement. A Volpe miscue of large proportions (18 performances this season). 9/3/2013 – From my comments then: This is the newly preferred Sirius Lucia which I don’t think is very good. It does feature the conducting of Marcello Panni, who died shortly after his run of La Juive at the Met.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 12/26/1936
Abravanel; Maison, Wettergren, Pinza
MOD Audio SID.19010534
This is the second oldest Met performance to have been rebroadcast on Sirius — the Lawrence/Melchior Gotterdammerung also from 1936 (but previous season) is the oldest. Abravanel is more remembered as longtime conductor of the Utah Symphony, but his three Met seasons beginning with this broadcast showed him as a sure hand in the French and German wings of the repertory. The principals have plenty of profile, and Pinza is an excellent High Priest.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19010637
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
MOD Audio SID.19010640
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.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010641
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010642
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
MOD Audio SID.19010744
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 1/29/2000
Kout; Mentzer, Studer, Halfvarson, Norberg-Schulz, Opie
SID: 19010745
This is Cheryl Studer’s penultimate Met performance in her 39 performance Met career. The Met has cast Rosenkavalier more strongly, but Studer still has major Strauss credentials.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/12/1992
Panni; Anderson, Leech, Fu, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19020101
Nothing really saves this afternoon as can be read in the Met database listing for the second performance of this new production by Francesca Zambello which comes in for some pretty harsh treatment from Martin Mayer– far from my favorite critic, but I think he has the right bead on this performance if not the musical excellence of Lucia as a great musical achievement. A Volpe miscue of large proportions (18 performances this season). 9/3/2013 – From my comments then: This is the newly preferred Sirius Lucia which I don’t think is very good. It does feature the conducting of Marcello Panni, who died shortly after his run of La Juive at the Met.
DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/31/2007
Luisi; Voigt, Kerl, Damrau, Grove, Brendel
MOD Audio SID.19020102
This is the Met’s only broadcast of the Strauss work and Kerl and Damrau are very impressive. I don’t love the work, but like most Strauss, it has its moments. It’s repeated too often in rotation which in no way approximates its importance in the Strauss canon. This was the first Met production in more than eight decades. I love the awakening scene, but for me it’s one of the weaker Strauss works. I shouldn’t complain. No Strauss at all this season or next. To date this is the only Met matinee broadcast of this uncommon Strauss work. The strongest profile is from Damrau who is an excellent Aithra. The opera has some great moments, and was one of Met
audience’s first chances to encounter Luisi, now the Principal Conductor.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/21/1940
Papi; Baccaloni, Sayão, Martini, Valentino
MOD Audio SID.19020107
This is one of the older Met broadcasts to appear in the Sirius rebroadcast series. It’s also one of the best, with Baccaloni and Sayao in very top form. This is also available in MOoD.
Sayao and Baccaloni have a lot of charm in our only broadcast from the 40s this week This is also on Met Player, and it’s good to hear why Baccaloni and Sayao were so beloved. What personality even in 1940 AM sound.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/25/1961
Rosenstock; Borkh, Rysanek, Madeira, Uhde, Vinay
MOD Audio SID.19020211
Rosenstock appears for the originally scheduled Mitropoulos who had died the previous November. Still, this is a powerful cast in a masterpiece. The whole cast is top drawer, and highly recommended. This is the only Elektra Borkh and Rysanek ever did together, and they are among the very best in these roles. Nice to welcome this performance to MOoD in their 2014 reissues. For me a highlight of the week.
Rosenstock comes to the Met first in 1929, and left after one season (poor reviews compared to Bodanzky and Bodanzky returned the following season). Rosenstock returned to Germany, then to Japan for the WHOLE WWII at NHK. He gets back to New York, and starts anew at New York City Opera and succeeds Halasz as director in 1952. After 4 seasons as director, he is replaced by Julius Rudel, and then returns to the Met in 1961 replacing the recently deceased Mitropoulos.
He goes on to conduct over 250 Met performances in the next 8 years. including Tosca and Lucia on the Met tour among just about everything. He is a solid conductor, and Borkh in 1961 one of the very great Elektras.
I PURITANI:Bellini
Original Air Date: 02/01/1997
Müller; Swenson, Neill, Hampson, Miles
MOD Audio SID.19020212
The Netrebko video and the Gruberova and Sutherland Elviras are all available in MOoD as well as this one. Swenson has an attractive voice, but I don’t find her especially compelling, and the supporting cast is much better on the other performances. Cavalleria/ Pagliacci from 1988 and Idomeneo from 1991 are added into the schedule beginning Wednesday.