ELEKTRA:Strauss
Nezet-Seguin; Goerke, van den heever, Schuster, Morris, Petrenlo
Original Air Date: 03/18/2018
SID.19400317
Christine Goerke sings her first Elektra at the Met in Patrice Chéreau’s landmark production, a sensation at its Met premiere last spring, which the Wall Street Journal called “revolutionary … a triumph on all fronts.” Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Strauss’s shattering score, a tour de force for the singers and the orchestra alike. Opening night (3-1-2018) is dedicated to the memory of Patrice Chéreau.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy; Piazza, Kullman, Munsel, Tucker, Stevens, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/20/1951
MOD Audio
SID.19400318
This is the broadcast of arguably the biggest hit of Bing’s opening season. Welitsch, who had done the premiere gives way to Piazza, for whom this is her sole broadcast and her only role at the Met, though she has a good long run after the broadcast and a Met tour for a total of 14 performances. Piazza would turn up on early 1950s TV show where an attractive (not so much to me) but generic soprano was called for. Tucker is a sonorous Alfred he almost turns the part into a plum. There are some enjoyable moments, and others that leave me cold. Sirius leaves Gilford off the listing, but he has some of the funniest bits.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Solti; Price, Elias, Bergonzi, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/28/1964
MOD Audio
SID.19400319
This broadcast was In Memory of John F. Kennedy. Although the sound is definitely AM (not what one wants for the Manzoni Requiem), this performance documents three of the most notable Verdi singers of the 20th century: Price, Bergonzi, Siepi. Elias is remarkable for her blend with Price (on many commercial recordings as well) and this is Solti’s final Met appearance (his final full Met staged performance is Aida from December 1963 still awaits rebroadcast on Sirius). The two performances including the day before the broadcast also included Act 3, Scene 1 of Parsifal with Jerome Hines, Jess Thomas, and Marcia Baldwin.
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, Milnes, Giaiotti, Morris, Kraft
Original Air Date: 01/27/1979
SID.19400320
MOoD also features the telecast from a week before with the same cast (and was issued on DVD as well.) Scotto and Domingo understand the style very well, and if every note is not ideal, they rise to great heights in the final act (which is among Verdi’s greatest music for any of his operas).
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Hager; Morris, Sweet, Perry, Schuman, Olsen, Hong
Original Air Date: 12/24/1994
SID.19400321
Morris has four broadcast performances of the title role going back to 1974 (all post Siepi of course, who is very much my standard). In a house the size of of the Met I prefer a bass-baritone Don. Hager is a solid conductor and D’Arcangelo is caught at the beginning of his Met career. I like this overall cast better than the two surrounding broadcasts which feature Hampson. We need to hear the 1967 Don Giovanni with Siepi, Sutherland, Lorengar, Gedda, Flagello, Giaiotti under Bohm and also the 1957 Don with Steber and Della Casa at their peak under Bohm, and on MOoD, the video of Sutherland with Morris from 1978 which features Varady on camera for her only Met role.
AIDA:Verdi
Fiore; Sweet, Sylvester, Zajick, Pons, Plishka
Original Air Date: 02/05/1994
SID.19400422
This is a pretty standard house casting for Aida in the 90s. Sweet and Zajick appear in Aida together 14 times over five seasons from 1994-1999. The male contingent holds less interest than in earlier times, Pons has a huge Met career, but not one of much interest to me.
MANON LESCAUT:Puccini
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, Elvira, Capecchi
Original Air Date: 03/29/1980
SID.19400423
This performance is also available on video in MOoD. As an audio only performance, it ranks behind the two Bjorling broadcasts (1949 with Kirsten and 1956 with Albanese– the latter one of the great Met broadcasts thanks to the additional force of Mitropoulos in the pit). Though Tebaldi and Tucker were both great exponents of these roles, their 1959 broadcast together still seems to elude the Sirius programmers. Great shame, especially for her, as it’s one of her great afternoons. This 1980 broadcast is well worth listening to, but recent reactions to Scotto’s 1967 Butterfly and her 1982 Lady Macbeth found her tone even harder than remembered. Her style is impeccable, but her 45 year old Manon is pretty hard-edged.
FAUST:Gounod
Rich; Domingo, Zylis-Gara, Tozzi, Sereni, von Stade
Original Air Date: 02/26/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400424
This over-programmed Faust is on again, but there are so many better Fausts on the shelf. Domingo is better than expected in one of his early broadcasts, but Tozzi, a Met stalwart, is in poor form. Mercifully, the rotation has slowed down on this performance. There are a number of excellent Fausts, 2 with Bjorling (and Siepi) which Sirius has never played, and there are several much better Fausts in the Sirius rotation. This one does not deserve such airplay. Nicolai Gedda is third in all-time performances (42) as Faust surpassed only by Jean de Reszke at 71 and Giovanni Martinelli at 56, and yet is represented by only one Faust broadcast in MOoD and Sirius reports replay of the 1972, but neither his 1966 or 1969 with interesting casts have been heard on either. Gedda was a Met star tenor for two decades, and we mostly hear him in Vanessa (where he is remarkable), but he was the leading Faust in the world with the passing of Bjorling his Swedish countryman.
TBA:TBA
TBA
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19400425
Two of opera’s most thrilling dramatic sopranos, Christine Goerke and Nina Stemme, reprise their fierce portrayals of the title princess. Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to conduct Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling production of Puccini’s final masterpiece, which also features tenors Yusif Eyvazov and Riccardo Massi as Calàf, sopranos Eleonora Buratto and Hibla Gerzmava as Liù, and bass-baritone James Morris as Timur.
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Gergiev; Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky
Original Air Date: 03/06/2004
SID.19400427
This is a very solid performance. Fleming’s LA and London DVDs are even better, but Hvorostovsky’s sound eight years is preferable ago to his efforts in the Decker/Dessay production. Violetta is a relatively late part for Fleming, but she ranks 11th in all-time Violettas (20) with more performances at the Met than Caballe (no broadcast, but opening night) Cotrubas, De Los Angeles, Dessay, Gheorghiu, Ponselle, Scotto, Sills, Steber, Sutherland. The two huge totals are Albanese at 87, Moffo at 80, Bori at 58, and Sembrich at 47. Next down are Kirsten and Malfitano tied at 27. It’s one of Callas’ 4 roles at the Met so almost no one completely misses, but one who has is Netrebko (though originally announced for the Decker production.)
THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Davis; von Stade, Domingo, Pulley, Groves
Original Air Date: 03/04/2000
SID.19400428
This is the first season with von Stade. She broadcasts again the following season with Hagegard as her Danilo. This Tim Albery production is no more successful than this year’s new production. Merry Widow has better melodies than Lulu, but not more nourishing.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Solti; Price, Elias, Bergonzi, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/28/1964
MOD Audio
SID.19400529
This broadcast was In Memory of John F. Kennedy. Although the sound is definitely AM (not what one wants for the Manzoni Requiem), this performance documents three of the most notable Verdi singers of the 20th century: Price, Bergonzi, Siepi. Elias is remarkable for her blend with Price (on many commercial recordings as well) and this is Solti’s final Met appearance (his final full Met staged performance is Aida from December 1963 still awaits rebroadcast on Sirius). The two performances including the day before the broadcast also included Act 3, Scene 1 of Parsifal with Jerome Hines, Jess Thomas, and Marcia Baldwin.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Benini; Pavarotti, Swenson, Plishka, de Candia
Original Air Date: 03/14/1998
SID.19400530
Swenson is a fruity Adina, but this is the last of Pavarotti’s Nemorino broadcasts. The part spans 24 years at the Met. Generally prefer earlier with him. There are two earlier telecasts and almost all of his Nemorinos (not this one) are on MOoD.
TANNHÄUSER:Wagner
Levine; Cassilly, Norman, Randová, Hagegård, Rootering
Original Air Date: 01/24/1987
MOD Audio
SID.19400531
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 are his final Met appearances in the opera Tannhauser remains one of Levine’s highest totals at 62, but none since 1997, and none broadcast since this 1987, but 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. The Paris/Vienna revisions make Tannhauser a bit more exciting in the theatre. This performance is available on Met on Demand. Levine does have a wonderful run in 1997 with Jon Frederic West , Terfel and Sweet , but that run was not on the matinee broadcasts. Levine’s strong conducting, and Jessye Norman’s Elisabeth (not commercially recorded) are the most distinctive features.
TBA:TBA
TBA
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19400532
Two of opera’s most thrilling dramatic sopranos, Christine Goerke and Nina Stemme, reprise their fierce portrayals of the title princess. Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to conduct Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling production of Puccini’s final masterpiece, which also features tenors Yusif Eyvazov and Riccardo Massi as Calàf, sopranos Eleonora Buratto and Hibla Gerzmava as Liù, and bass-baritone James Morris as Timur.
SUSANNAH:Floyd
Conlon; Fleming, Hadley, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/03/1999
MOD Audio
SID.19400534
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Susannah, and finds all three principals on especially fine form. 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. 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.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Nezet-Seguin; Goerke, van den heever, Schuster, Morris, Petrenlo
Original Air Date: 03/18/2018
SID.19400535
Christine Goerke sings her first Elektra at the Met in Patrice Chéreau’s landmark production, a sensation at its Met premiere last spring, which the Wall Street Journal called “revolutionary … a triumph on all fronts.” Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Strauss’s shattering score, a tour de force for the singers and the orchestra alike. Opening night (3-1-2018) is dedicated to the memory of Patrice Chéreau.
SUSANNAH:Floyd
Conlon; Fleming, Hadley, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/03/1999
MOD Audio
SID.19400636
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Susannah, and finds all three principals on especially fine form. 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. 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.
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, Milnes, Giaiotti, Morris, Kraft
Original Air Date: 01/27/1979
SID.19400637
MOoD also features the telecast from a week before with the same cast (and was issued on DVD as well.) Scotto and Domingo understand the style very well, and if every note is not ideal, they rise to great heights in the final act (which is among Verdi’s greatest music for any of his operas).
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Hager; Morris, Sweet, Perry, Schuman, Olsen, Hong
Original Air Date: 12/24/1994
SID.19400638
Morris has four broadcast performances of the title role going back to 1974 (all post Siepi of course, who is very much my standard). In a house the size of of the Met I prefer a bass-baritone Don. Hager is a solid conductor and D’Arcangelo is caught at the beginning of his Met career. I like this overall cast better than the two surrounding broadcasts which feature Hampson. We need to hear the 1967 Don Giovanni with Siepi, Sutherland, Lorengar, Gedda, Flagello, Giaiotti under Bohm and also the 1957 Don with Steber and Della Casa at their peak under Bohm, and on MOoD, the video of Sutherland with Morris from 1978 which features Varady on camera for her only Met role.
FAUST:Gounod
Rich; Domingo, Zylis-Gara, Tozzi, Sereni, von Stade
Original Air Date: 02/26/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400639
This over-programmed Faust is on again, but there are so many better Fausts on the shelf. Domingo is better than expected in one of his early broadcasts, but Tozzi, a Met stalwart, is in poor form. Mercifully, the rotation has slowed down on this performance. There are a number of excellent Fausts, 2 with Bjorling (and Siepi) which Sirius has never played, and there are several much better Fausts in the Sirius rotation. This one does not deserve such airplay. Nicolai Gedda is third in all-time performances (42) as Faust surpassed only by Jean de Reszke at 71 and Giovanni Martinelli at 56, and yet is represented by only one Faust broadcast in MOoD and Sirius reports replay of the 1972, but neither his 1966 or 1969 with interesting casts have been heard on either. Gedda was a Met star tenor for two decades, and we mostly hear him in Vanessa (where he is remarkable), but he was the leading Faust in the world with the passing of Bjorling his Swedish countryman.
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Gergiev; Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky
Original Air Date: 03/06/2004
SID.19400640
This is a very solid performance. Fleming’s LA and London DVDs are even better, but Hvorostovsky’s sound eight years is preferable ago to his efforts in the Decker/Dessay production. Violetta is a relatively late part for Fleming, but she ranks 11th in all-time Violettas (20) with more performances at the Met than Caballe (no broadcast, but opening night) Cotrubas, De Los Angeles, Dessay, Gheorghiu, Ponselle, Scotto, Sills, Steber, Sutherland. The two huge totals are Albanese at 87, Moffo at 80, Bori at 58, and Sembrich at 47. Next down are Kirsten and Malfitano tied at 27. It’s one of Callas’ 4 roles at the Met so almost no one completely misses, but one who has is Netrebko (though originally announced for the Decker production.)
THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Davis; von Stade, Domingo, Pulley, Groves
Original Air Date: 03/04/2000
SID.19400641
This is the first season with von Stade. She broadcasts again the following season with Hagegard as her Danilo. This Tim Albery production is no more successful than this year’s new production. Merry Widow has better melodies than Lulu, but not more nourishing.
TANNHÄUSER:Wagner
Levine; Cassilly, Norman, Randová, Hagegård, Rootering
Original Air Date: 01/24/1987
MOD Audio
SID.19400642
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 are his final Met appearances in the opera Tannhauser remains one of Levine’s highest totals at 62, but none since 1997, and none broadcast since this 1987, but 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. The Paris/Vienna revisions make Tannhauser a bit more exciting in the theatre. This performance is available on Met on Demand. Levine does have a wonderful run in 1997 with Jon Frederic West , Terfel and Sweet , but that run was not on the matinee broadcasts. Levine’s strong conducting, and Jessye Norman’s Elisabeth (not commercially recorded) are the most distinctive features.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Benini; Pavarotti, Swenson, Plishka, de Candia
Original Air Date: 03/14/1998
SID.19400743
Swenson is a fruity Adina, but this is the last of Pavarotti’s Nemorino broadcasts. The part spans 24 years at the Met. Generally prefer earlier with him. There are two earlier telecasts and almost all of his Nemorinos (not this one) are on MOoD.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy; Piazza, Kullman, Munsel, Tucker, Stevens, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/20/1951
MOD Audio
SID.19400744
This is the broadcast of arguably the biggest hit of Bing’s opening season. Welitsch, who had done the premiere gives way to Piazza, for whom this is her sole broadcast and her only role at the Met, though she has a good long run after the broadcast and a Met tour for a total of 14 performances. Piazza would turn up on early 1950s TV show where an attractive (not so much to me) but generic soprano was called for. Tucker is a sonorous Alfred he almost turns the part into a plum. There are some enjoyable moments, and others that leave me cold. Sirius leaves Gilford off the listing, but he has some of the funniest bits.
AIDA:Verdi
Fiore; Sweet, Sylvester, Zajick, Pons, Plishka
Original Air Date: 02/05/1994
SID.19400745
This is a pretty standard house casting for Aida in the 90s. Sweet and Zajick appear in Aida together 14 times over five seasons from 1994-1999. The male contingent holds less interest than in earlier times, Pons has a huge Met career, but not one of much interest to me.
MANON LESCAUT:Puccini
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, Elvira, Capecchi
Original Air Date: 03/29/1980
SID.19400746
This performance is also available on video in MOoD. As an audio only performance, it ranks behind the two Bjorling broadcasts (1949 with Kirsten and 1956 with Albanese– the latter one of the great Met broadcasts thanks to the additional force of Mitropoulos in the pit). Though Tebaldi and Tucker were both great exponents of these roles, their 1959 broadcast together still seems to elude the Sirius programmers. Great shame, especially for her, as it’s one of her great afternoons. This 1980 broadcast is well worth listening to, but recent reactions to Scotto’s 1967 Butterfly and her 1982 Lady Macbeth found her tone even harder than remembered. Her style is impeccable, but her 45 year old Manon is pretty hard-edged.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Schippers; Adam, Lorengar, King, Kusche, Flagello, Driscoll
Original Air Date: 01/15/1972
MOD Audio
SID.SID.19400747
This performance is on Sony’s Met historical CD series Lorengar and King, who do not have commercials of their portrayals are fine exponents of their roles, and Kusche is a long respected Beckmesser. Adam split the Sachs with Tozzi, and at this point Adam was probably the better choice.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Schippers; Adam, Lorengar, King, Kusche, Flagello, Driscoll
Original Air Date: 01/15/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19410101
This performance is on Sony’s Met historical CD series Lorengar and King, who do not have commercials of their portrayals are fine exponents of their roles, and Kusche is a long respected Beckmesser. Adam split the Sachs with Tozzi, and at this point Adam was probably the better choice.