RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Cleva; Merrill, Peters, Tucker, Giaiotti, Dunn
Original Air Date: 02/22/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20150214
Amazingly Merrill (debut 1946) and Tucker (debut 1945) are also around eight years later in 1972 for them sharing their final Rigoletto broadcast. Peters who sang Gilda at the Met as late as 1985 did not broadcast it after 1967. Dunn,Giaiotti, and Macurdy are outstandingly strong support. 1/16/12 – This has recently been released in the Sony Historic Broadcasts. All of the singers are fine, and the technical command of these full voiced singers could teach some more lyric singers the art of bel canto. Giaiotti was a stalwart of the Met bass contingent in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Giaiotti also has one broadcast Monterone which also includes Dunn, and MacNeil in his first Rigoletto broadcast. This has not been on Sirius and I would love to hear it. The performance is also on MetPlayer.
LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST:Puccini
Nicola Luisotti: Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, Lucio Gallo
Original Air Date: 01/08/2011
Live in HD
SID.20150215
ALCESTE:Gluck
Panizza; Bamptom, Maison, Warren
Original Air Date: 03/08/1941
SID.20150216
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.
LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS / LE ROSSIGNOL / OEDIPUS REX:Stravinsky
Gergiev; Trifonova, Banks, Zifchak / Forbis, Blythe, Nikitin
Original Air Date: 02/21/2004
SID.20150318
The Stravinsky evening as originally done by Levine with Hockney designs and Dexter direction was not as big a hit as the French evening, Parade, from Dexter and Hockney, but I prefer this to Rake’s Progress. Gergiev has a distinctive take on Stravinsky and always worth a listen in the Russian repertoire.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
James Levine: Ambrogio Maestri, Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe
Original Air Date: 12/14/2013
Live in HD
SID.20150323
RWW Review: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RMiPKOgCMMZcpJOyf4zIeCwiMaNWIjI3Wx7i1Z7etM4
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/02/2013 Live in HD SID.20150431
Conductor……………Daniele Gatti
Parsifal…………….Jonas Kaufmann
Kundry………………Katarina Dalayman
Amfortas…………….Peter Mattei
Gurnemanz……………René Pape
Klingsor…………….Evgeny Nikitin
Titurel……………..Rúni Brattaberg
Voice……………….Maria Zifchak
First Esquire………..Jennifer Forni
Second Esquire……….Lauren McNeese
Third Esquire………..Andrew Stenson
Fourth Esquire……….Mario Chang
First Knight…………Mark Schowalter
Second Knight………..Ryan Speedo Green
Flower Maidens: Kiera Duffy, Lei Xu, Irene Roberts, Haeran Hong, Katherine Whyte, Heather Johnson
Production…………..François Girard
Set Designer…………Michael Levine
Costume Designer……..Thibault Vancraenenbroeck
Lighting Designer…….David Finn
Video Designer……….Peter Flaherty
Choreographer………..Carolyn Choa
Dramaturg……………Serge Lamothe
TV Director………….Barbara Willis Sweete
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Noseda; Damrau, Grigolo, Petrenko, Madore, Verrez
Original Air Date: 01/21/2017 Live in HD SID.20150539
Roméo……………….Vittorio Grigolo
Juliette…………….Diana Damrau
Frère Laurent………..Mikhail Petrenko
Stéphano…………….Virginie Verrez
Mercutio…………….Elliot Madore
Benvolio…………….Tony Stevenson
Gertrude…………….Diana Montague
Capulet……………..Laurent Naouri
Tybalt………………Diego Silva
Pâris……………….David Crawford
Grégorio…………….Jeongcheol Cha
Duke of Verona……….Oren Gradus
Conductor……………Gianandrea Noseda
Production…………..Bartlett Sher
Set Designer…………Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer……..Catherine Zuber
Lighting designer…….Jennifer Tipton
Choreographer………..Chase Brock
Fight Director……….B. H. Barry
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
TOSCA:Puccini
de BIlly, Netrebko, Eyvazov, Volle
Original Air Date: 04/30/2018
Live in HD
SID.20150644
www.nytimes.com/2018/01/01/arts/music/tosca-metropolitan-opera.html observer.com/2018/01/review-metropolitan-opera-puccini-tosca-sonya-yoncheva/
Puccini
Original Air Date: 04/11/2020
de Billy; Netrebko, Jagde, Volle, Carfizzi
SID.20150000
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 11/13/2010 Live in HD SID.20150646
Don Pasquale…………John Del Carlo
Norina………………Anna Netrebko
Ernesto……………..Matthew Polenzani
Dr. Malatesta………..Mariusz Kwiecien
Notary………………Bernard Fitch
Conductor……………James Levine
Production…………..Otto Schenk
Designer…………….Rolf Langenfass
Lighting designer…….Duane Schuler
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
This season Don Pasquale was performed with one intermission, between Acts II and III
The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a gift of its founding sponsor, the Neubauer Family Foundation Bloomberg is the global corporate sponsor of The Met: Live in HD.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Robertson; Majeski, Bliss, Malfi, Plachetka, O’Hara, Maltman
Original Air Date: 03/31/2018 Live in HD SID.20150754
Fiordiligi…………..Amanda Majeski
Ferrando…………….Ben Bliss
Dorabella……………Serena Malfi
Guglielmo……………Adam Plachetka
Despina……………..Kelli O’Hara
Don Alfonso………….Christopher Maltman
Skills Ensemble: Betty Bloomerz, Nicholas DeCegli, Sarah Folkins, *
Leo the Human Gumby, Jonathan Nosan, Titano Oddfellow,,
Cristina Pitter, Sage Sovereign, Ray Valenz, Anna Venizelos,
Josh Walker, Zoe Ziegfeld *Jeff Stilt and Kelsey Strauch replaced Valenz and Bloomer as Skills for the first half of Act I
Harpsichord Continuo….Natalia Katyukova
Conductor……………David Robertson
Production…………..Phelim McDermott
Set Designer…………Tom Pye
Costume Designer……..Laura Hopkins
Lighting Designer…….Paule Constable
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
RODELINDA:Handel
Summers; Fleming, Scholl, van Rensburg, Blythe, Dumaux, Relyea
Original Air Date: 05/06/2006
MOD Video
SID.20160102
This performance in the second season of the production and Scholl’s first appearance at the Met. There was a third broadcast which includes an HD moviecast of Rodelinda with Fleming and Scholl under Bicket (whom I prefer to Summers) but the intervening 4 years do not benefit either Fleming or Scholl. This video is available also in MOoD so you can compare for yourself. I like Scholl much more than David Daniels so this is my preferred Rodelinda.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Benini; Maestri, Buratto, Camarena, Molnár
Original Air Date: 03/12/2016
SID.20160103
AIDA:Verdi
Badea; Rautio, Sylvester, Zajick, Pons, Plishka
Original Air Date: 03/02/1996
SID.20160104
While this is prime Zajick, the rest of this cast does not attract me. There are far worthier broadcasts including Solti and Steinberg from the 1960s, Curtis-Verna’s only broadcast Aida (replacing Tebaldi) with a sterling supporting cast from the 50s, etc. etc. Sylvester has 2 other broadcasts his first with Sweet and Zajick in 1994, and his last in 1997 with Sweet and Toczyska and I think Sweet is to be preferred if Sylvester (who is a solid Radames) is your primary interest.
BLUEBEARD’S CASTLE:Bartók
Levine; Ramey, Norman
Original Air Date: 01/28/1989
SID.20160105
What is defective about this is that in March of 2013 [and March 2015] the rebroadcast included the second work of the afternoon Schoenberg’s Erwartung with Norman. Rebroadcasting half the afternoon? I’ll try to be up and check and see if both works are actually on. Bluebeard with a much weaker cast is scheduled in a new production in 2014-2015 (the starrier fare of this season is Tchaikovsky’s Iolanta with Netrebko and Beczala. I find it a bit tone deaf to be honoring Norman’s 70th birthday with a broadcast that is incomplete and not yet honored in Met Opera on Demand or DVD for both the Bluebeard and the Erwartung. Although the Bartok is done in an English translation it was telecast as well. Norman is at her considerable best, and it would be nice if this performance could be issued somehow. Ramey is a very strong Bluebeard. It’s one of the few post 1977 videos not available in any form, either MOoD or DVD.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Rudolf, Siepi, Conner, de los Angeles, Guarrera, Miller
Original Air Date: 04/07/1956
MOD Audio
SID.20160106
I don’t remember this performance specifcally, but Siepi and de los Angeles are among my favorite Figaro and Countess. What is so critical in a FIgaro is the conductor and Max Rudolf was starting to fill in some of the assignments Stiedry had regularly commanded. I’ll be checking this performance out to see if it merits the many positive comments from Jackson. I’m not as taken with Conner and Guarrera as Jackson is, but the overall performance is worthwhile.
RUSALKA:Dvorak
Nézet-Séguin; Fleming, Beczala, Magee, Zajick, Relyea
Original Air Date: 02/08/2014
Live in HD
SID.20160107
Read RWW’s Review of the Live in HD broadcast of this cast.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Thielemann; Liang, Tomowa-Sintow, Rootering, Grant Murphy, Schulte
Original Air Date: 02/20/1993
SID.20160208
Thielemann conducts a lovely performance with Tomowa-Sintow in her Met broadcast farewell. Liang was a two performance replacement for Mentzer and whose only other Met appearance is part of the First Emperor run. Most notable for Thielemann’s conducting and Tomowa-Sintow’s Marschallin — her Met farewell is a week later.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Badea; Guleghina, Jóhannsson, Pola / Dessì, Martinucci, Nucci
Original Air Date: 02/04/1995
SID.20160209
Another Cavalleria of minimal interest– there must be something better in the archives. The Pagliacci does feature a qualified if not often encountered cast. Martinucci only has 25 performances in 7 seasons at the Met and this Canio is only 3 before his farewell. He has a very decent Fanciulla with Dimitrova, and is the Chenier on Milnes 25th anniversary broadcast. I saw him in Chicago in Gioconda, and he worked regularly in the top European houses I think for maybe another decade.
DON CARLO:Verdi
Levine; Sylvester, Millo, Chernov, Zajick, Ramey, Koptchak
Original Air Date: 03/14/1992
SID.20160211
Sylvester, Millo, Chernov, and Zajick all repeat their roles from the Levine Sony Classical studio recording and this broadcast has been added to MOoD relatively recently ; Ramey who is the recording’s Inquisitor moves up to Filippo for this Met series including this broadcast, with Koptchak taking over the GI. This is the first of Zajick’s three broadcast outings as Eboli, and she is one of the best. Chernov who never quite turned into the new Robert Merrill still had a beautifully burnished tone, and his voice is a more natural fit than say Keenlyside (at least at the Met). This is Millo’s final Elisabetta with the Met (her earlier broadcast is in 1986). This is Ramey’s first of two Filippo broadcasts — 2002 (also with Zajick) is under Gergiev. Sylvester is a first rate Don Carlo, and while I loved this past season’s conducting by Nezet-Seguin, this 1992 cast is a world above the most recent casting and one of the best balanced Don Carlo casts ever.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Mitropoulos; Harshaw, Edelmann, Schech, Vinay, Thebom, Böhme
Original Air Date: 02/02/1957
MOD Audio
SID.20160212
Mitropoulos is not often heard in Wagner, but he is alert to the drama at all times. Unfortunately, there are a number of cuts even in parts of the Todesverkundigung (about 4.5 minutes there by my check). Still, this is a performance worth hearing. Harshaw is a stalwart Brunnhilde, and Edelmann was not yet in terminal Ochs voice. I also like Vinay very much, but he is not to everyone’s taste. One of MY highlights for the week.
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Strasfogel; Moffo, Morell, Sereni
Original Air Date: 04/21/1962
SID.20160213
I’m sure I heard this performance while I was still living in Texas, but despite the visual glamor of Moffo, I find her appeal in this part limited. Along with Albanese (not one of my favorites) with 87, Moffo with her 80 Violettas totally dominate the chronology. Sembrich and Bori are the next two down and by more than two and half dozen. Most Violetta totals at the Met hover between 15 and 25. This is Moffo’s first Violetta broadcast, so probably her best. Her other two (in different seasons) come in 1967, and I know those performances well. Although Moffo had a high selling Traviata for RCA, this is the first of her three broadcasts, and the only one that has been on Sirius. I like her commercial, but as early as 1967, vocally I found her compromised (but always with huge E flat). Morell and Sereni are OK, no more. This is the first of Moffo’s three Violetta broadcasts; the other two are in 1967 (in different seasons). Moffo was a gorgeous Violetta, and very successful. I’m not sure how well it bears up in live performance in an audio only mode, but I’ll give this a try. As for the other Met broadcast Traviatas, I wish the Met would reach back to the 1935 Ponselle/Tibbett Traviata under Panizza. This has been on private labels for years and exists in good enough sound. Ponselle will not be to everyone’s taste, but I find the duet with Tibbett with Panizza’s masterly support to be of the highest quality. Albanese is the dominant Violetta (with several broadcasts from Sayao none on Sirius), but her only appearance on Sirius is her last Violetta broadcast in 1959. It’s a little late, but since I don’t much care for her Violetta (see Paul Jackson’s analysis of Met broadcasts– he worships Albanese), she is partnered by Valletti, and they make a winning pair. Two performances which have been on Sirius and are both on Met Player are the Steber with DiStefano and Merrill from 1949 (she’s replacing Sayao and practically doing a lesson in vocal technique and exquisite vocalism) and Tebaldi from 1957, where first act transpositions are mostly irrelevant to one of the most celebrated performances ever. Tebaldi did 21 performances in a single season, and Bing sent her everywhere. If not quite the perfection of the Tosca, this Violetta is quite memorable. Almost worth a Met Player subscription on its own. Surprisingly, the 1964 Sutherland Violetta has not been on Sirius. This omission should be corrected as part of the Guild’s upcoming memorial to her. I saw her Violetta at least 3 times, and it was one of her most memorable roles. Sutherland is not the only omission that should make its way to Sirius. I remember Cruz-Romo’s fine 1973 broadcast (very much in the Tebaldi tradition), Rita Shane replacing Sills in 1976 (Wixell’s only Germont broadcast), Maria Chiara in 1977, Malfitano in 1982 (I think the first to do two verses of Addio del passato), Maliponte in 1984 (I don’t remember this performance but she’s a favorite of many on this list including me) 1987 with Tomowa Sintow (again I have no memory, but she’s a singer I remember fondly) and the 2000 broadcast with Gallardo-Domas. While I thought Butterfly too heavy for her, her Violetta is one of the very best, and this has not made it to Sirius. Sirius has some heavy lifting to do for Traviata!
SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
MOD Audio
SID.20160214
This is an absolute MUST. Mercifully it’s on Met Player (at least for North America). Bohm and Nilsson are ablaze. I saw two performance this first season of the Rennert/Heinrich production and as much as I loved the Solti recording, and later Nilsson with Solti and CSO at Carnegie Hall, Bohm and Nilsson burned ever so brightly, and the conductor threw in a concert Don Juan before the Salome to warm the orchestra up. I added Ernst Wiemann who as First Nazarene makes his presence known, and he was part of excellent Met singers in secondary parts. The supporting cast is very strongly cast (the five Jews and the Nazarenes Ernst Wiemann and the recently deceased Calvin Marsh are very distinctive. One of the great performances captured, with Nilsson in her only broadcast Met Salome, and it’s a humdinger. Liebl and Dalis both in the new Rennert production and their vivid singing contribute strongly, but in the end it’s a Birgit and Karl show.
BORIS GODUNOV:Mussorgsky
Gergiev; Semenchuk, Antonenko, Balashov, Nikitin, Pape, Petrenko, Ognovenko
Original Air Date: 10/23/2010
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20160215
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Fulton; Scotto; Shicoff, Cortez, Sereni
Original Air Date: 02/26/1983
SID.20160216
Scotto is a vivid Adriana, if caught a bit late. A good part for Shicoff. This is not my favorite work, and while Scotto is very attentive to the veristic details, we’re starting to get into the “scratchy” years. While I like the Sony recording (with Obraztsova, Domingo) with her a bit better, she is a vivid Adriana, and Shicoff is an excellent Maurizio. Available in MOoD.
DAS RHEINGOLD:Wagner
Ehrling; McIntyre, Dunn, Peterson, Rintzler, Rundgren, Macurdy
Original Air Date: 02/15/1975
SID.20160317
This performance marks Donald McIntyre’s Met debut (broadcast debuts are not so common) and the farewell of Glade Peterson who had made his debut as Loge five days before. McIntyre would be the main reason for listening, but he has the Chereau Ring from Bayreuth three years later on video. I saw the 1978 Chereau Ring live, and he was definitely one of the brightest elements. 6/6/12 – This is only a three performance outing this week where McIntyre is the only real point of distinction. Not awful, but what’s the point? 6/22/11 – The cream of this 1975 cycle were the Nilsson parts of the Ring. Nothing especially remarkable here.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Rudolf; Stevens, Amara, Cundari
Original Air Date: 01/18/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20160318
The strongest thing about this performance is Rudolf’s conducting. Stevens was definitely a star Orfeo, but she’s never an audio favorite of mine. A very great artist outstanding advocate for American artists , and the role of the arts in general. She had quite a following, but her audios alone do not make a career. She is still with us, and may she have many more years. For me this is much too late for Stevens (She retires in 1960). I did check Paul Jackson’s authoritative volume on Met broadcasts– and he’s at his best in the 40s and 50s, but has nothing to say about this performance. This performance has been on before and is on MOoD.
LA RONDINE:Puccini
Marco Armiliato [it]: Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, Samuel Ramey
Original Air Date: 01/10/2009
Live in HD
SID.20160323
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Schick; Scotto, Alexander, Grillo, Dunlap, Schmorr
Original Air Date: 01/01/1966
MOD Audio
SID.20160428
This is *Scotto*’s first broadcast, after debuting the previous October. This EVENING broadcast had one of the more infamous Singers Roundtables as I remember (Milanov and Gedda come to mind) remember but alas we never get the interrmission features. I don’t much care for *Dunlap* as Sharpless, but *Scotto* is a major *Butterfly*.
LE COMTE ORY:Rossini
Maurizio Benini: Juan Diego Flórez, Joyce DiDonato, Diana Damrau
Original Air Date: 04/09/2011
Live in HD
SID.20160431