LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/28/1940
Papi; Pons, Jobin, Petina, Baccaloni
MOD Audio SID.19120104
This performance has also been issued in the Sony Historical CD series from the Met. The surprise was that this was Pons’ only Met broadcast of Marie–she has thirteen Lucia broadcasts!!!!! This broadcast is her first time in the part at the Met (Broadcast production premieres were not common prior to Gelb) She was a huge Met star. She was my third Lucia (Callas and Sutherland first); that Fort Worth Lucia was not the way to remember her. Generally I don’t find Fille as strong a work as either Don Pasquale or L’Elisir d’Amore. This is not only the incomparable Lily Pons’s first performance in Donizetti’s comic opera at the Met; it is her only broadcast as Marie. Equal parts dazzling singer and romping tomboy, she is totally charming. No wonder Time magazine put her on its cover. Salvatore Baccaloni is Sergeant Sulpice and Raoul Jobin is the man who steals Pons’s heart. In this famous World War II-era broadcast Pons interpolates “La Marseillaise” at the end—bringing a cheering Met audience to its feet.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Original Air Date: 12/18/1993
Michael; Evans, Heppner, Hale, Rootering, Donath, Schade
MOD Audio SID.19120105
This is not my favorite Fidelio, but more notable as Anne Evans’ Met farewell. Helen Donath has a small Met career (21 performances). She has a fine voice as first heard on the Solti Rosenkavalier as Sophie. I saw her several decades later in DC as she had moved up to the Marschallin. She has been active in selected parts well after her Met Susannas which came at the end of the Fidelio season (but not broadcast). Robert Hale was second choice for Wotan during a number of the Morris years and married at least two sopranos– Inge Nielsen and Marina Poplavskaya.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
MOD Audio SID.19120106
Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
MOD Audio SID.19120107
Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.
BENVENUTO CELLINI:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 12/27/2003
Levine; Giordani, Bayrakdarian, Del Carlo, Jepson, Lloyd
MOD Audio SID.19120208
This is the opera’s only broadcast from its only season. There is much lovely music along the way, but it does not have cumulative impact for me. Giordani copes not always pleasantly with an extremely challenging role. I think twice a year for Cellini is just about the maximum desired cycling. Once a year would be enough for me especially since it’s in MOoD.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Original Air Date: 12/18/1993
Michael; Evans, Heppner, Hale, Rootering, Donath, Schade
MOD Audio SID.19120317
This is not my favorite Fidelio, but more notable as Anne Evans’ Met farewell. Helen Donath has a small Met career (21 performances). She has a fine voice as first heard on the Solti Rosenkavalier as Sophie. I saw her several decades later in DC as she had moved up to the Marschallin. She has been active in selected parts well after her Met Susannas which came at the end of the Fidelio season (but not broadcast). Robert Hale was second choice for Wotan during a number of the Morris years and married at least two sopranos– Inge Nielsen and Marina Poplavskaya.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
MOD Audio SID.19120318
Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
MOD Audio SID.19120319
Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1986
Levine; Taddei, Neblett, Monk, Cossotto, Blegen, Ahlstedt
MOD Audio SID.19120422
Its particularly good to have this performance back on the radio. Taddei and Cossotto make a most interesting pair, and I’m sorry she did not do more of the part. I don’t have strong memories of Neblett and Monk. Taddei who came very late to the Met did this run of Falstaff followed by a run in L’elisir which was broadcast and has been on Sirius. If they run that performance again I will check it out. Taddei’s actual Met farewell is as Dulcamara in Met in the Pennsauken Cooper River Park in New Jersey with Hong as his Adina. Taddei appeared as both Scarpia and Rigoletto in Philadelphia (both with Tucker) and I also saw his Leporello in Dallas (with Sutherland and the EMI gang), Germont (with Callas) and much later Leporello again in San Francisco with Siepi. The Met was not starving for good baritones in those days, so we got too little of him and very late. He has a nice non-Met legacy of studio and live performances. He died at 93 June 2, 2010.
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/28/1940
Papi; Pons, Jobin, Petina, Baccaloni
MOD Audio SID.19120423
This performance has also been issued in the Sony Historical CD series from the Met. The surprise was that this was Pons’ only Met broadcast of Marie–she has thirteen Lucia broadcasts!!!!! This broadcast is her first time in the part at the Met (Broadcast production premieres were not common prior to Gelb) She was a huge Met star. She was my third Lucia (Callas and Sutherland first); that Fort Worth Lucia was not the way to remember her. Generally I don’t find Fille as strong a work as either Don Pasquale or L’Elisir d’Amore. This is not only the incomparable Lily Pons’s first performance in Donizetti’s comic opera at the Met; it is her only broadcast as Marie. Equal parts dazzling singer and romping tomboy, she is totally charming. No wonder Time magazine put her on its cover. Salvatore Baccaloni is Sergeant Sulpice and Raoul Jobin is the man who steals Pons’s heart. In this famous World War II-era broadcast Pons interpolates “La Marseillaise” at the end—bringing a cheering Met audience to its feet.
BENVENUTO CELLINI:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 12/27/2003
Levine; Giordani, Bayrakdarian, Del Carlo, Jepson, Lloyd
MOD Audio SID.19120424
This is the opera’s only broadcast from its only season. There is much lovely music along the way, but it does not have cumulative impact for me. Giordani copes not always pleasantly with an extremely challenging role. I think twice a year for Cellini is just about the maximum desired cycling. Once a year would be enough for me especially since it’s in MOoD.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1986
Levine; Taddei, Neblett, Monk, Cossotto, Blegen, Ahlstedt
MOD Audio SID.19120534
Its particularly good to have this performance back on the radio. Taddei and Cossotto make a most interesting pair, and I’m sorry she did not do more of the part. I don’t have strong memories of Neblett and Monk. Taddei who came very late to the Met did this run of Falstaff followed by a run in L’elisir which was broadcast and has been on Sirius. If they run that performance again I will check it out. Taddei’s actual Met farewell is as Dulcamara in Met in the Pennsauken Cooper River Park in New Jersey with Hong as his Adina. Taddei appeared as both Scarpia and Rigoletto in Philadelphia (both with Tucker) and I also saw his Leporello in Dallas (with Sutherland and the EMI gang), Germont (with Callas) and much later Leporello again in San Francisco with Siepi. The Met was not starving for good baritones in those days, so we got too little of him and very late. He has a nice non-Met legacy of studio and live performances. He died at 93 June 2, 2010.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Original Air Date: 12/18/1993
Michael; Evans, Heppner, Hale, Rootering, Donath, Schade
MOD Audio SID.19120535
This is not my favorite Fidelio, but more notable as Anne Evans’ Met farewell. Helen Donath has a small Met career (21 performances). She has a fine voice as first heard on the Solti Rosenkavalier as Sophie. I saw her several decades later in DC as she had moved up to the Marschallin. She has been active in selected parts well after her Met Susannas which came at the end of the Fidelio season (but not broadcast). Robert Hale was second choice for Wotan during a number of the Morris years and married at least two sopranos– Inge Nielsen and Marina Poplavskaya.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
MOD Audio SID.19120637
Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
MOD Audio SID.19120638
Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/28/1940
Papi; Pons, Jobin, Petina, Baccaloni
MOD Audio SID.19120743
This performance has also been issued in the Sony Historical CD series from the Met. The surprise was that this was Pons’ only Met broadcast of Marie–she has thirteen Lucia broadcasts!!!!! This broadcast is her first time in the part at the Met (Broadcast production premieres were not common prior to Gelb) She was a huge Met star. She was my third Lucia (Callas and Sutherland first); that Fort Worth Lucia was not the way to remember her. Generally I don’t find Fille as strong a work as either Don Pasquale or L’Elisir d’Amore. This is not only the incomparable Lily Pons’s first performance in Donizetti’s comic opera at the Met; it is her only broadcast as Marie. Equal parts dazzling singer and romping tomboy, she is totally charming. No wonder Time magazine put her on its cover. Salvatore Baccaloni is Sergeant Sulpice and Raoul Jobin is the man who steals Pons’s heart. In this famous World War II-era broadcast Pons interpolates “La Marseillaise” at the end—bringing a cheering Met audience to its feet.
BENVENUTO CELLINI:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 12/27/2003
Levine; Giordani, Bayrakdarian, Del Carlo, Jepson, Lloyd
MOD Audio SID.19120747
This is the opera’s only broadcast from its only season. There is much lovely music along the way, but it does not have cumulative impact for me. Giordani copes not always pleasantly with an extremely challenging role. I think twice a year for Cellini is just about the maximum desired cycling. Once a year would be enough for me especially since it’s in MOoD.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/2001
Eschenbach; Fleming; Ketelsen, Bonney, Very, Forst, Halfvarson
MOD Audio SID.19130105
This is Fleming’s only Met broadcast outing as Arabella. Eschenbach was the fly in the ointment when I saw the production prior to the broadcast, and so he remains. Because of the English translation used prior to the new production, Sirius listeners are regularly denied the glories of Steber under Kempe in the premiere season of 1955, and Della Casa from 1957-1965. Della Casa has studio and stage Arabellas in German from other sources, but Kempe is a special Straussian, and Steber is in particularly stunning voice with London from the premiere year. 09/24/2012 – I thought Eschenbach was the real fly in the ointment when this revival came around. Fleming is in very beautiful voice, but the performance as a whole lacks magic. Arabella takes special handling and this doesn’t really get it. 03/27/2012 – I saw an earlier performance in the run, and while OK, Fleming did not have a great deal of personality. The singing was excellent. I prefer Steber or Della Casa. 8/2/2011 – For me, Eschenbach is a bit of the fly in the ointment, but this is still a solid Arabella cast. This does give me a chance to make a plea for the Met premiere broadcast of Arabella (in English — part of the delay I am sure) with Steber, Guden, London, under Rudolf Kempe. What a magnificent performance from all concerned
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
MOD Audio SID.19130208
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.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/2001
Eschenbach; Fleming; Ketelsen, Bonney, Very, Forst, Halfvarson
MOD Audio SID.19130320
This is Fleming’s only Met broadcast outing as Arabella. Eschenbach was the fly in the ointment when I saw the production prior to the broadcast, and so he remains. Because of the English translation used prior to the new production, Sirius listeners are regularly denied the glories of Steber under Kempe in the premiere season of 1955, and Della Casa from 1957-1965. Della Casa has studio and stage Arabellas in German from other sources, but Kempe is a special Straussian, and Steber is in particularly stunning voice with London from the premiere year. 09/24/2012 – I thought Eschenbach was the real fly in the ointment when this revival came around. Fleming is in very beautiful voice, but the performance as a whole lacks magic. Arabella takes special handling and this doesn’t really get it. 03/27/2012 – I saw an earlier performance in the run, and while OK, Fleming did not have a great deal of personality. The singing was excellent. I prefer Steber or Della Casa. 8/2/2011 – For me, Eschenbach is a bit of the fly in the ointment, but this is still a solid Arabella cast. This does give me a chance to make a plea for the Met premiere broadcast of Arabella (in English — part of the delay I am sure) with Steber, Guden, London, under Rudolf Kempe. What a magnificent performance from all concerned
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
MOD Audio SID.19130321
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.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/2001
Eschenbach; Fleming; Ketelsen, Bonney, Very, Forst, Halfvarson
MOD Audio SID.19130636
This is Fleming’s only Met broadcast outing as Arabella. Eschenbach was the fly in the ointment when I saw the production prior to the broadcast, and so he remains. Because of the English translation used prior to the new production, Sirius listeners are regularly denied the glories of Steber under Kempe in the premiere season of 1955, and Della Casa from 1957-1965. Della Casa has studio and stage Arabellas in German from other sources, but Kempe is a special Straussian, and Steber is in particularly stunning voice with London from the premiere year. 09/24/2012 – I thought Eschenbach was the real fly in the ointment when this revival came around. Fleming is in very beautiful voice, but the performance as a whole lacks magic. Arabella takes special handling and this doesn’t really get it. 03/27/2012 – I saw an earlier performance in the run, and while OK, Fleming did not have a great deal of personality. The singing was excellent. I prefer Steber or Della Casa. 8/2/2011 – For me, Eschenbach is a bit of the fly in the ointment, but this is still a solid Arabella cast. This does give me a chance to make a plea for the Met premiere broadcast of Arabella (in English — part of the delay I am sure) with Steber, Guden, London, under Rudolf Kempe. What a magnificent performance from all concerned
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
MOD Audio SID.19130639
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.
RUSALKA:Dvorák
Original Air Date: 12/11/1993
Fiore; Benacková, Heppner, Martin, Toczyska, Koptchak
MOD Audio SID.19150101
This is from the first Met season for Rusalka and Benackova is a worthy heroine. For the broadcast a young Ben Heppner is the Prince replacing Neil Rosenshein. Zajick did the Jezibaba premiere but ceded the broadcast to Toczyska who is a very fine artist. This is quite a wonderful performance with Benackova, Heppner, and Koptchak especially strong. This premiere Met season of it, the ensemble is of high quality. This is a performance that belongs in MOoD. This is its only broadcast until Fleming’s 2009 run where three performances were on Sirius, and one of them was in the matinee series on the Met International network. Benackova was the first broadcast Rusalka at the Met, and this performance captures her very well. Heppner early in his Met career is on fine form as is the lesser known Koptchak as the Water Sprite. Martin is a bit tested as the Foreign Princess– a very difficult part, no one makes it sound easy. Still, a lovely opera in a fine performance, and this is well deserving being added to the Met Player repertory besides its visibility on Sirius.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.19150103
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.19150104
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.
OTELLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren, Franke
MOD Audio SID.19150105
This is a splendid performance, and should also note the number of fine Otellos which have not been on Sirius, including but not limited to the the 3 1940s Otellos with Stella Roman, Tebaldi’s two Desdemonas from 1955 and 1958 (the 1955 is uncommon on the private market, and the 1958 never seen, even the 1958 from La Scala with the same trio– Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Warren is not that common and the 1963 Tucci, McCracken , Merrill with Solti have all been missed by Sirius. Really too many omissions for relatively recent performances. Also the Bohm (his only Verdi at the Met) from April 1972
NABUCCO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/03/1960
Schippers; MacNeil, Rysanek, Siepi, Fernandi
MOD Audio SID.19150208
MacNeil and Siepi are both excellent in the Met’s first Nabucco production. Rysanek gives her all, but really not the right match of voice and role for her. One does not hear the lead male roles sung like this anymore. This performance has also been reissued in the Met’s Verdi bicentennial CD box. In fact, this broadcast from a single season was Nabucco’s only presence in the Met repertoire until early 2000.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 01/23/1999
Runnicles; Hampson, Graham, Evans, Robertson
MOD Audio SID.19150210
I’m sorry I didn’t attend this revival with the title role moving to baritone hands (in Massenet’s own transposition) (still too high for Domingo?), but this broadcast catches Susan Graham in one of her very best afternoons. This is the baritone version Massenet wrote for Battistini. I didn’t see it in the theatre and just over the airwaves, it didn’t work for me. It however catches Susan Graham in particularly splendid voice. This is a novelty for if there were ever a tenor opera it is Werther, but the composer did arrange for baritone for Battistini. Hampson is very earnest, but I want the tenor colorations. This is one of Graham’s best Met outings.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.19150319
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.