“CARMEN : Bizet
Original Air Date: 04/03/1954
Cast: Kozma; Stevens, Tucker, de los Angeles, Guarrera
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480104 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is a standard Met Carmen from the 50s, with especially rich vocal performances from Tucker and DeLos Angeles. Stevens is a Met icon, but again one needs her visuals to get the full effect. Stevens broadcast Carmen 11 times,4 under Edward Johnson’s regime in the 40s and
7 times under Bing, 4 of them with Tucker, 2 with Del Monaco, 1 with Di Stefano.
This revival of Carmen had been originally under the baton of Pierre Monteux who had previously conducted the work 1917-1919!!!. Kozma gets a good review from Robert Sabin in Musical America. Although this as this is only the 3d Sirius week of rebroadcast in the last 5 years, it is now available in the Met’s streaming service, MOoD.”
“SAMSON ET DALILA : Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cast: Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480208 Tags: Archive; 2017
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. Stevens I never saw live, but I want a more settled, glamorous sound for Dalila.
Singher came in 1943 to the Met and makes his farewell eight months after this Samson broadcast doing the two performances of the four Hoffmann villains. He’s an important part of the Met’s French wing with both Pelleas and Golaud in two different revivals. He went on to be a major teacher at the Curtis Institute, with James King his most notable student.
This performance is available on MOoD, and I am happy to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
12/5/16
***
I am not a huge fan of the audio only Stevens’ Dalila, but this performance with a fine High Priest from Singher certainly is not wanting for vocal voltage. This performance is available on MetPlayer as well. 1/16/12
“
“LA GIOCONDA : Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 03/02/1968
Cast: Cleva; Tebaldi, Bergonzi, MacNeil, Cossotto, Giaiotti
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480209 Tags: Archive; 2017, Tebaldi
This is Tebaldi’s second broadcast of the street singer, and what a sensational cast the Met surrounds her with. Bergonzi did a run with Bumbry eleven years later but that was not broadcast. Tebaldi’s first broadcast a year earlier has also been on Sirius, and is also on MOoD. The earlier broadcast has Morrell (replacing Corelli) and Elias in the Bergonzi and Cossotto parts. Siepi and Giaiotti are both top class Alvises. 9/5/16
***
This Tebaldi’s final Gioconda, and she has a platinum supporting cast.
She’s marginally better on the previous year’s broadcast (also on
MOoD), but I like the sparks from her colleagues on this performance. 4/7/14
***
This Tebaldi’s final Gioconda, and she has a platinum supporting cast. She’s marginally better on the previous year’s broadcast, but I like the sparks from her colleagues on this. 4/22/13
***
The Met listing leaves off Dunn, and Cieca is definitely one of the star parts. This is Tebaldi’s second Gioconda broadcast, and despite the wear and tear from 32 Met Giocondas in 2 years — it is her final Gioconda. Bing serves up A+ colleagues for her, and it is a rousing afternoon. This performance is on Met Player, and I highly recommend. 7/4/11
“
“FRANCESCA DA RIMINI : Zandonai
Original Air Date: 04/07/1984
Cast: Levine; Scotto, Domingo, MacNeil, Lewis
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17480212 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Domingo
This performance is also available on commercial DVD. A bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite a meal of his Giovanni. I saw Domingo with Kabaiwanska in concert at Carnegie Hall at least a decade earlier where both were in very fresh voice. 7/25/16
***
This performance is the same as the telecast video which is on MOoD and commercial DVD. It’s a bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite an impression, and it’s a good part for Domingo. 7/29/13
***
This opera returns to the repertory next season after a long absence. Best experienced in the video version available on DVD and Met Player. MacNeil’s role is no cameo. 2/24/2012
***
This is available on Met Player and on DVD. Very committed performances from all, but it is still pretty late for Scotto so not for every taste 7/18/11
“
“ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA : Barber
Original Air Date: 09/16/1966
Cast: Schippers; Díaz, Price, Thomas, Flagello, Elias
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480318 Tags: Archive; 2017
From MOD: Expectations were high when the Metropolitan Opera announced that the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra would christen its new house at Lincoln Center in the fall of 1966—a suitably grand work based on Shakespeare’s tragedy and written specifically for Leontyne Price as Cleopatra. A singer himself, the composer knew Price’s voice and what it could do, shaping his conception of the opera’s heroine around this iconic American diva.
The 26-year-old Puerto Rican–born bass Justino Díaz starred alongside Price as Antony while Ezio Flagello portrayed Antony’s friend Enobarbus. Tenor Jess Thomas brought his heroic presence to the role of Octavius Caesar, and the beloved mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias, already a Met veteran in her 30s, sang the role of Cleopatra’s attendant Charmian.
Thanks to a Texaco–Metropolitan Opera Radio Network broadcast from the opera’s world premiere, this indelible piece of Met history has been preserved for generations.
***
This is the opening of the new Met at Lincoln Center and the world premiere of the opera. Leontyne never sang better than this night, and luckily it is well preserved for all to hear. Lady Bird Johnson and Imelda Marcos were among the dignitaries that night”
“IL TROVATORE : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/13/1971
Cast: Mehta; Tucker, Arroyo, Verrett, Sereni, Michalski
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480319 Tags: Archive; 2017, Verdi
This is Verrett’s first Met Trovatore, and she is on fire. It remains one of her best parts and serves as her Met farewell in 1990.
Tucker and Arroyo have plenty to offer and Sereni’s limitations as Luna are only in comparison to Warren or Bastianini, not today’s rather pitiful crop of Verdi baritones.
This is Mehta’s final run at the Met and the non-broadcast marks his farewell after 6 seasons. I always rather enjoyed his work at the Met, but his NY Philharmonic and the Chicago Ring did not wow me. He continues to hold multiple prestigious posts. Though Maazel did better at the Philharmonic, Mehta is a better man of the theatre.”
“CARMEN : Bizet
Original Air Date: 04/03/1954
Cast: Kozma; Stevens, Tucker, de los Angeles, Guarrera
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480320 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is a standard Met Carmen from the 50s, with especially rich vocal performances from Tucker and DeLos Angeles. Stevens is a Met icon, but again one needs her visuals to get the full effect. Stevens broadcast Carmen 11 times,4 under Edward Johnson’s regime in the 40s and
7 times under Bing, 4 of them with Tucker, 2 with Del Monaco, 1 with Di Stefano.
This revival of Carmen had been originally under the baton of Pierre Monteux who had previously conducted the work 1917-1919!!!. Kozma gets a good review from Robert Sabin in Musical America. Although this as this is only the 3d Sirius week of rebroadcast in the last 5 years, it is now available in the Met’s streaming service, MOoD.”
“PETER GRIMES : Britten
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
Cast: Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480321 Tags: Archive; 2017
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again). 2/22/16
***
This is a good part for Racette, and Langridge’s death just a few years ago was a shock. Atherton is a strong Britten conductor. 8/12/12
***
Racette’s first try at the Met as Ellen Orford and with Langridge as a distinguished Grimes. 11/14/11
“
“SAMSON ET DALILA : Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cast: Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480424 Tags: Archive; 2017
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. Stevens I never saw live, but I want a more settled, glamorous sound for Dalila.
Singher came in 1943 to the Met and makes his farewell eight months after this Samson broadcast doing the two performances of the four Hoffmann villains. He’s an important part of the Met’s French wing with both Pelleas and Golaud in two different revivals. He went on to be a major teacher at the Curtis Institute, with James King his most notable student.
This performance is available on MOoD, and I am happy to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
12/5/16
***
I am not a huge fan of the audio only Stevens’ Dalila, but this performance with a fine High Priest from Singher certainly is not wanting for vocal voltage. This performance is available on MetPlayer as well. 1/16/12
“
“LA GIOCONDA : Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 03/02/1968
Cast: Cleva; Tebaldi, Bergonzi, MacNeil, Cossotto, Giaiotti
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480425 Tags: Archive; 2017, Tebaldi
This is Tebaldi’s second broadcast of the street singer, and what a sensational cast the Met surrounds her with. Bergonzi did a run with Bumbry eleven years later but that was not broadcast. Tebaldi’s first broadcast a year earlier has also been on Sirius, and is also on MOoD. The earlier broadcast has Morrell (replacing Corelli) and Elias in the Bergonzi and Cossotto parts. Siepi and Giaiotti are both top class Alvises. 9/5/16
***
This Tebaldi’s final Gioconda, and she has a platinum supporting cast.
She’s marginally better on the previous year’s broadcast (also on
MOoD), but I like the sparks from her colleagues on this performance. 4/7/14
***
This Tebaldi’s final Gioconda, and she has a platinum supporting cast. She’s marginally better on the previous year’s broadcast, but I like the sparks from her colleagues on this. 4/22/13
***
The Met listing leaves off Dunn, and Cieca is definitely one of the star parts. This is Tebaldi’s second Gioconda broadcast, and despite the wear and tear from 32 Met Giocondas in 2 years — it is her final Gioconda. Bing serves up A+ colleagues for her, and it is a rousing afternoon. This performance is on Met Player, and I highly recommend. 7/4/11
“
“FRANCESCA DA RIMINI : Zandonai
Original Air Date: 04/07/1984
Cast: Levine; Scotto, Domingo, MacNeil, Lewis
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17480529 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Domingo
This performance is also available on commercial DVD. A bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite a meal of his Giovanni. I saw Domingo with Kabaiwanska in concert at Carnegie Hall at least a decade earlier where both were in very fresh voice. 7/25/16
***
This performance is the same as the telecast video which is on MOoD and commercial DVD. It’s a bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite an impression, and it’s a good part for Domingo. 7/29/13
***
This opera returns to the repertory next season after a long absence. Best experienced in the video version available on DVD and Met Player. MacNeil’s role is no cameo. 2/24/2012
***
This is available on Met Player and on DVD. Very committed performances from all, but it is still pretty late for Scotto so not for every taste 7/18/11
“
“PETER GRIMES : Britten
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
Cast: Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480532 Tags: Archive; 2017
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again). 2/22/16
***
This is a good part for Racette, and Langridge’s death just a few years ago was a shock. Atherton is a strong Britten conductor. 8/12/12
***
Racette’s first try at the Met as Ellen Orford and with Langridge as a distinguished Grimes. 11/14/11
“
“ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA : Barber
Original Air Date: 09/16/1966
Cast: Schippers; Díaz, Price, Thomas, Flagello, Elias
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480534 Tags: Archive; 2017
From MOD: Expectations were high when the Metropolitan Opera announced that the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra would christen its new house at Lincoln Center in the fall of 1966—a suitably grand work based on Shakespeare’s tragedy and written specifically for Leontyne Price as Cleopatra. A singer himself, the composer knew Price’s voice and what it could do, shaping his conception of the opera’s heroine around this iconic American diva.
The 26-year-old Puerto Rican–born bass Justino Díaz starred alongside Price as Antony while Ezio Flagello portrayed Antony’s friend Enobarbus. Tenor Jess Thomas brought his heroic presence to the role of Octavius Caesar, and the beloved mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias, already a Met veteran in her 30s, sang the role of Cleopatra’s attendant Charmian.
Thanks to a Texaco–Metropolitan Opera Radio Network broadcast from the opera’s world premiere, this indelible piece of Met history has been preserved for generations.
***
This is the opening of the new Met at Lincoln Center and the world premiere of the opera. Leontyne never sang better than this night, and luckily it is well preserved for all to hear. Lady Bird Johnson and Imelda Marcos were among the dignitaries that night”
“IL TROVATORE : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/13/1971
Cast: Mehta; Tucker, Arroyo, Verrett, Sereni, Michalski
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480535 Tags: Archive; 2017, Verdi
This is Verrett’s first Met Trovatore, and she is on fire. It remains one of her best parts and serves as her Met farewell in 1990.
Tucker and Arroyo have plenty to offer and Sereni’s limitations as Luna are only in comparison to Warren or Bastianini, not today’s rather pitiful crop of Verdi baritones.
This is Mehta’s final run at the Met and the non-broadcast marks his farewell after 6 seasons. I always rather enjoyed his work at the Met, but his NY Philharmonic and the Chicago Ring did not wow me. He continues to hold multiple prestigious posts. Though Maazel did better at the Philharmonic, Mehta is a better man of the theatre.”
“CARMEN : Bizet
Original Air Date: 04/03/1954
Cast: Kozma; Stevens, Tucker, de los Angeles, Guarrera
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480636 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is a standard Met Carmen from the 50s, with especially rich vocal performances from Tucker and DeLos Angeles. Stevens is a Met icon, but again one needs her visuals to get the full effect. Stevens broadcast Carmen 11 times,4 under Edward Johnson’s regime in the 40s and
7 times under Bing, 4 of them with Tucker, 2 with Del Monaco, 1 with Di Stefano.
This revival of Carmen had been originally under the baton of Pierre Monteux who had previously conducted the work 1917-1919!!!. Kozma gets a good review from Robert Sabin in Musical America. Although this as this is only the 3d Sirius week of rebroadcast in the last 5 years, it is now available in the Met’s streaming service, MOoD.”
“ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA : Barber
Original Air Date: 09/16/1966
Cast: Schippers; Díaz, Price, Thomas, Flagello, Elias
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480638 Tags: Archive; 2017
From MOD: Expectations were high when the Metropolitan Opera announced that the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Antony and Cleopatra would christen its new house at Lincoln Center in the fall of 1966—a suitably grand work based on Shakespeare’s tragedy and written specifically for Leontyne Price as Cleopatra. A singer himself, the composer knew Price’s voice and what it could do, shaping his conception of the opera’s heroine around this iconic American diva.
The 26-year-old Puerto Rican–born bass Justino Díaz starred alongside Price as Antony while Ezio Flagello portrayed Antony’s friend Enobarbus. Tenor Jess Thomas brought his heroic presence to the role of Octavius Caesar, and the beloved mezzo-soprano Rosalind Elias, already a Met veteran in her 30s, sang the role of Cleopatra’s attendant Charmian.
Thanks to a Texaco–Metropolitan Opera Radio Network broadcast from the opera’s world premiere, this indelible piece of Met history has been preserved for generations.
***
This is the opening of the new Met at Lincoln Center and the world premiere of the opera. Leontyne never sang better than this night, and luckily it is well preserved for all to hear. Lady Bird Johnson and Imelda Marcos were among the dignitaries that night”
“SAMSON ET DALILA : Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cast: Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480641 Tags: Archive; 2017
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. Stevens I never saw live, but I want a more settled, glamorous sound for Dalila.
Singher came in 1943 to the Met and makes his farewell eight months after this Samson broadcast doing the two performances of the four Hoffmann villains. He’s an important part of the Met’s French wing with both Pelleas and Golaud in two different revivals. He went on to be a major teacher at the Curtis Institute, with James King his most notable student.
This performance is available on MOoD, and I am happy to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
12/5/16
***
I am not a huge fan of the audio only Stevens’ Dalila, but this performance with a fine High Priest from Singher certainly is not wanting for vocal voltage. This performance is available on MetPlayer as well. 1/16/12
“
“LA GIOCONDA : Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 03/02/1968
Cast: Cleva; Tebaldi, Bergonzi, MacNeil, Cossotto, Giaiotti
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480642 Tags: Archive; 2017, Tebaldi
This is Tebaldi’s second broadcast of the street singer, and what a sensational cast the Met surrounds her with. Bergonzi did a run with Bumbry eleven years later but that was not broadcast. Tebaldi’s first broadcast a year earlier has also been on Sirius, and is also on MOoD. The earlier broadcast has Morrell (replacing Corelli) and Elias in the Bergonzi and Cossotto parts. Siepi and Giaiotti are both top class Alvises. 9/5/16
***
This Tebaldi’s final Gioconda, and she has a platinum supporting cast.
She’s marginally better on the previous year’s broadcast (also on
MOoD), but I like the sparks from her colleagues on this performance. 4/7/14
***
This Tebaldi’s final Gioconda, and she has a platinum supporting cast. She’s marginally better on the previous year’s broadcast, but I like the sparks from her colleagues on this. 4/22/13
***
The Met listing leaves off Dunn, and Cieca is definitely one of the star parts. This is Tebaldi’s second Gioconda broadcast, and despite the wear and tear from 32 Met Giocondas in 2 years — it is her final Gioconda. Bing serves up A+ colleagues for her, and it is a rousing afternoon. This performance is on Met Player, and I highly recommend. 7/4/11
“
“PETER GRIMES : Britten
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
Cast: Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480744 Tags: Archive; 2017
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again). 2/22/16
***
This is a good part for Racette, and Langridge’s death just a few years ago was a shock. Atherton is a strong Britten conductor. 8/12/12
***
Racette’s first try at the Met as Ellen Orford and with Langridge as a distinguished Grimes. 11/14/11
“
“MACBETH : Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/01/1959
Cast: Leinsdorf; Warren, Rysanek, Hines, Bergonzi
Media: MOD Audio SID.17480749 Tags: MOR; 2017, Verdi
“
“DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/30/1950
Cast: Reiner; Hotter, Varnay, Svanholm, Nilsson
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490102 Tags: Archive; 2017, Nilsson, Wagner
Only two months since the last rotation? A bit of chaos in current Sirius programming. This performance is also in the Met’s bicentenary Wagner CD box from Sony. Reiner, Hotter, and Varnay are experienced Wagnerians, but this is one Wagner opera better served by the historic partnership a decade later of Schippers / Bohm, London, and Rysanek (and Tozzi too). (9/26/16) “
“ROMÉO ET JULIETTE : Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/06/1986
Cast: Domingo; Kraus, Gasdia, Plishka, Harris, Schexnayder
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490105 Tags: Archive; 2017, Domingo
This broadcast documents Gasdia’s only season at the Met. The run, Kraus’ only times in Romeo at the Met, also featured 6 performances with Soviero, whom I would have preferred in the broadcast. “
“AIDA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1950
Cast: Cooper; Welitsch, Vinay, Harshaw, Merrill, Hines
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490106 Tags: Archive; 2017, Verdi
According to my records this is new to Sirius [ in 2013]. It may have
been broadcast in the first three years of Sirius when I wasn’t doing
the playlists.
I’ve heard this performance, and Welitsch has some powerful moments, and a pleasure to hear early Merrill in this role. He is the Met champion Amonasro with 72 (MacNeil is 71, and Amato 70) “
“ARIADNE AUF NAXOS : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/20/1993
Cast: Marin; Norman, Moser, Swenson, Mentzer, Stewart, Oswald
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490211 Tags: Archive; 2017, Strauss
For my money Jessye Norman is much better in her two earlier broadcasts (the first with Andrew Davis conducting, the second with Levine and subsequently telecast). Moser is not my preferred Bacchus, but Swenson featuring more of a lyric Zerbinetta (a la Guden) is very fine. 11/21/16
***
This is Norman’s last Ariadne broadcast and in the new production for her. I prefer the 1988 video (which is on DVD from DG) with Troyanos and Battle under Levine. Swenson has her moments as well. 4/23/12
***
I’m not sure about the interest in this performance. Norman five years earlier under Levine has a sterling broadcast and telecast with King, Troyanos, and Battle. What has NOT been broadcast on Sirius is either Bohm Ariadne : the Met premiere season in 1963 with Rysanek (supposed to have been Della Casa, but with the opera switch from Dutchman, it went to LR). Seven years later features Bohm and Rysanek with King and a delectable performance from Reri Grist. 11 July 2011
“
“SIMON BOCCANEGRA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/03/2007
Cast: Luisi; Hampson, Gheorghiu, Giordani, Furlanetto, Gerello
Media: SID.17490212 Tags: Archive; 2017, Verdi
Simon is one opera that gets regular outings at the Met, though not
necessarily everywhere, starting with the titanic duo of Tibbett and
Pinza, both of whom are still my standard in Simon and Fiesco (but not yet appearing on Sirius). I am not a big fan of Hampson’s traversal of the Verdi baritone repertoire.
This was followed with another MOoD broadcast (video) with Domingo moving up to the title role under Levine. For me the best of the recent SBs was the FOLLOWING year when Levine did a short revival with Hvorostovsky (not always my choice for Verdi either) with Frittoli, Vargas, and Furlanetto, where Levine seems at his most inspired– he’s conducted 1/3 of all Boccanegras at the Met, and this performance is now out on MOoD as well. Somehow this performance did not make it in to MOoD– it should.
SB is rather well represented in MOoD with Milanov, Tebaldi, Bergonzi, but stillno rebroadcast in modern times is the Ehrling 1974 Boccanegra with distinguished contributions by Ingvar Wixell in the title role and Adriana Maliponte as Amelia; Tucker and Tozzi provide solid support. 11/28/2015”
“ROMÉO ET JULIETTE : Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/06/1986
Cast: Domingo; Kraus, Gasdia, Plishka, Harris, Schexnayder
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490317 Tags: Archive; 2017, Domingo
This broadcast documents Gasdia’s only season at the Met. The run, Kraus’ only times in Romeo at the Met, also featured 6 performances with Soviero, whom I would have preferred in the broadcast. “
“AIDA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1950
Cast: Cooper; Welitsch, Vinay, Harshaw, Merrill, Hines
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490318 Tags: Archive; 2017, Verdi
According to my records this is new to Sirius [ in 2013]. It may have
been broadcast in the first three years of Sirius when I wasn’t doing
the playlists.
I’ve heard this performance, and Welitsch has some powerful moments, and a pleasure to hear early Merrill in this role. He is the Met champion Amonasro with 72 (MacNeil is 71, and Amato 70) “
“DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/30/1950
Cast: Reiner; Hotter, Varnay, Svanholm, Nilsson
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490425 Tags: Archive; 2017, Nilsson, Wagner
Only two months since the last rotation? A bit of chaos in current Sirius programming. This performance is also in the Met’s bicentenary Wagner CD box from Sony. Reiner, Hotter, and Varnay are experienced Wagnerians, but this is one Wagner opera better served by the historic partnership a decade later of Schippers / Bohm, London, and Rysanek (and Tozzi too). (9/26/16) “
“SIMON BOCCANEGRA : Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/03/2007
Cast: Luisi; Hampson, Gheorghiu, Giordani, Furlanetto, Gerello
Media: SID.17490428 Tags: Archive; 2017, Verdi
Simon is one opera that gets regular outings at the Met, though not
necessarily everywhere, starting with the titanic duo of Tibbett and
Pinza, both of whom are still my standard in Simon and Fiesco (but not yet appearing on Sirius). I am not a big fan of Hampson’s traversal of the Verdi baritone repertoire.
This was followed with another MOoD broadcast (video) with Domingo moving up to the title role under Levine. For me the best of the recent SBs was the FOLLOWING year when Levine did a short revival with Hvorostovsky (not always my choice for Verdi either) with Frittoli, Vargas, and Furlanetto, where Levine seems at his most inspired– he’s conducted 1/3 of all Boccanegras at the Met, and this performance is now out on MOoD as well. Somehow this performance did not make it in to MOoD– it should.
SB is rather well represented in MOoD with Milanov, Tebaldi, Bergonzi, but stillno rebroadcast in modern times is the Ehrling 1974 Boccanegra with distinguished contributions by Ingvar Wixell in the title role and Adriana Maliponte as Amelia; Tucker and Tozzi provide solid support. 11/28/2015”
“ARIADNE AUF NAXOS : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/20/1993
Cast: Marin; Norman, Moser, Swenson, Mentzer, Stewart, Oswald
Media: MOD Audio SID.17490530 Tags: Archive; 2017, Strauss
For my money Jessye Norman is much better in her two earlier broadcasts (the first with Andrew Davis conducting, the second with Levine and subsequently telecast). Moser is not my preferred Bacchus, but Swenson featuring more of a lyric Zerbinetta (a la Guden) is very fine. 11/21/16
***
This is Norman’s last Ariadne broadcast and in the new production for her. I prefer the 1988 video (which is on DVD from DG) with Troyanos and Battle under Levine. Swenson has her moments as well. 4/23/12
***
I’m not sure about the interest in this performance. Norman five years earlier under Levine has a sterling broadcast and telecast with King, Troyanos, and Battle. What has NOT been broadcast on Sirius is either Bohm Ariadne : the Met premiere season in 1963 with Rysanek (supposed to have been Della Casa, but with the opera switch from Dutchman, it went to LR). Seven years later features Bohm and Rysanek with King and a delectable performance from Reri Grist. 11 July 2011
“