LA CENERENTOLA:Rossini
Original Air Date: 01/24/1998
Levine; Larmore, Vargas, Alaimo, Corbelli
MOD Audio SID.19390107
The 2000 broadcast with Larmore features Campanella and Gimenez. This 1998 broadcast is the original cast from the fall 1997 premiere except with Larmore for Bartoli. The Bartoli performance is preserved on video on MOoD. New York has seen a lot of Cenerentola in the 17 years since it premiered– Bartoli, Larmore,Borodina, Ganassi, Garanca, DiDonato. Neither Borodina nor Ganassi were broadcast– I liked Borodina very much and the Ganassi performances featured Florez’ first NYC Ramiros.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
MOD Audio SID.19390208
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. 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 good to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/04/1967
Krips; Raskin, Shirley, Uppman, Peters, Macurdy
MOD Audio SID.19390315
First year in the new house, the Chagall production premiered with the Europeans (Lorengar, Popp, Gedda, Prey) plus Hines, but the Americans in the cast above got the broadcast. I liked Krips conducting very much. Popp did broadcast her Queen 3 years later, but this performance has not been on Sirius. Skrowacewski is the conductor, Zylis-Gara is the Pamina, but Popp, Gedda, Prey are all picked up from the premiere cast, and it’s the only German broadcasts of their roles. Sirius should definitely fill in this gap. In 1967 Macurdy was actually fresher of voice than Hines, but mostly this cast was definitely second class.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/25/1995
Levine; Domingo, Upshaw, Vaness, von Otter, Davies
MOD Audio SID.19390317
Levine is an excellent Idomeneo conductor, and Vaness is the best of the Met Elettras. Upshaw is a bit light
LA CENERENTOLA:Rossini
Original Air Date: 01/24/1998
Levine; Larmore, Vargas, Alaimo, Corbelli
MOD Audio SID.19390422
The 2000 broadcast with Larmore features Campanella and Gimenez. This 1998 broadcast is the original cast from the fall 1997 premiere except with Larmore for Bartoli. The Bartoli performance is preserved on video on MOoD. New York has seen a lot of Cenerentola in the 17 years since it premiered– Bartoli, Larmore,Borodina, Ganassi, Garanca, DiDonato. Neither Borodina nor Ganassi were broadcast– I liked Borodina very much and the Ganassi performances featured Florez’ first NYC Ramiros.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
MOD Audio SID.19390427
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. 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 good to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/04/1967
Krips; Raskin, Shirley, Uppman, Peters, Macurdy
MOD Audio SID.19390531
First year in the new house, the Chagall production premiered with the Europeans (Lorengar, Popp, Gedda, Prey) plus Hines, but the Americans in the cast above got the broadcast. I liked Krips conducting very much. Popp did broadcast her Queen 3 years later, but this performance has not been on Sirius. Skrowacewski is the conductor, Zylis-Gara is the Pamina, but Popp, Gedda, Prey are all picked up from the premiere cast, and it’s the only German broadcasts of their roles. Sirius should definitely fill in this gap. In 1967 Macurdy was actually fresher of voice than Hines, but mostly this cast was definitely second class.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/25/1995
Levine; Domingo, Upshaw, Vaness, von Otter, Davies
MOD Audio SID.19390317
Levine is an excellent Idomeneo conductor, and Vaness is the best of the Met Elettras. Upshaw is a bit light
LA CENERENTOLA:Rossini
Levine; Larmore, Vargas, Alaimo, Corbelli
Original Air Date: 01/24/1998
MOD Audio
SID.19390745
The 2000 broadcast with Larmore features Campanella and Gimenez. This 1998 broadcast is the original cast from the fall 1997 premiere except with Larmore for Bartoli. The Bartoli performance is preserved on video on MOoD. New York has seen a lot of Cenerentola in the 17 years since it premiered– Bartoli, Larmore,Borodina, Ganassi, Garanca, DiDonato. Neither Borodina nor Ganassi were broadcast– I liked Borodina very much and the Ganassi performances featured Florez’ first NYC Ramiros.
DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE:Mozart
Krips; Raskin, Shirley, Uppman, Peters, Macurdy
Original Air Date: 03/04/1967
MOD Audio
SID.19400101
First year in the new house, the Chagall production premiered with the Europeans (Lorengar, Popp, Gedda, Prey) plus Hines, but the Americans in the cast above got the broadcast. I liked Krips conducting very much. Popp did broadcast her Queen 3 years later, but this performance has not been on Sirius. Skrowacewski is the conductor, Zylis-Gara is the Pamina, but Popp, Gedda, Prey are all picked up from the premiere cast, and it’s the only German broadcasts of their roles. Sirius should definitely fill in this gap. In 1967 Macurdy was actually fresher of voice than Hines, but mostly this cast was definitely second class.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Schippers; Adam, Lorengar, King, Kusche, Flagello, Driscoll
Original Air Date: 01/15/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400105
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.
FAUST:Gounod
Rich; Domingo, Zylis-Gara, Tozzi, Sereni, von Stade
Original Air Date: 02/26/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400209
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.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Solti; Price, Elias, Bergonzi, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/28/1964
MOD Audio
SID.19400211
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.
TANNHÄUSER:Wagner
Levine; Cassilly, Norman, Randová, Hagegård, Rootering
Original Air Date: 01/24/1987
MOD Audio
SID.19400213
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.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy; Piazza, Kullman, Munsel, Tucker, Stevens, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/20/1951
MOD Audio
SID.19400214
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.
SUSANNAH:Floyd
Conlon; Fleming, Hadley, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/03/1999
MOD Audio
SID.19400315
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.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Schippers; Adam, Lorengar, King, Kusche, Flagello, Driscoll
Original Air Date: 01/15/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400316
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.