EUGENE ONEGIN:Tchaikovsky
Gergiev; Hvorostovsky, Fleming, Vargas, Zaremba, Aleksashkin
Original Air Date: 02/24/2007
Live in HDMOD AudioMOD Video
SID.19450212
This performance is well known as one of the first season hits from the Met Live in HD. It is available on video in Blu-Ray (not so many of the Met performances are), as well as in MOoD. Gergiev, Hvorostovsky and Fleming deliver on their superstar standing both in audio and video.
CARMEN:Bizet
Pelletier; Swarthout, Kullman, Albanese, Warren
Original Air Date: 03/15/1941
MOD Audio
SID.19450315
This performance is on MOoD. Swarthout was certainly a media creation of the 30s and 40s and lasted into the 50s as an occasional panelist on What’s my line? Albanese and Warren are heard in less familiar roles. Warren does not do Escamillo after 1944, and Albanese has no Met Micaelas after 1949. There are many Met performances from the 40s more deserving than this one, but it has its curiosities.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Levine; Borodina, Flórez, Furlanetto, Patriarco
Original Air Date: 02/28/2004
MOD Audio
SID.19450319
Levine is always ready to take the podium when a major star or a video is handy, even if Rossini does not figure prominently in his normally outsized totals– 6 Barbieres, 12 Cenerentolas, and 19 Italianas (he does the Horne video revival in 1986 and this sunny revival from 2004. Borodina is a delightful Isabella, and Furlanetto brings more than the normal amount of voice to Mustafa. Having Florez and Kwiecien (one of his first major roles with the company) makes sure that this performance will have plenty to please the ear and the eye.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Rudel; Morris, McLaughlin, Fleming, Croft, Bunnell
Original Air Date: 02/12/1994
MOD Audio
SID.19450422
This is is Fleming’s first featured broadcast and it’s one of her best roles. The previous broadcast appearance was in the small role of Rosina (Countess) in Ghosts of Versailles. Fleming’s Countess is rarer than you might think. She only has nine performances since her Met debut (in this role) in 1991. This broadcast is only her third. She premieres the new production with Terfel and Bartoli, but only does the telecast (MOD). Rudel is a fine Mozartean with plenty of fine Figaros over at NYCO before moving over to the Met. He is too often underestimated, but he presided over many a fine Figaro at the NYCO before taking up residence at the Met. Morris and McLaughlin are an interesting servant pair and any performance with Senechal is guaranteed some attention. As for missing historic broadcasts, the original Texaco broadcast with Albanese and Pinza from 1940 should certainly be rebroadcast, and the Countesses of Eleanor Steber (five from 1943-50) and Victoria de los Angeles (1952) with the superb Count of Giuseppe Valdengo. Jarmila Novotna is a superb Cherubino on many of those Steber Countesses.
I VESPRI SICILIANI:Verdi
Chaslin; Radvanovsky, Casanova, Nucci, Ramey
Original Air Date: 12/11/2004
MOD Audio
SID.19450425
Elena was a major breakout role for Radvanovsky, and she was the deserved star of this revival. Nucci, who has appeared irregularly but continuously since his debut in 1980 last appeared at the Met in this 2004 broadcast where he is in fine voice as he was on the Nabucco broadcast six months earlier (prior season). His current engagements show him as busy as any Verdi baritone before the public with an appearance in January 2016 at La Scala as Rigoletto with Nadine Sierra, where they encored the Si, vendetta duet (!!!!). Casanova has good style in arguably Verdi’s most challenging tenor part. This revival catches Ramey after the wobble had started to set in (I date at around 2002). He’s still very commanding, but it’s just a bit too late to be top quality. Procida is one of the greatest of Verdi bass roles right up there with Fiesco, if not quite at the level of Filippo II. Chaslin conducts a well prepared performance, and so nice to have this performance in the Sirius rotation. With Radvanovsky’s new status, this performance should be added to MOoD. This is true two years ago, and is still the case.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Levine; van Rensburg, Röschmann, Deshorties, Kozená. Francis
Original Air Date: 12/09/2006
MOD Audio
SID.19450426
This is Levine’s last run of Idomeneo at the Met, which included several streamed performances before the matinee with Heppner in the title role. Not sure why Rensburg has the last two, but the title role has had Pavarotti, Domingo, and the young Heppner (1991). Deshorties has had not one, but two Elettras, and the part calls for a Vaness (two excellent broadcasts) or Studer (never broadcast from the Met but in a fall series of performances.) Kozena is a quality Idamante, and Levine’s Mozart is among his very best.
CARMEN:Bizet
Pelletier; Swarthout, Kullman, Albanese, Warren
Original Air Date: 03/15/1941
MOD Audio
SID.19450427
This performance is on MOoD. Swarthout was certainly a media creation of the 30s and 40s and lasted into the 50s as an occasional panelist on What’s my line? Albanese and Warren are heard in less familiar roles. Warren does not do Escamillo after 1944, and Albanese has no Met Micaelas after 1949. There are many Met performances from the 40s more deserving than this one, but it has its curiosities.
EUGENE ONEGIN:Tchaikovsky
Gergiev; Hvorostovsky, Fleming, Vargas, Zaremba, Aleksashkin
Original Air Date: 02/24/2007
Live in HDMOD AudioMOD Video
SID.19450428
This performance is well known as one of the first season hits from the Met Live in HD. It is available on video in Blu-Ray (not so many of the Met performances are), as well as in MOoD. Gergiev, Hvorostovsky and Fleming deliver on their superstar standing both in audio and video.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Rosenstock; Borkh, Rysanek, Madeira, Uhde, Vinay
Original Air Date: 03/25/1961
MOD Audio
SID.19450530
Rosenstock appears for the originally scheduled Mitropoulos who had died the previous November. Still, this is a powerful cast in a masterpiece. The whole cast is top drawer, and highly recommended. This is the only Elektra Borkh and Rysanek ever did together, and they are among the very best in these roles. Nice to welcome this performance to MOoD in their 2014 reissues. For me a highlight of the week. Rosenstock comes to the Met first in 1929, and left after one season (poor reviews compared to Bodanzky and Bodanzky returned the following season). Rosenstock returned to Germany, then to Japan for the WHOLE WWII at NHK. He gets back to New York, and starts anew at New York City Opera and succeeds Halasz as director in 1952. After 4 seasons as director, he is replaced by Julius Rudel, and then returns to the Met in 1961 replacing the recently deceased Mitropoulos. He goes on to conduct over 250 Met performances in the next 8 years. including Tosca and Lucia on the Met tour among just about everything. He is a solid conductor, and Borkh in 1961 one of the very great Elektras.
EUGENE ONEGIN:Tchaikovsky
Gergiev; Hvorostovsky, Fleming, Vargas, Zaremba, Aleksashkin
Original Air Date: 02/24/2007
Live in HDMOD AudioMOD Video
SID.19450531
This performance is well known as one of the first season hits from the Met Live in HD. It is available on video in Blu-Ray (not so many of the Met performances are), as well as in MOoD. Gergiev, Hvorostovsky and Fleming deliver on their superstar standing both in audio and video.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Levine; Borodina, Flórez, Furlanetto, Patriarco
Original Air Date: 02/28/2004
MOD Audio
SID.19450637
Levine is always ready to take the podium when a major star or a video is handy, even if Rossini does not figure prominently in his normally outsized totals– 6 Barbieres, 12 Cenerentolas, and 19 Italianas (he does the Horne video revival in 1986 and this sunny revival from 2004. Borodina is a delightful Isabella, and Furlanetto brings more than the normal amount of voice to Mustafa. Having Florez and Kwiecien (one of his first major roles with the company) makes sure that this performance will have plenty to please the ear and the eye.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Rudel; Morris, McLaughlin, Fleming, Croft, Bunnell
Original Air Date: 02/12/1994
MOD Audio
SID.19450639
This is is Fleming’s first featured broadcast and it’s one of her best roles. The previous broadcast appearance was in the small role of Rosina (Countess) in Ghosts of Versailles. Fleming’s Countess is rarer than you might think. She only has nine performances since her Met debut (in this role) in 1991. This broadcast is only her third. She premieres the new production with Terfel and Bartoli, but only does the telecast (MOD). Rudel is a fine Mozartean with plenty of fine Figaros over at NYCO before moving over to the Met. He is too often underestimated, but he presided over many a fine Figaro at the NYCO before taking up residence at the Met. Morris and McLaughlin are an interesting servant pair and any performance with Senechal is guaranteed some attention. As for missing historic broadcasts, the original Texaco broadcast with Albanese and Pinza from 1940 should certainly be rebroadcast, and the Countesses of Eleanor Steber (five from 1943-50) and Victoria de los Angeles (1952) with the superb Count of Giuseppe Valdengo. Jarmila Novotna is a superb Cherubino on many of those Steber Countesses.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Levine; van Rensburg, Röschmann, Deshorties, Kozená. Francis
Original Air Date: 12/09/2006
MOD Audio
SID.19450641
This is Levine’s last run of Idomeneo at the Met, which included several streamed performances before the matinee with Heppner in the title role. Not sure why Rensburg has the last two, but the title role has had Pavarotti, Domingo, and the young Heppner (1991). Deshorties has had not one, but two Elettras, and the part calls for a Vaness (two excellent broadcasts) or Studer (never broadcast from the Met but in a fall series of performances.) Kozena is a quality Idamante, and Levine’s Mozart is among his very best.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Rosenstock; Borkh, Rysanek, Madeira, Uhde, Vinay
Original Air Date: 03/25/1961
MOD Audio
SID.19450743
Rosenstock appears for the originally scheduled Mitropoulos who had died the previous November. Still, this is a powerful cast in a masterpiece. The whole cast is top drawer, and highly recommended. This is the only Elektra Borkh and Rysanek ever did together, and they are among the very best in these roles. Nice to welcome this performance to MOoD in their 2014 reissues. For me a highlight of the week. Rosenstock comes to the Met first in 1929, and left after one season (poor reviews compared to Bodanzky and Bodanzky returned the following season). Rosenstock returned to Germany, then to Japan for the WHOLE WWII at NHK. He gets back to New York, and starts anew at New York City Opera and succeeds Halasz as director in 1952. After 4 seasons as director, he is replaced by Julius Rudel, and then returns to the Met in 1961 replacing the recently deceased Mitropoulos. He goes on to conduct over 250 Met performances in the next 8 years. including Tosca and Lucia on the Met tour among just about everything. He is a solid conductor, and Borkh in 1961 one of the very great Elektras.
CARMEN:Bizet
Pelletier; Swarthout, Kullman, Albanese, Warren
Original Air Date: 03/15/1941
MOD Audio
SID.19450746
This performance is on MOoD. Swarthout was certainly a media creation of the 30s and 40s and lasted into the 50s as an occasional panelist on What’s my line? Albanese and Warren are heard in less familiar roles. Warren does not do Escamillo after 1944, and Albanese has no Met Micaelas after 1949. There are many Met performances from the 40s more deserving than this one, but it has its curiosities.
I VESPRI SICILIANI:Verdi
Chaslin; Radvanovsky, Casanova, Nucci, Ramey
Original Air Date: 12/11/2004
MOD Audio
SID.19450748
Elena was a major breakout role for Radvanovsky, and she was the deserved star of this revival. Nucci, who has appeared irregularly but continuously since his debut in 1980 last appeared at the Met in this 2004 broadcast where he is in fine voice as he was on the Nabucco broadcast six months earlier (prior season). His current engagements show him as busy as any Verdi baritone before the public with an appearance in January 2016 at La Scala as Rigoletto with Nadine Sierra, where they encored the Si, vendetta duet (!!!!). Casanova has good style in arguably Verdi’s most challenging tenor part. This revival catches Ramey after the wobble had started to set in (I date at around 2002). He’s still very commanding, but it’s just a bit too late to be top quality. Procida is one of the greatest of Verdi bass roles right up there with Fiesco, if not quite at the level of Filippo II. Chaslin conducts a well prepared performance, and so nice to have this performance in the Sirius rotation. With Radvanovsky’s new status, this performance should be added to MOoD. This is true two years ago, and is still the case.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470104
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470105
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Rudolf; Guarrera, Peters, Valletti, Corena, Hines
Original Air Date: 12/21/1957
MOD Audio
SID.19470211
Guarrera is an alert if not so suave Figaro. Rudolf leads an experienced ensemble. One should listen to Corena here to hear why he’s remains so missed. The Met should release the Berganza 1968 video if for no other reason to preserve his Bartolo.
MOSES UND ARON:Schoenberg
Levine; Tomlinson, Langridge
Original Air Date: 02/20/1999
MOD Audio
SID.19470319
There are only two broadcasts this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently.There are only two broadcasts – this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently. These same forces broadcast the opera again four years later, and to date these are the only broadcasts of the Schoenberg work from the Met. It’s not on my regular listening schedule, but an important 20th century work for those who determine importance.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470423
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470424
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
MOSES UND ARON:Schoenberg
Levine; Tomlinson, Langridge
Original Air Date: 02/20/1999
MOD Audio
SID.19470535
There are only two broadcasts this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently.There are only two broadcasts – this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently. These same forces broadcast the opera again four years later, and to date these are the only broadcasts of the Schoenberg work from the Met. It’s not on my regular listening schedule, but an important 20th century work for those who determine importance.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Rudolf; Guarrera, Peters, Valletti, Corena, Hines
Original Air Date: 12/21/1957
MOD Audio
SID.19470638
Guarrera is an alert if not so suave Figaro. Rudolf leads an experienced ensemble. One should listen to Corena here to hear why he’s remains so missed. The Met should release the Berganza 1968 video if for no other reason to preserve his Bartolo.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470641
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Reiner; Schöffler, de los Angeles, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl, Holm
Original Air Date: 01/10/1953
MOD Audio
SID.19470642
De los Angeles is one of my favorite singers, and Reiner is one of my favorite conductors, and Schoffler still has some youth on him. For me, the distinctions are chiefly Reiner, Schoffler, and de los Angeles. Greindl, the Pogner, Holm, the David make their final Met appearances on this broadcast. This performance has been on Sirius before and is in the Sony Wagner at the Met box.
BILLY BUDD:Britten
Mackerras; Hampson, Clark, Morris, Held, Courtney
Original Air Date: 04/04/1992
MOD Audio
SID.19480211
Morris has sung almost every Claggart in the production and it is one of his best parts. Hampson isn’t always ideal as an innocent, but he’s a fine musician and the cast under Mackerras is top drawer. There is also an excellent Met video of the production with Dwayne Croft on MOoD.
Donizetti
Varviso; Sutherland; Kónya, Herlea, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 12/05/1964
MOD Audio
SID.19480212
This is Sutherland’s second broadcast Lucia, and not often heard. Konya is not my favorite Edgardo, but for those who don’t want to hear Bonynge, they get another figure at the podium.
Massenet
Rudel; Swenson, Sabbatini, de Candia
Original Air Date: 03/03/2001
MOD Audio
SID.19480315
I’m not sure if anyone has conducted Manon more than Julius Rudel, the opera having been a mainstay during his NYCO stewardship. This is an OK performance, but wish we could hear the 1959 DeLosAngeles Gedda Manon under Jean Morel as well.I’m not sure if anyone has conducted Manon more than Julius Rudel, the opera having been a mainstay during his NYCO stewardship. This is an OK performance, but wish we could hear the 1959 De Los Angeles/Gedda Manon under Jean Morel as well. This opera is available on MOoD to listen to anytime. 1/29/11 – This is uncommon casting, but maybe one way to start preparing for the new production of Manon. I would be happier if someone would dig deeper into the archives for the single De Los Angeles/Gedda broadcast under Jean Morel from 1959.
Stravinsky
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
MOD Audio
SID.19480316
Rake’s Progress had its American premiere under Fritz Reiner on a Met broadcast. I saw this Jonathan Miller production when it was new in 1998 with the same cast as above except Jerry Hadley was the Tom Rakewell. I find the work cold, and though very well prepared, the Miller production did not make it one whit more interesting.