THE FIRST EMPEROR:Dun
Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20040636
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to. I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).
MANON LESCAUT:Puccini
Antonicelli; Kirsten, Björling, Valdengo, Baccaloni
Original Air Date: 12/10/1949
MOD Audio
SID.20040637
One of the all-time great Met broadcasts. Sound is not perfect, but it is a thrilling performance. Bjorling is also great in 1956 with Albanese, and luckily both are in MOoD. No better way to pass the time. This is one of the earliest broadcasts regularly in Sirius rotation and also in MOoD. The 1956 (also in MOoD) with Albenese under Mitropoulos is a more dramatic performance, but BJorling is fantastic on both. Valdengo is a fine Lescaut. This would be THE Manon Lescaut if Bjorling’s 1956 Met broadcast with Albanese had not been broadcast. If ever there were a candidate for the Sony reissue list, the 1956 performance is it. Still, Kirsten and Bjorling are plenty fine, and nothing like it to be heard today.
FAUST:Gounod
Rudel; Leech, Fleming, Ramey, Croft, Bunnell
Original Air Date: 04/05/1997
MOD Audio
SID.20040642
This is a fine performance with all performers at full throttle. Rudel has conducted his share of Fausts (many more at the NYCO than the Met), and I reacted most positively to the last time it was on. Fleming is in especially fine form. It’s one of her best roles –her best predecessor as Marguerite was Freni, who only did the part with the Met in the fall of 1966 and thus never broadcast it. Mention should be made of two other fine Marguerites Diania Soviero whose 1991 broacast has been picked up by Sirius and Pilar Lorengar’s 1969 broadcast with Gedda, Siepi, and Merrill under Silvio Varviso which has not been on Sirius and certainly deserves coverage.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
MOD Audio
SID.20040744
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
MOD Audio
SID.20040745
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
AIDA:Verdi
Levine; Price, Domingo, Horne, MacNeil, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 03/06/1976
MOD Audio
SID.20040747
Three of Domingo’s 14 Met Radames were over the airwaves, and this is the first. In the Sirius listing, James Morris is left off as King. This is the kind of Aida bass tandem we were used to until the last two decades. Giaiotti is one of the best Ramfis around. I’m not a fan of Horne’s Amneris, and this is her only Met season in the role. She’s a major artist, but not a Verdi mezzo. Price is heard to better advantage in earlier performances, especially 1963 and 1965.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Panni; Anderson, Leech, Fu, Plishka
Original Air Date: 12/12/1992
MOD Audio
SID.20040748
Nothing really saves this afternoon as can be read in the Met database listing for the second performance of this new production by Francesca Zambello which comes in for some pretty harsh treatment from Martin Mayer– far from my favorite critic, but I think he has the right bead on this performance if not the musical excellence of Lucia as a great musical achievement. A Volpe miscue of large proportions (18 performances this season). 9/3/2013 – From my comments then: This is the newly preferred Sirius Lucia which I don’t think is very good. It does feature the conducting of Marcello Panni, who died shortly after his run of La Juive at the Met.
THE FIRST EMPEROR:Dun
Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20040749
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to. I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Cooper; Sayão, Bjorling,, Brownlee, Moscona
Original Air Date: 02/01/1947
MOD Audio
SID.20050104
One of the greatest performances to ever emanate from the Met stage. Available on Met Player, SonyCD, and despite the AM sound, Bjorling sings his second and last Met Romeo for the broadcast airwaves. Sayao with somewhat more limited vocal artillery is still every bit his equal artistically, and this performance comes pretty close to universal. If you haven’t heard it in some time, take a listen.
CAPRICCIO:Strauss
Davis; Te Kanawa, Rootering, Kuebler, Keenlyside, Brendel, Harries
Original Air Date: 01/31/1998
MOD Audio
SID.20050105
The Met has only had two matinee broadcasts for Strauss’ final work: this one with Te Kanawa and Fleming in 2012. Andrew Davis conducted both revivals. Clairon was a famous role for Troyanos and luckily it is captured on a San Francisco telecast with Te Kanawa, but she died in 1993, which I guess is one reason for the more lightweight casting. Te Kanawa is definitely worth hearing.
This performance is available in MOoD. The previous fall Pavarotti had Levine at the help and Dara as the Dulcamara for the video which is also available in MOoD and commercial DVD.
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Rizzi; Racette, Álvarez, Chernov
Original Air Date: 12/19/1998
MOD Audio
SID.20050208
This production had been through multiple cast changes. Originally for Gheorgiu and Alagna, it moved to Fleming, who begged off because of schedule overcrowding. By the time of the broadcast, Levine had been succeeded by Rizzi. Although Marcelo Alvarez sang much better than today, he never quite made the top tier for me; his work in Ballo and Cav/Pag the past few seasons have been very solid. Racette was too generic vocally at thetime of this broadcast, and major move into Puccini and verismo did little good for her voice. Chernov who never quite made it had a lovely voice, if not exactly the Russian Robert Merrill (that was more likely Yuri Mazurok). MOoD also features Ponselle, Steber, Tebaldi, and Cotrubas prior to Racette, and Fleming and Gheorghiu post all of whom are more distinctive. Albanese has 10 broadcasts of her Violetta –5 pre Bing, 5 under Bing, but only her last from 1959 has been on Sirius. Sutherland has a 1964 broadcast that the archives show as having been on Sirius, but it has not been rebroadcast; De Los Angeles has a 1958 broadcast which has not been rebroadcast. Caballe, despite an opening night did not show for her broadcast (Pilou sang) so one of her most famous roles is not documented on the Met airwaves.
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Baudo; Gedda, Bacquier, Boky, Crespin, Amara, von Stade
Original Air Date: 04/10/1971
MOD Audio
SID.20050211
The fall performances went unbroadcast. This 1970/71 Hoffmann was divided between a fall group with Grist, Elias, and Lorengar in the three ladies and the spring offering was Boky, Crespin, and Amara. The excellent Gedda and Bacquier were in both parts of the revival. In the fall performances Grist and Lorengar were excellent. The broadcast does not come until spring, Crespin’s Giulietta while visually dazzling was one rocky ride on the Venetian canal. Amara sang a solid Antonia, but her tone never had the luster of a Lorengar. Boky is similarly lacking compared to Grist. Baudo is no Julius Rudel (among the best conductors I’ve ever heard for Hoffmann) or Chailly, let alone Monteux who originated the production in 1955. What should be mentioned is the strong supporting cast including von Stade as Nicklausse , Velis in the four comic tenor parts, and Paul Franke as an inimitable Spalanzani.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Levine; Price, Quivar, Domingo, Cheek
Original Air Date: 02/20/1982
MOD Audio
SID.20050212
This broadcast is in memory of long-time Met Assistant Manager and Press representative, Francis Robinson. This is getting to be pretty late Price, and Domingo is not the best choice of tenor soloists for the Requiem. Quivar is a very solid mezzo soloist, and preferred to many commercially recorded mezzos. Cheek is OK, but if you are a Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) you can listen to a 1964 Requiem (in memory of John F. Kennedy) under Solti with Price,Elias, Bergonzi, and Siepi. Sound is not digital, but the performance is splendid and marks Solti’s final appearance with the Met
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Levine; Taddei, Neblett, Monk, Cossotto, Blegen, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 03/08/1986
MOD Audio
SID.20050316
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.
CAPRICCIO:Strauss
Davis; Te Kanawa, Rootering, Kuebler, Keenlyside, Brendel, Harries
Original Air Date: 01/31/1998
MOD Audio
SID.20050317
The Met has only had two matinee broadcasts for Strauss’ final work: this one with Te Kanawa and Fleming in 2012. Andrew Davis conducted both revivals. Clairon was a famous role for Troyanos and luckily it is captured on a San Francisco telecast with Te Kanawa, but she died in 1993, which I guess is one reason for the more lightweight casting. Te Kanawa is definitely worth hearing.
This performance is available in MOoD. The previous fall Pavarotti had Levine at the help and Dara as the Dulcamara for the video which is also available in MOoD and commercial DVD.
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Cooper; Sayão, Bjorling,, Brownlee, Moscona
Original Air Date: 02/01/1947
MOD Audio
SID.20050423
One of the greatest performances to ever emanate from the Met stage. Available on Met Player, SonyCD, and despite the AM sound, Bjorling sings his second and last Met Romeo for the broadcast airwaves. Sayao with somewhat more limited vocal artillery is still every bit his equal artistically, and this performance comes pretty close to universal. If you haven’t heard it in some time, take a listen.
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Rizzi; Racette, Álvarez, Chernov
Original Air Date: 12/19/1998
MOD Audio
SID.20050424
This production had been through multiple cast changes. Originally for Gheorgiu and Alagna, it moved to Fleming, who begged off because of schedule overcrowding. By the time of the broadcast, Levine had been succeeded by Rizzi. Although Marcelo Alvarez sang much better than today, he never quite made the top tier for me; his work in Ballo and Cav/Pag the past few seasons have been very solid. Racette was too generic vocally at thetime of this broadcast, and major move into Puccini and verismo did little good for her voice. Chernov who never quite made it had a lovely voice, if not exactly the Russian Robert Merrill (that was more likely Yuri Mazurok). MOoD also features Ponselle, Steber, Tebaldi, and Cotrubas prior to Racette, and Fleming and Gheorghiu post all of whom are more distinctive. Albanese has 10 broadcasts of her Violetta –5 pre Bing, 5 under Bing, but only her last from 1959 has been on Sirius. Sutherland has a 1964 broadcast that the archives show as having been on Sirius, but it has not been rebroadcast; De Los Angeles has a 1958 broadcast which has not been rebroadcast. Caballe, despite an opening night did not show for her broadcast (Pilou sang) so one of her most famous roles is not documented on the Met airwaves.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Levine; Price, Quivar, Domingo, Cheek
Original Air Date: 02/20/1982
MOD Audio
SID.20050428
This broadcast is in memory of long-time Met Assistant Manager and Press representative, Francis Robinson. This is getting to be pretty late Price, and Domingo is not the best choice of tenor soloists for the Requiem. Quivar is a very solid mezzo soloist, and preferred to many commercially recorded mezzos. Cheek is OK, but if you are a Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) you can listen to a 1964 Requiem (in memory of John F. Kennedy) under Solti with Price,Elias, Bergonzi, and Siepi. Sound is not digital, but the performance is splendid and marks Solti’s final appearance with the Met
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Baudo; Gedda, Bacquier, Boky, Crespin, Amara, von Stade
Original Air Date: 04/10/1971
MOD Audio
SID.20050530
The fall performances went unbroadcast. This 1970/71 Hoffmann was divided between a fall group with Grist, Elias, and Lorengar in the three ladies and the spring offering was Boky, Crespin, and Amara. The excellent Gedda and Bacquier were in both parts of the revival. In the fall performances Grist and Lorengar were excellent. The broadcast does not come until spring, Crespin’s Giulietta while visually dazzling was one rocky ride on the Venetian canal. Amara sang a solid Antonia, but her tone never had the luster of a Lorengar. Boky is similarly lacking compared to Grist. Baudo is no Julius Rudel (among the best conductors I’ve ever heard for Hoffmann) or Chailly, let alone Monteux who originated the production in 1955. What should be mentioned is the strong supporting cast including von Stade as Nicklausse , Velis in the four comic tenor parts, and Paul Franke as an inimitable Spalanzani.
MESSA DA REQUIEM:Verdi
Levine; Price, Quivar, Domingo, Cheek
Original Air Date: 02/20/1982
MOD Audio
SID.20050531
This broadcast is in memory of long-time Met Assistant Manager and Press representative, Francis Robinson. This is getting to be pretty late Price, and Domingo is not the best choice of tenor soloists for the Requiem. Quivar is a very solid mezzo soloist, and preferred to many commercially recorded mezzos. Cheek is OK, but if you are a Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) you can listen to a 1964 Requiem (in memory of John F. Kennedy) under Solti with Price,Elias, Bergonzi, and Siepi. Sound is not digital, but the performance is splendid and marks Solti’s final appearance with the Met
CAPRICCIO:Strauss
Davis; Te Kanawa, Rootering, Kuebler, Keenlyside, Brendel, Harries
Original Air Date: 01/31/1998
MOD Audio
SID.20050535
The Met has only had two matinee broadcasts for Strauss’ final work: this one with Te Kanawa and Fleming in 2012. Andrew Davis conducted both revivals. Clairon was a famous role for Troyanos and luckily it is captured on a San Francisco telecast with Te Kanawa, but she died in 1993, which I guess is one reason for the more lightweight casting. Te Kanawa is definitely worth hearing.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Levine; Taddei, Neblett, Monk, Cossotto, Blegen, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 03/08/1986
MOD Audio
SID.20050636
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.
This performance is available in MOoD. The previous fall Pavarotti had Levine at the help and Dara as the Dulcamara for the video which is also available in MOoD and commercial DVD.
PORGY AND BESS:Gershwins
David Robertson: Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Frederick Ballentine, Alfred Walker, Golda Schultz
Original Air Date: 02/01/2020
Live in HD
SID.20050640
One of America’s favorite operas returns to the Met for the first time in nearly 30 years. James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants. “If you’re going to stage Gershwin’s opera, this is how,” raved the Guardian when the new production premiered in London in 2018. David Robertson conducts a dynamic cast, featuring the sympathetic duo of Eric Owens and Angel Blue in the title roles The worldwide copyrights in the works of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin family. GERSHWIN is a registered trademark of Gershwin Enterprises. Porgy and Bess is a registered trademark of Porgy and Bess Enterprises. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam; and English National Opera Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund and Douglas Dockery Thomas
PORGY AND BESS:Gershwins
David Robertson: Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Frederick Ballentine, Alfred Walker, Golda Schultz
Original Air Date: 02/01/2020
Live in HD
SID.20050640
One of America’s favorite operas returns to the Met for the first time in nearly 30 years. James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants. “If you’re going to stage Gershwin’s opera, this is how,” raved the Guardian when the new production premiered in London in 2018. David Robertson conducts a dynamic cast, featuring the sympathetic duo of Eric Owens and Angel Blue in the title roles The worldwide copyrights in the works of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin family. GERSHWIN is a registered trademark of Gershwin Enterprises. Porgy and Bess is a registered trademark of Porgy and Bess Enterprises. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam; and English National Opera Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund and Douglas Dockery Thomas
PORGY AND BESS:Gershwins
David Robertson: Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Frederick Ballentine, Alfred Walker, Golda Schultz
Original Air Date: 02/01/2020
Live in HD
SID.20050640
One of America’s favorite operas returns to the Met for the first time in nearly 30 years. James Robinson’s stylish production transports audiences to Catfish Row on the Charleston waterfront, vibrant with the music, dancing, emotion, and heartbreak of its inhabitants. “If you’re going to stage Gershwin’s opera, this is how,” raved the Guardian when the new production premiered in London in 2018. David Robertson conducts a dynamic cast, featuring the sympathetic duo of Eric Owens and Angel Blue in the title roles The worldwide copyrights in the works of George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin for this presentation are licensed by the Gershwin family. GERSHWIN is a registered trademark of Gershwin Enterprises. Porgy and Bess is a registered trademark of Porgy and Bess Enterprises. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam; and English National Opera Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund and Douglas Dockery Thomas