DON CARLO:Verdi
Adler; Corelli, Rysanek, Herlea, Dalis, Tozzi, Uhde
Original Air Date: 03/07/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20120746
This performance is in the Sony Historical CD series. Corelli is the centerpiece, but he despite being in thrilling voice, is a bit of a mess. Rysanek has her moments, some very good, some not so good. Herlea is a successful debutant as Rodrigo, and Dalis a distinctive Eboli. The great Met Ebolis are shortly to arrive with Bumbry, Cossotto, Verrett and Zajick. This performance is heavily cut and Tozzi shows signs that his voice is no longer in prime condition, but one of the most beautiful voices ever in that prime.
EUGENE ONEGIN:Tchaikovsky
Gergiev; Hvorostovsky, Fleming, Vargas, Zaremba, Aleksashkin
Original Air Date: 02/24/2007
Live in HD MOD Audio MOD Video SID.20120700
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.
EUGENE ONEGIN {122}
P. I. Tchaikovsky-P. I. Tchaikovsky/Shilovsky
Eugene Onegin………..Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Tatiana……………..Renée Fleming
Lensky………………Ramón Vargas
Olga………………..Elena Zaremba
Prince Gremin………..Sergei Aleksashkin
Larina………………Svetlana Volkova *Debut
Filippyevna………….Larisa Shevchenko
Triquet……………..Jean-Paul Fouchécourt
Captain……………..Keith Miller
Zaretsky…………….Richard Bernstein
Dance……………….Sam Meredith
Dance……………….Linda Gelinas
Conductor……………Valery Gergiev
Production…………..Robert Carsen
Designer…………….Michael Levine
Lighting Designer…….Jean Kalman
Choreographer………..Serge Bennathan
Stage Director……….Peter McClintock
FAUST:Gounod
Cleva; Morell, Moffo, Siepi, Ruzdak, Martin
Original Air Date: 01/04/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20130103
RWW: Siepi is the outstanding contribution here. He has 6 Mephisto broadcasts, but still missing from the Sirius/MOoD roster are the 2 Bjorlings from 1950 and 1959, and 1969 with Lorengar, Gedda, and Merrill. The recently deceased (fall 2013) Janis Martin is featured in this 1964 performance before her move to Europe and starring roles.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Amaducci; Flagello, Curtin, Guarrera, Barbieri, Raskin, Alva
Original Air Date: 12/16/1967
MOD Audio
SID.20130106
RWW: Barbieri, Guarrera, and Alva are veterans of many Falstaffs, and Flagello features a lot of voice for a bass Falstaff. Amaducci, by memory, didn’t have much sparkle. High praise for Alva and Barbieri; she is a characterful Quickly, and he a perfect Fenton, but Amaducci is possibly the weakest Falstaff conductor in Met history(certainly on broadcasts). The 1964 Bernstein has never been on Sirius, and though the Met Database records the 1972 as having been on Sirius with Gobbi, Tebaldi, and Paskalis under von Dohnanyi, it has not been on more than once, and should be heard again. Both of these performances belong in MOoD not this performance. Flagello who had one of the great voices in a time when the Met’s bass cabinet was chock full sings the part very well, but for this work, you must have a conductor to work with you, and that he doesn’t have. Alas, Falstaff is about ensemble, not individual efforts.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI:Zandonai
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, MacNeil, Lewis
Original Air Date: 04/07/1984
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.20130209
RWW: A bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite a meal of his Giovanni. MacNeil’s role is no cameo. Very committed performances from all. Best experienced in the video version available on DVD and Met Player.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130210
RWW: 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
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130211
RWW: 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.
Puccini
Erede; Albanese, Di Stefano, Güden, Guarrera, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/15/1952
MOD Audio
SID.20130212
RWW: This is really quite a strong Italianate cast (Guden excepted) with Albanese, Di Stefano, and Siepi all justly famous.
Levine; Caballé, Gedda, Milnes, Díaz
Original Air Date: 03/09/1974
MOD Audio
SID.20130214
RWW: This is a performance where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If Caballe does not have every note in place, she is still very near the top of her considerable form, and the ensemble reflects the new production intensity and first appearance of a major Verdi opera in the Met repertory. Gedda has the most performances of Arrigo, the challenging tenor role. Tucker was scheduled for a run (including broadcast) the year he died, but none of the hearty tenors of the past had the right timing– no Corelli, Bergonzi, and only five for Domingo, and he was gone. This performance is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) and is a strong performance.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Varviso; Corena, Peters, Alva, Guarrera
Original Air Date: 01/09/1965
MOD Audio
SID.20130317
RWW: For me the stars of this broadcast are the matchless Corena and Peruvian tenor Luigi Alva. Alva is still with us and remains much beloved in his home country as well. In terms of style and stage presence, Alva yielded nothing to his more famous successors as Ernesto Alfredo Kraus and fellow Peruvian Juan Diego Florez. Corena shows up again five years later with Reri Grist and Kraus under Carlo Franci. Luckily both performances are in MOoD.
, 
MIGNON:Thomas
Pelletier; Stevens, Melton, Benzell, Pinza
Original Air Date: 01/27/1945
MOD Audio
SID.20130318
RWW: There are some great tunes in Mignon but I find the opera doesn’t hold up well — I saw it staged in Dallas with Horne (1974), and it was a LONG evening. Pinza is very fine here. Mignon’s last broadcast appearance is three years later with Marilyn Cotlow as Philine which is more than 6 decades ago. That Mignon farewell has not been on Sirius.
FAUST:Gounod
Cleva; Morell, Moffo, Siepi, Ruzdak, Martin
Original Air Date: 01/04/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20130321
RWW: Siepi is the outstanding contribution here. He has 6 Mephisto broadcasts, but still missing from the Sirius/MOoD roster are the 2 Bjorlings from 1950 and 1959, and 1969 with Lorengar, Gedda, and Merrill. The recently deceased (fall 2013) Janis Martin is featured in this 1964 performance before her move to Europe and starring roles.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Amaducci; Flagello, Curtin, Guarrera, Barbieri, Raskin, Alva
Original Air Date: 12/16/1967
MOD Audio
SID.20130425
RWW: Barbieri, Guarrera, and Alva are veterans of many Falstaffs, and Flagello features a lot of voice for a bass Falstaff. Amaducci, by memory, didn’t have much sparkle. High praise for Alva and Barbieri; she is a characterful Quickly, and he a perfect Fenton, but Amaducci is possibly the weakest Falstaff conductor in Met history(certainly on broadcasts). The 1964 Bernstein has never been on Sirius, and though the Met Database records the 1972 as having been on Sirius with Gobbi, Tebaldi, and Paskalis under von Dohnanyi, it has not been on more than once, and should be heard again. Both of these performances belong in MOoD not this performance. Flagello who had one of the great voices in a time when the Met’s bass cabinet was chock full sings the part very well, but for this work, you must have a conductor to work with you, and that he doesn’t have. Alas, Falstaff is about ensemble, not individual efforts.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI:Zandonai
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, MacNeil, Lewis
Original Air Date: 04/07/1984
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.20130427
RWW: A bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite a meal of his Giovanni. MacNeil’s role is no cameo. Very committed performances from all. Best experienced in the video version available on DVD and Met Player.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130428
RWW: 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
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130429
RWW: 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.
Puccini
Erede; Albanese, Di Stefano, Güden, Guarrera, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/15/1952
MOD Audio
SID.20130430
RWW: This is really quite a strong Italianate cast (Guden excepted) with Albanese, Di Stefano, and Siepi all justly famous.
 the year he died, but none of the hearty tenors of the past had the right timing– no Corelli, Bergonzi, and only five for Domingo, and he was gone. This performance is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) and is a strong performance.</p> </div> <div class=)
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Varviso; Corena, Peters, Alva, Guarrera
Original Air Date: 01/09/1965
MOD Audio
SID.20130536
RWW: For me the stars of this broadcast are the matchless Corena and Peruvian tenor Luigi Alva. Alva is still with us and remains much beloved in his home country as well. In terms of style and stage presence, Alva yielded nothing to his more famous successors as Ernesto Alfredo Kraus and fellow Peruvian Juan Diego Florez. Corena shows up again five years later with Reri Grist and Kraus under Carlo Franci. Luckily both performances are in MOoD.
,
MIGNON:Thomas
Pelletier; Stevens, Melton, Benzell, Pinza
Original Air Date: 01/27/1945
MOD Audio
SID.20130537
RWW: There are some great tunes in Mignon but I find the opera doesn’t hold up well — I saw it staged in Dallas with Horne (1974), and it was a LONG evening. Pinza is very fine here. Mignon’s last broadcast appearance is three years later with Marilyn Cotlow as Philine which is more than 6 decades ago. That Mignon farewell has not been on Sirius.
FAUST:Gounod
Cleva; Morell, Moffo, Siepi, Ruzdak, Martin
Original Air Date: 01/04/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20130539
RWW: Siepi is the outstanding contribution here. He has 6 Mephisto broadcasts, but still missing from the Sirius/MOoD roster are the 2 Bjorlings from 1950 and 1959, and 1969 with Lorengar, Gedda, and Merrill. The recently deceased (fall 2013) Janis Martin is featured in this 1964 performance before her move to Europe and starring roles.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI:Zandonai
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, MacNeil, Lewis
Original Air Date: 04/07/1984
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.20130541
RWW: A bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite a meal of his Giovanni. MacNeil’s role is no cameo. Very committed performances from all. Best experienced in the video version available on DVD and Met Player.
Puccini
Erede; Albanese, Di Stefano, Güden, Guarrera, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/15/1952
MOD Audio
SID.20130644
RWW: This is really quite a strong Italianate cast (Guden excepted) with Albanese, Di Stefano, and Siepi all justly famous.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130647
RWW: 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
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130649
RWW: 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.
FAUST:Gounod
Cleva; Morell, Moffo, Siepi, Ruzdak, Martin
Original Air Date: 01/04/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20130750
RWW: Siepi is the outstanding contribution here. He has 6 Mephisto broadcasts, but still missing from the Sirius/MOoD roster are the 2 Bjorlings from 1950 and 1959, and 1969 with Lorengar, Gedda, and Merrill. The recently deceased (fall 2013) Janis Martin is featured in this 1964 performance before her move to Europe and starring roles.
 the year he died, but none of the hearty tenors of the past had the right timing– no Corelli, Bergonzi, and only five for Domingo, and he was gone. This performance is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) and is a strong performance.</p> </div> <div class=)
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Varviso; Corena, Peters, Alva, Guarrera
Original Air Date: 01/09/1965
MOD Audio
SID.20130754
RWW: For me the stars of this broadcast are the matchless Corena and Peruvian tenor Luigi Alva. Alva is still with us and remains much beloved in his home country as well. In terms of style and stage presence, Alva yielded nothing to his more famous successors as Ernesto Alfredo Kraus and fellow Peruvian Juan Diego Florez. Corena shows up again five years later with Reri Grist and Kraus under Carlo Franci. Luckily both performances are in MOoD.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Amaducci; Flagello, Curtin, Guarrera, Barbieri, Raskin, Alva
Original Air Date: 12/16/1967
MOD Audio
SID.20130757
RWW: Barbieri, Guarrera, and Alva are veterans of many Falstaffs, and Flagello features a lot of voice for a bass Falstaff. Amaducci, by memory, didn’t have much sparkle. High praise for Alva and Barbieri; she is a characterful Quickly, and he a perfect Fenton, but Amaducci is possibly the weakest Falstaff conductor in Met history(certainly on broadcasts). The 1964 Bernstein has never been on Sirius, and though the Met Database records the 1972 as having been on Sirius with Gobbi, Tebaldi, and Paskalis under von Dohnanyi, it has not been on more than once, and should be heard again. Both of these performances belong in MOoD not this performance. Flagello who had one of the great voices in a time when the Met’s bass cabinet was chock full sings the part very well, but for this work, you must have a conductor to work with you, and that he doesn’t have. Alas, Falstaff is about ensemble, not individual efforts.
OTELLO:Verdi
Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren, Franke
Original Air Date: 03/08/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20140208
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