SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Fournet; Vickers, Horne, Quilico
Original Air Date: 04/18/1987
MOD Audio
SID.20140532
This is Vickers’ farewell to the Met (not announced in advance). For many of us, he is a legendary singer who spans the beginning of our operatic journey, and 26 years later still shines very brightly indeed. In almost every assumption he not only gave his individual commitment (he was Giasone to Callas in my first opera in 1958 in Dallas) but simply encompassed roles as few ever do and was always in the top rank and usually best ever seen in the roles. Samson is certainly one of those roles, and if the opera has been a bit overdone on Sirius, I am never finished with my enjoyment of Vickers. Horne is a singer I admire on many fronts– her support of young artists, the advocacy for vocal recitals, and certainly outstanding Rossinian efforts. But I’m not much of Rossini guy, and I find many of her ventures beyond not to my taste, Verdi (even as Quickly) really doesn’t work and Dalila doesn’t compare with my first (Rita Gorr in the premiere of the O’Hearn Merrill production in 1964) or some of my best more recent ones– Borodina’s voice was made for those languorous lines. This is Vickers’ only broadcast of Samson et Dalila, and sometime min the last 3 years has been added to MOoD as a testament to his work and whom we lost July 13, 2015 after a long illness.
OTELLO:Verdi
Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren, Franke
Original Air Date: 03/08/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20140536
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
LES PÊCHEURS DE PERLES:Bizet
Noseda; Damrau, Polenzani, Kwiecien, Teste*
Original Air Date: 01/16/2016
Live in HD
SID.20140538
Léila……………….Diana Damrau
Nadir……………….Matthew Polenzani
Zurga……………….Mariusz Kwiecien
Nourabad…………….Nicolas Testé
Conductor……………Gianandrea Noseda
Production…………..Penny Woolcock
Set Designer…………Dick Bird
Costume Designer……..Kevin Pollard
Lighting Designer…….Jen Schriever
Projection Design…….59 Productions
Movement Director…….Andrew Dawson
TV Director………….Matthew Diamond
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Gergiev; Morris, Stemme, Wagenführer, Rootering, Grove, Polenzani
Original Air Date: 12/16/2000
MOD Audio
SID.20140539
The Met for almost two decades led a charmed life with most Dutchman revivals centered on Leonie Rysanek as Senta, and for the first decade George London as the Dutchman. This performance was an early appearance by Nina Stemme at the Met, long before her acclaimed Brunnhildes around the world in the last 5 years. People were not thinking of her as a future Brunnhilde in 2000, and an important appearance in 2016 as Elektra in a new production.
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SIMON BOCCANEGRA:Verdi
Stiedry; Warren, Varnay, Tucker, Székely, Valdengo
Original Air Date: 01/28/1950
MOD Audio
SID.20140641
Reissued on Sony Classical in the Met’s Verdi box for his bicentennial. This is Warren’s only broadcast of the title role. He had done Paolo (the Valdengo role) a decade earlier shortly after winning the Met Auditions of the Air. His Simon was Lawrence Tibbett. This is Tucker’s first venture into the more dramatic tenor roles, and he sang it outstandingly for the next quarter century until his final Gabriel on the 1974 Met broadcast with plenty of gas still in the tank. This 1974 performance with Wixell and Maliponte is long overdue for a Sirius rebroadcast.
LES TROYENS:Berlioz
Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
MOD Audio
SID.20140645
Norman repeated Verrett’s double assumption on this broadcast (Verrett’s was for the opening of the production in 1973 when Ludwig was indisposed–I was there, quite an evening). I rather prefer Norman’s Didon to her Cassandre, but this broadcast now takes its place in MOoD. Enee is close to an impossible part, but Sooter is no worse than Ronald Dowd was in Boston for Caldwell.
MACBETH:Verdi
Fabio Luisi: Željko Lučić, Anna Netrebko, Joseph Calleja, René Pape
Original Air Date: 10/11/2014
Live in HD
SID.20140646
LES TROYENS:Berlioz
Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
MOD Audio
SID.20140647
Norman repeated Verrett’s double assumption on this broadcast (Verrett’s was for the opening of the production in 1973 when Ludwig was indisposed–I was there, quite an evening). I rather prefer Norman’s Didon to her Cassandre, but this broadcast now takes its place in MOoD. Enee is close to an impossible part, but Sooter is no worse than Ronald Dowd was in Boston for Caldwell.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Schippers; Bergonzi, Peters, Corena, Guarrera
Original Air Date: 03/05/1966
MOD Audio
SID.20140749
This performance has been issued in Sony’s Historic Met CD series. Also on MOoD is Bergonzi and Corena partnered by Scotto and Sereni who I think are better matches in this opera.One cannot lose with Bergonzi and Corena.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Fournet; Vickers, Horne, Quilico
Original Air Date: 04/18/1987
MOD Audio
SID.20140750
This is Vickers’ farewell to the Met (not announced in advance). For many of us, he is a legendary singer who spans the beginning of our operatic journey, and 26 years later still shines very brightly indeed. In almost every assumption he not only gave his individual commitment (he was Giasone to Callas in my first opera in 1958 in Dallas) but simply encompassed roles as few ever do and was always in the top rank and usually best ever seen in the roles. Samson is certainly one of those roles, and if the opera has been a bit overdone on Sirius, I am never finished with my enjoyment of Vickers. Horne is a singer I admire on many fronts– her support of young artists, the advocacy for vocal recitals, and certainly outstanding Rossinian efforts. But I’m not much of Rossini guy, and I find many of her ventures beyond not to my taste, Verdi (even as Quickly) really doesn’t work and Dalila doesn’t compare with my first (Rita Gorr in the premiere of the O’Hearn Merrill production in 1964) or some of my best more recent ones– Borodina’s voice was made for those languorous lines. This is Vickers’ only broadcast of Samson et Dalila, and sometime min the last 3 years has been added to MOoD as a testament to his work and whom we lost July 13, 2015 after a long illness.
THE QUEEN OF SPADES:Tchaikovsky
Gergiev; Domingo, Gorchakova, Söderström, Hvorostovsky, Borodina, Putilin
Original Air Date: 04/10/1999
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.20140751
This performance is too late for Soderstrom, too late for Domingo, and too late for Gorchakova. You can see the video of from five days later on MOoD as well. Better to hear the first season of the production with Gregorian who succeeded Heppner, Guleghina who succeeded Mattila with Rysanek. That has been on Sirius, but is not on MOoD. If Sirius had been at work when the production premiered we would have a broadcast of Heppner and Mattila at their very best. MOD is from 4-15-99 performance.
NORMA:Bellini
Rizzi; Radvanovsky, DiDonato, Calleja, Rose
Original Air Date: 10/07/2017
Live in HD
SID.20140754
Norma……………….Sondra Radvanovsky
Pollione…………….Joseph Calleja
Adalgisa…………….Joyce DiDonato
Oroveso……………..Matthew Rose
Clotilde…………….Michelle Bradley
Flavio………………Adam Diegel
Child……………….Christopher Reynolds
Child……………….John Reynolds
Conductor……………Carlo Rizzi
Production…………..David McVicar
Set Designer…………Robert Jones
Costume Designer……..Moritz Junge
Lighting Designerr……Paule Constable
Movement Directo……..Leah Hausman
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
AIDA:Verdi
Luisotti; Netrebko, Rachvelishvili, Antonenko, Kelsey, Belosselskiy, Speedo Green
Original Air Date: 10/06/2018
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20150107
In what should be a highlight of the new season, soprano Anna Netrebko sings her first Met Aida, going toe-to-toe with mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris. Later in the season, a second star-studded cast takes over, with Sondra Radvanovsky and Dolora Zajick as the leading ladies.Tenors Aleksandrs Antonenko and Yonghoon Lee alternate as Radamès, and Nicola Luisotti and Plácido Domingo take the podium for the Met’s monumental production. Production a gift of Mrs. Donald D. Harrington Revival a gift of Viking Cruises
SUSANNAH:Floyd
Conlon; Fleming, Hadley, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/03/1999
MOD Audio
SID.20150210
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.
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I PURITANI:Bellini
Bonynge; Gruberova, Merritt, Gavanelli, Plishka
Original Air Date: 03/30/1991
MOD Audio
SID.20150212
This is primarily for Gruberova fans. She doesn’t sing in USA much so just as well since she only has two Met broadcasts, this Puritani and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos. Of greater interest would be her Queen of the Night (Met debut) and the new production of Traviata with Kleiber and Shicoff (neither broadcast; in today’s world of live Sirius, we would likely be hearing both)
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Böhm; Nilsson, Rysanek, Madeira, Stewart, Nagy
Original Air Date: 02/27/1971
MOD Audio
SID.20150213
This performance marks Madeira’s Met farewell, and reveals some of the vocal weakness that is surely partly resultant from her illness and death a little more than a year later. The rest of the cast, and especially Bohm are white hot. For Madeira at her best, go to the Bohm studio with Inge Borkh as Elektra. A very satisfying recording on all counts.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Cleva; Merrill, Peters, Tucker, Giaiotti, Dunn
Original Air Date: 02/22/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20150214
Amazingly Merrill (debut 1946) and Tucker (debut 1945) are also around eight years later in 1972 for them sharing their final Rigoletto broadcast. Peters who sang Gilda at the Met as late as 1985 did not broadcast it after 1967. Dunn,Giaiotti, and Macurdy are outstandingly strong support. 1/16/12 – This has recently been released in the Sony Historic Broadcasts. All of the singers are fine, and the technical command of these full voiced singers could teach some more lyric singers the art of bel canto. Giaiotti was a stalwart of the Met bass contingent in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Giaiotti also has one broadcast Monterone which also includes Dunn, and MacNeil in his first Rigoletto broadcast. This has not been on Sirius and I would love to hear it. The performance is also on MetPlayer.
LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST:Puccini
Nicola Luisotti: Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, Lucio Gallo
Original Air Date: 01/08/2011
Live in HD
SID.20150215
FALSTAFF:Verdi
James Levine: Ambrogio Maestri, Angela Meade, Stephanie Blythe
Original Air Date: 12/14/2013
Live in HD
SID.20150323
RWW Review: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1RMiPKOgCMMZcpJOyf4zIeCwiMaNWIjI3Wx7i1Z7etM4
SUSANNAH:Floyd
Conlon; Fleming, Hadley, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/03/1999
MOD Audio
SID.20150428
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.
,
I PURITANI:Bellini
Bonynge; Gruberova, Merritt, Gavanelli, Plishka
Original Air Date: 03/30/1991
MOD Audio
SID.20150430
This is primarily for Gruberova fans. She doesn’t sing in USA much so just as well since she only has two Met broadcasts, this Puritani and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos. Of greater interest would be her Queen of the Night (Met debut) and the new production of Traviata with Kleiber and Shicoff (neither broadcast; in today’s world of live Sirius, we would likely be hearing both)
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/02/2013 Live in HD SID.20150431
Conductor……………Daniele Gatti
Parsifal…………….Jonas Kaufmann
Kundry………………Katarina Dalayman
Amfortas…………….Peter Mattei
Gurnemanz……………René Pape
Klingsor…………….Evgeny Nikitin
Titurel……………..Rúni Brattaberg
Voice……………….Maria Zifchak
First Esquire………..Jennifer Forni
Second Esquire……….Lauren McNeese
Third Esquire………..Andrew Stenson
Fourth Esquire……….Mario Chang
First Knight…………Mark Schowalter
Second Knight………..Ryan Speedo Green
Flower Maidens: Kiera Duffy, Lei Xu, Irene Roberts, Haeran Hong, Katherine Whyte, Heather Johnson
Production…………..François Girard
Set Designer…………Michael Levine
Costume Designer……..Thibault Vancraenenbroeck
Lighting Designer…….David Finn
Video Designer……….Peter Flaherty
Choreographer………..Carolyn Choa
Dramaturg……………Serge Lamothe
TV Director………….Barbara Willis Sweete
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Böhm; Nilsson, Rysanek, Madeira, Stewart, Nagy
Original Air Date: 02/27/1971
MOD Audio
SID.20150432
This performance marks Madeira’s Met farewell, and reveals some of the vocal weakness that is surely partly resultant from her illness and death a little more than a year later. The rest of the cast, and especially Bohm are white hot. For Madeira at her best, go to the Bohm studio with Inge Borkh as Elektra. A very satisfying recording on all counts.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Cleva; Merrill, Peters, Tucker, Giaiotti, Dunn
Original Air Date: 02/22/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20150533
Amazingly Merrill (debut 1946) and Tucker (debut 1945) are also around eight years later in 1972 for them sharing their final Rigoletto broadcast. Peters who sang Gilda at the Met as late as 1985 did not broadcast it after 1967. Dunn,Giaiotti, and Macurdy are outstandingly strong support. 1/16/12 – This has recently been released in the Sony Historic Broadcasts. All of the singers are fine, and the technical command of these full voiced singers could teach some more lyric singers the art of bel canto. Giaiotti was a stalwart of the Met bass contingent in the 60s, 70s, 80s. Giaiotti also has one broadcast Monterone which also includes Dunn, and MacNeil in his first Rigoletto broadcast. This has not been on Sirius and I would love to hear it. The performance is also on MetPlayer.
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Noseda; Damrau, Grigolo, Petrenko, Madore, Verrez
Original Air Date: 01/21/2017 Live in HD SID.20150539
Roméo……………….Vittorio Grigolo
Juliette…………….Diana Damrau
Frère Laurent………..Mikhail Petrenko
Stéphano…………….Virginie Verrez
Mercutio…………….Elliot Madore
Benvolio…………….Tony Stevenson
Gertrude…………….Diana Montague
Capulet……………..Laurent Naouri
Tybalt………………Diego Silva
Pâris……………….David Crawford
Grégorio…………….Jeongcheol Cha
Duke of Verona……….Oren Gradus
Conductor……………Gianandrea Noseda
Production…………..Bartlett Sher
Set Designer…………Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer……..Catherine Zuber
Lighting designer…….Jennifer Tipton
Choreographer………..Chase Brock
Fight Director……….B. H. Barry
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
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I PURITANI:Bellini
Bonynge; Gruberova, Merritt, Gavanelli, Plishka
Original Air Date: 03/30/1991
MOD Audio
SID.20150643
This is primarily for Gruberova fans. She doesn’t sing in USA much so just as well since she only has two Met broadcasts, this Puritani and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos. Of greater interest would be her Queen of the Night (Met debut) and the new production of Traviata with Kleiber and Shicoff (neither broadcast; in today’s world of live Sirius, we would likely be hearing both)
SUSANNAH:Floyd
Conlon; Fleming, Hadley, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/03/1999
MOD Audio
SID.20150645
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.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 11/13/2010 Live in HD SID.20150646
Don Pasquale…………John Del Carlo
Norina………………Anna Netrebko
Ernesto……………..Matthew Polenzani
Dr. Malatesta………..Mariusz Kwiecien
Notary………………Bernard Fitch
Conductor……………James Levine
Production…………..Otto Schenk
Designer…………….Rolf Langenfass
Lighting designer…….Duane Schuler
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
This season Don Pasquale was performed with one intermission, between Acts II and III
The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a gift of its founding sponsor, the Neubauer Family Foundation Bloomberg is the global corporate sponsor of The Met: Live in HD.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Böhm; Nilsson, Rysanek, Madeira, Stewart, Nagy
Original Air Date: 02/27/1971
MOD Audio
SID.20150749
This performance marks Madeira’s Met farewell, and reveals some of the vocal weakness that is surely partly resultant from her illness and death a little more than a year later. The rest of the cast, and especially Bohm are white hot. For Madeira at her best, go to the Bohm studio with Inge Borkh as Elektra. A very satisfying recording on all counts.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Robertson; Majeski, Bliss, Malfi, Plachetka, O’Hara, Maltman
Original Air Date: 03/31/2018 Live in HD SID.20150754
Fiordiligi…………..Amanda Majeski
Ferrando…………….Ben Bliss
Dorabella……………Serena Malfi
Guglielmo……………Adam Plachetka
Despina……………..Kelli O’Hara
Don Alfonso………….Christopher Maltman
Skills Ensemble: Betty Bloomerz, Nicholas DeCegli, Sarah Folkins, *
Leo the Human Gumby, Jonathan Nosan, Titano Oddfellow,,
Cristina Pitter, Sage Sovereign, Ray Valenz, Anna Venizelos,
Josh Walker, Zoe Ziegfeld *Jeff Stilt and Kelsey Strauch replaced Valenz and Bloomer as Skills for the first half of Act I
Harpsichord Continuo….Natalia Katyukova
Conductor……………David Robertson
Production…………..Phelim McDermott
Set Designer…………Tom Pye
Costume Designer……..Laura Hopkins
Lighting Designer…….Paule Constable
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
