FAUST:Gounod
Rudel; Leech, Fleming, Ramey, Croft, Bunnell
Original Air Date: 04/05/1997
MOD Audio
SID.20040210
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.
Cilea
Varviso; Tebaldi, Corelli, Cvejic, Colzani
Original Air Date: 02/09/1963
SID.20040211
This performance is not marked in the Met Data Base as having been on Sirius before; Tebaldi and Corelli broadcast the opera 6 years later after the duo had done an almost two year run of Gioconda. That 1969 performance has been on Sirius. Her voice is fresher in this performance, if still not Tebaldi of the pre1960 vintage, and Maurizio is one of Corelli’s best parts. The main claim to fame for Cvejic is that she is the mentor of current star baritone Zeljko Lucic. Colzani is well cast as Michonnet. The opera is not for every taste. The draw here is not in the title role, for Tebaldi was not in good voice for this initial run, and after one more Adriana three days after the broadcast did not appear again for 13 months. Franco Corelli, is at the considerable peak of his form, and makes quite a meal of his many opportunities. Cvejic is better remembered as the teacher of Zelko Lucic than for her limited mezzo. Sirius has also rebroadcast the 1969 revival with Dalis for Cvejic and Tebaldi in much better form than 1963. Corelli is again outstanding and this should be added to MOoD. After a recent listen to the 1969 version, Corelli is considerably off his 1963 performance not to mention the classic Naples performance with Olivero, Simionato and Bastianini.
LA CENERENTOLA:Rossini
Campanella; Larmore, Giménez, Alaimo, Corbelli
Original Air Date: 03/11/2000
MOD Audio
SID.20040212
This is Larmore’s second Angelina broadcast (the first was 1998 with Levine conducting). Corbelli is the Dandini, and Alaimo the Magnifico. Eight years later Corbelli moves down to Magnifico. A little of this opera goes a long way with me.
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.20040213
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.20040214
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
Berg
Nézet-Séguin; van den Heever, Mumford, Ventris, Siegel, Staples, Mattei, Van Horn
Original Air Date: 01/22/2020
SID.20040321
After wowing audiences with his astounding production of Lulu in 2015, South African artist William Kentridge now focuses his extraordinary visual imagination on Berg’s other operatic masterpiece, set in an apocalyptic pre–World War I environment. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is on the podium for this important event, with baritone Peter Mattei making his highly anticipated role debut as the title character. Soprano Elza van den Heever is Wozzeck’s unfaithful mate, and the commanding cast also includes tenor Christopher Ventris as the Drum-Major, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as the Doctor, and tenor Gerhard Siegel as the Captain. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Salzburg Festival; the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto; and Opera Australia
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Schippers; London, Rysanek, Liebl, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 03/05/1960
SID.20050102
This is the first of Rysanek’s five Senta broadcasts and she is paired with her longtime Dutchman partner, George London. Most of this cast re-assembled in London for a studio recording under Dorati, but the sound was never quite right, and the electricity of a live performance definitely not there. Rysanek’s two greatest roles were Senta and Empress in Frau. Both this and two later Dutchman broadcasts with her are available in MOoD. This performance follows by less than 24 hours Leonard Warren’s onstage death in Forza. Warren had been Rysanek’s husband in her Met debut in Macbeth two years earlier. The fourth performance of the matchless combination of London and Rysanek. Three years later there is another broadcast under Bohm, which is on Met Player. Best broadcast of the week by far.
Puccini
Armiliato; Gallardo-Domâs, Vargas, Arteta, Caproni, Relyea
Original Air Date: 02/16/2002
SID.20050103
In 2002 Gallardo-Domas was one of the most sensitive performers of the Italian repertory before the public, and she is well partnered by Vargas. This is a very solid performance, not likely to have it replace your historical favorite (try the studio effort of Bjorling and De Los Angeles under Beecham, or Tebaldi and Bergonzi under Serafin. Amazingly, Mirella Freni, never broadcast it in her 22 Met appearances; She did one with Pavarotti and Kleiber and a Philadelphia Lyric performance partnered with Flaviano Labo. She has a fine DVD from San Francisco (with Pavarotti) and several good audio airchecks .
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.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Walter; Roman, Jagel, Tibbett, Pinza, Petina, Baccaloni
Original Air Date: 01/23/1943
SID.20050106
Roman is particularly impressive, and we don’t have so many surviving Bruno Walter broadcasts that this one is particularly welcome. This is a bit late for Tibbett, but Pinza is wonderful in one of Verdi’s greatest bass roles.
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.
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Levine; Voigt, Schmidt, Dahl, Stratas, Prey, Oswald
Original Air Date: 04/23/1994
SID.20050210
Voigt is in very fresh voice here, but Schmidt and Dahl are not to my taste, and I think Stratas over sings the part of Composer. Better to hear the 1979 performance with one of Gruberova’s only 2 Met broadcasts with Kollo, Troyanos, and Johanna Meier in the title role.
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
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, Thomas, Rundgren, Dooley, Rankin, Reynolds
Original Air Date: 03/29/1975
SID.20050213
This is Nilsson’s final Wagner opera from the Met airwaves. She only has two other Gotterdammerung broadcasts, the first in 1962 when she was in very fresh voice under Leinsdorf (and on Met Opera in Demand (MOoD) and 1963 under Rosenstock — originally planned for Reiner– with extensive cuts. The supporting cast with the exception of possibly Anna Reynolds’ Waltraute don’t offer much help to Nilsson. She is still in much better voice than when she returned to the Met after a 5 year absence in Elektra. Once again a plea for the Rita Hunter Gotterdammerung broadcast from the year before (where she replaces Nilsson) which features her in very fresh voice, and one of the few broadcast appearances of Helge Brilioth as Siegfried, all under Kubelik. Kubelik only has two Met broadcasts (Troyens is the other with Verrett, Ludwig, and Vickers) and neither has been on the Sirius rebroadcast series. But back to Gotterdammerung, Hagen is almost as important as Brunnhilde and Siegfried, and Rundgren is distinctly second grade goods. Thomas Stewart premiered the production in 1974, but Dooley was the Gunther on both the Kubelik and this broadcast, so no broadcast record for one of Stewart’s best roles. Rankin, a well traveled mezzo mostly in the Italian wing, is a curious choice for Gutrune (maybe Kubelik had a fond memory of her Troyens Cassandra when he premiered the opera 15 years earlier at La Scala with Del Monaco and Simionato in Italian. So this Gotterdammerung will be a curiosity, but for me her 1962 broadcast and the two commercial (Decca studio and Philips live from Bayreuth are noble indeed.
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.
LA DAMNATION DE FAUST:Berlioz
Gardner; Garanca, Hymel, Abdrazakov
Original Air Date: 01/29/2020
SID.20050321
Berlioz’s compelling take on the Faust legend returns for the first time in a decade, with an ideal lineup of stars. High-flying tenors Bryan Hymel and Michael Spyres sing the doomed and besotted Faust, opposite dazzling mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča as the forsaken Marguerite and bass Ildar Abdrazakov as the malevolent Méphistophélès. Edward Gardner conducts. Please note that these are concert presentations on the Met stage. The decision to present La Damnation de Faust in its more usual concert version is driven by the unanticipated technical demands of reviving the Met’s staged production, which proved to be impossible to accommodate within the company’s production schedule.
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
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Baudo; Gedda, Bacquier, Boky, Crespin, Amara, von Stade
Original Air Date: 04/10/1971
MOD Audio
SID.20060102
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.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Levine; Jones, Morris, Gessendorf, Lakes, Ludwig, Salminen
Original Air Date: 04/03/1993
SID.20060103
This is Gwyneth Jones’ second Walkure Brunnhilde broadcast, her earlier one in 1983 was with Behrens as Sieglinde. This broadcast marks Christa Ludwig’s farewell to the Met in one of her signature roles. Mechthild Gessendorf sings one of the very best broadcast Sieglindes with gleaming tone at the top and a solid rich middle and lower voice. This broadcast is definitely worthy of your attention.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Levine; Jones, Morris, Gessendorf, Lakes, Ludwig, Salminen
Original Air Date: 04/03/1993
SID.20060104
This is Gwyneth Jones’ second Walkure Brunnhilde broadcast, her earlier one in 1983 was with Behrens as Sieglinde. This broadcast marks Christa Ludwig’s farewell to the Met in one of her signature roles. Mechthild Gessendorf sings one of the very best broadcast Sieglindes with gleaming tone at the top and a solid rich middle and lower voice. This broadcast is definitely worthy of your attention.
CARMEN:Bizet
Patanè; Crespin, Chauvet, Mitchell, Devlin
Original Air Date: 12/09/1978
SID.20060105
Crespin’s earlier broadcast Carmen is on Met Player with William Lewis replacing the scheduled Domingo, and Henry Lewis conducting. My affection moves more strongly to this performance because it’s a great thrill to have Carmen and Jose sung by two Francophones, and Patane is a very fine conductor we lost much too soon. I am such a partisan of Crespin– she can be a very uneven singer, that I always suggest that you sample and see if this Gallic tang is to your taste. For me, just about always. A highly recommended Carmen.
TOSCA:Puccini
Oren; Holleque, Pavarotti, Pons
Original Air Date: 04/01/1995
SID.20060106
If I’m going to see/hear Pavarotti in Cavaradossi, I prefer the Verrett/MacNeil performance of 17 years earlier which is also in MOoD. 7/18/11 – This is 17 years after Pavarotti’s first Cavaradossi broadcast with Verrett, and he would do it again 4 years after this with Carol Vaness. This performance is on Met Player and the the Verrett telecast is also on MetPlayer.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Davis; Vickers, Amara, Evans, Madeira, Chookasian
Original Air Date: 04/05/1969
SID.20060107
This is the same cast and conductor as the production premiere the previous season in the new house’s inaugural season when the third performance was broadcast. Colin Davis, Jon Vickers, and Geraint Evans are the gold standard in this workThis is the same cast and conductor as the production premiere the previous season in the new house’s inaugural season when the third performance was broadcast. Colin Davis, Jon Vickers, and Geraint Evans are the gold standard in this work.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Rescigno; Bacquier, Sills, Kraus, Hagegård
Original Air Date: 01/20/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20060208
This is Beverly Sills’ farewell production and her company farewell comes at the end of the Met spring tour in Detroit. This is the audio broadcast that followed the national telecast by 9 days, and marks her Metropolitan Opera House farewell. Both performances are available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD). I find Sills’ video a congenial interpretation even if I prefer the Netrebko video. For audio, I prefer the younger Kraus with Grist and Corena.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Davies; Urmana, Villa, Burchinal / Racette, Mac Master, Pons
Original Air Date: 03/26/2005
SID.20060209
I repeat my annotation in the hope that someone at Sirius is listening. The Met can and has done better for the ham and eggs of opera. For the life of me I can’t figure out why Sirius singles THIS performance out for rebroadcast. Not an Italian in the bunch, and no singers I want to hear in this music.