L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 03/16/1968
Cleva; Kraus, Peters, Corena, Sereni
SID.19240422
Pavarotti is a fine Nemorino, but the performances that stick more strongly in my memory are those by Kraus and Bergonzi, each of whom has a broadcast with Peters. Sereni and Corena owned these parts for many years at the Met, and with good reason. This is the most interesting casting on Sirius this week, but was on only 3 months ago. Is something stuck at Sirius?
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/15/1986
Tate; Rendall, Valente, Behrens, von Stade, Alexander
MOD Audio SID.19240423
Idomeneo has some of Mozart’s greatest music. Valente is a doing double duty this week along with Falstaff, and she’s a sublime lyric for either Nanetta or Ilia. Behrens is tough sledding as Elettra. Carol Vaness has two broadcasts on MOoD which I highly recommend.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 04/22/2006
Wigglesworth; Relyea, Rost, Isokoski, Mattei, Coote
MOD Audio SID.19240424
Interesting casting for Nozze di Figaro and Isokoski’s last week at the Met. I thought her a very fine singer, but she’s no spring chicken. Mattei is an excellent Count.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/07/1959
Böhm; Edelmann, Nordmo-Lövberg, Feiersinger, Dönch, Tozzi, Franke
SID.19240425
Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it. *** This is Bohm’s only season with Meistersinger. The premiere had featured Della Casa as Eva, preferable to Nordmo-Lovberg in my view. Donch debuts at the Met with this opera and is on hand for the Met premiere of Wozzeck two days before this broadcast. *** The week starts with a big work, Bohm’s only encounter with Meistersinger on the broadcast airwaves; his 5 performance total in Meistersinger is a surprise, and almost as big is Leinsdorf who conducted lots of Wagner at the Met only has 6. In truth post Bodanzky, Meistersinger was not done all that much, though Reiner managed 19 performances, but even Levine only has 30. Nordmo-Lovberg whose broadcast legacy also includes a Walkure with Vickers and Nilsson (in Bohm’s only season of Walkure at the Met, so maybe Ms. Nordmo-Lovberg who also got a Fidelio production with Vickers under Bohm– but not the broadcast that went to NIlsson, was a “special favorite” of Dr. Bohm. Pictures anyone. This broadcast is Feiersinger’s farewell having arrived a few weeks earlier with Karl Donch as Beckmesser. Donch was far better received by Met audiences and this is the first of 4 broadcasts and 45 performances as the Mastercritic. Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/07/1959
Böhm; Edelmann, Nordmo-Lövberg, Feiersinger, Dönch, Tozzi, Franke
SID.19240426
Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it. *** This is Bohm’s only season with Meistersinger. The premiere had featured Della Casa as Eva, preferable to Nordmo-Lovberg in my view. Donch debuts at the Met with this opera and is on hand for the Met premiere of Wozzeck two days before this broadcast. *** The week starts with a big work, Bohm’s only encounter with Meistersinger on the broadcast airwaves; his 5 performance total in Meistersinger is a surprise, and almost as big is Leinsdorf who conducted lots of Wagner at the Met only has 6. In truth post Bodanzky, Meistersinger was not done all that much, though Reiner managed 19 performances, but even Levine only has 30. Nordmo-Lovberg whose broadcast legacy also includes a Walkure with Vickers and Nilsson (in Bohm’s only season of Walkure at the Met, so maybe Ms. Nordmo-Lovberg who also got a Fidelio production with Vickers under Bohm– but not the broadcast that went to NIlsson, was a “special favorite” of Dr. Bohm. Pictures anyone. This broadcast is Feiersinger’s farewell having arrived a few weeks earlier with Karl Donch as Beckmesser. Donch was far better received by Met audiences and this is the first of 4 broadcasts and 45 performances as the Mastercritic. Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it.
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/14/2018
de Billy; Yoncheva, Beczala, Domingo, Vinogradov, Belosselskiy, Petrova
Live in HD SID.19240427
Plácido Domingo adds yet another role to his legendary Met career in this rarely performed Verdi gem, a heart-wrenching tragedy of fatherly love. Sonya Yoncheva sings the title role opposite Piotr Beczała in the first Met performances of the opera in more than ten years. Bertrand de Billy conducts. Production a gift of Catherine and Ephraim Gildor Revival a gift of Rolex and Mrs. Jayne Wrightsman
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Original Air Date: 01/16/1971
Böhm; Rysanek, Nagy, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
SID.19240428
This is the third of Bohm’s four broadcasts of the legendary 1966 production which premiered in the opening weeks of Lincoln Center. Nagy is the first major change in the ensemble, and had been the Apparition in the premiere — James King was the regular Emperor. Nagy more than holds up his end, and is fully up to the vocal challenges. The ensemble is still a marvel a half century later, even if Bohm managed to excise more pages of the score with each successive revival; not a completist, but absolutely a master Straussian. If one is looking for MOoD coverage of Frau, the only Bohm performance has two major cast changes from the original Frau 1966 “ensemble”, Dunn as Nurse, and Schroder-Feinen as Dyer’s Wife. It would be very nice to have another Bohm performance in MOoD, which covers those interpretations, preferably the first broadcast, which has the fewest cuts.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Original Air Date: 02/09/1985
Domingo; Malfitano, Lima, Zschau, Schexnayder, Cheek
SID.19240529
This does not jump out as a particularly distinguished performance, starting with the conducting, but Zschau might be worth checking out as not your soubrette style of Musetta.
AIDA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/13/1999
Domingo; Papian, O’Neill, Zajick, Burchinal, Burchuladze
SID.19240530
I have no specific memory of this performance, but the only major point of interest for me would be Zajick who has several broadcasts with more interesting performers.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/14/1946
Busch; Stevens, Jessner, List, Steber, Lechner
MOD Audio SID.19240531
This performance has been on before, and this is Steber’s only 40s broadcast to have made it to Sirius (and to MOoD). This is the kind of voice I love as Sophie, a full lyric, not a soubrette. Jessner has a lot of time in support mostly on the rocks (she debuted as a Valkyrie in 1936, and ended as Gutrune (but preceded by more “rocks” work). Her solo roles were most often Marschallin (cover for Lehmann?) and Eva. She is OK, and this is Stevens still in reasonably fresh voice. glad to have a peek at the 1940s.
DER FREISCHÜTZ:Weber
Original Air Date: 04/15/1972
Ludwig; Kónya, Lorengar, Feldhoff, Mathis
MOD Audio SID.19240532
This is the only Met broadcast of Freischutz, and despite some good work from the treble/tenor clef, Ludwig’s conducting does not give it the sparkle it needs. Feldhoff is more adequate than commanding. One cannot blame the Met entirely, this work simply is not as much a part of the “standard” opera house repertoire as it was 50 years ago.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Original Air Date: 02/08/1992
Perick; Behrens, Goldberg, Wlaschiha, Salminen, McNair, Kaasch
SID.19240533
This is the only one of Behrens’ three broadcast Leonores to have made it to Sirius. Her best run in Fidelio with King and Bohm was not broadcast (fall pre-broadcast season in 1978) While I would very much like to hear her first broadcast (1980) with Vickers under Leinsdorf, Perick’s work in the Tannhauser impressed me so I’ll give it a listen. Still this is post Ring for Behrens, and the voice has lost a good deal of its sheen.
Various:Various
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
Various Artists
SID.19240534
Various selections between scheduled operas. Siriusxm Radio and web player will show the Composer and Title.
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/15/2018
Nézet-Séguin; Damrau, Flórez, Kelsey
Live in HD SID.19240535
Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Michael Mayer’s richly textured new production, featuring a dazzling 19th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Flórez returns to the Met for the first time since 2015 to sing the role of Alfredo, Violetta’s hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is Alfredo’s father, Germont, who destroys their love. Later performances feature Anita Hartig, Stephen Costello, Artur Ruciński, and Plácido Domingo.
REVIEW: The Met Turns the Tragedy of ‘Traviata’ Into Dull Disney Schmaltz By James Jorden • 12/05/18 – Well, you have to give the Met credit for accomplishing a feat no other opera company in the world could—or should. At Tuesday’s gala new production of La Traviata, the company managed to downgrade Verdi’s masterpiece of musical drama to a kitschy Disney musical. The prime culprit in this act of artistic vandalism is director Michael Mayer, who seems to have no handle at all on this classic tale of a courtesan inspired by true love to make the most profound sacrifice. In the great duet in the second act, for example, when the penitent Violetta confronts Germont, the morally outraged father of her lover, the singers circled listlessly around a bed that hogged center stage through all three acts. observer.com/2018/12/the-met-la-traviata-opera-tragedy-disney-schmaltz/
Review: ‘La Traviata’ Opens a New Era at the Met Opera By Anthony Tommasini Dec. 5, 2018 ….”To begin his tenure as the company’s music director, Mr. Nézet-Séguin led an uncommonly fine rendition of Verdi’s “La Traviata,” in a new staging by Michael Mayer that stars the soprano Diana Damrau and the tenor Juan Diego Flórez. And in a rare gesture of respect and good will, the Met’s musicians joined Mr. Nézet-Séguin on stage for a bow after the show.
DAS RHEINGOLD:Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/26/1957
Stiedry; Uhde, Thebom, Vinay, Davidson, Böhme, Ernster
SID.19240636
The Stiedry Ring from 1957 has been a semi-regular on Sirius, and it’s a slightly different take on the opera than standard Bayreuth.This performance is also available on MOoD and especially for Uhde, Vinay, Thebom, Madeira and Bohme, well worth a listen. This Prologue to the Stiedry Ring is most notable for Vinay’s Loge and Uhde’s Wotan.Not too many global Ring singers from this period, but it gets the job done.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Original Air Date: 01/18/1958
Rudolf; Stevens, Amara, Cundari
MOD Audio SID.19240638
The strongest thing about this performance is Rudolf’s conducting. Stevens was definitely a star Orfeo, but she’s never an audio favorite of mine. A very great artist outstanding advocate for American artists , and the role of the arts in general. She had quite a following, but her audios alone do not make a career. She is still with us, and may she have many more years. For me this is much too late for Stevens (She retires in 1960). I did check Paul Jackson’s authoritative volume on Met broadcasts– and he’s at his best in the 40s and 50s, but has nothing to say about this performance. This performance has been on before and is on MOoD.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 03/16/1968
Cleva; Kraus, Peters, Corena, Sereni
SID.19240639
Pavarotti is a fine Nemorino, but the performances that stick more strongly in my memory are those by Kraus and Bergonzi, each of whom has a broadcast with Peters. Sereni and Corena owned these parts for many years at the Met, and with good reason. This is the most interesting casting on Sirius this week, but was on only 3 months ago. Is something stuck at Sirius?
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 04/22/2006
Wigglesworth; Relyea, Rost, Isokoski, Mattei, Coote
MOD Audio SID.19240640
Interesting casting for Nozze di Figaro and Isokoski’s last week at the Met. I thought her a very fine singer, but she’s no spring chicken. Mattei is an excellent Count.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/07/1959
Böhm; Edelmann, Nordmo-Lövberg, Feiersinger, Dönch, Tozzi, Franke
SID.19240641
Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it. *** This is Bohm’s only season with Meistersinger. The premiere had featured Della Casa as Eva, preferable to Nordmo-Lovberg in my view. Donch debuts at the Met with this opera and is on hand for the Met premiere of Wozzeck two days before this broadcast. *** The week starts with a big work, Bohm’s only encounter with Meistersinger on the broadcast airwaves; his 5 performance total in Meistersinger is a surprise, and almost as big is Leinsdorf who conducted lots of Wagner at the Met only has 6. In truth post Bodanzky, Meistersinger was not done all that much, though Reiner managed 19 performances, but even Levine only has 30. Nordmo-Lovberg whose broadcast legacy also includes a Walkure with Vickers and Nilsson (in Bohm’s only season of Walkure at the Met, so maybe Ms. Nordmo-Lovberg who also got a Fidelio production with Vickers under Bohm– but not the broadcast that went to NIlsson, was a “special favorite” of Dr. Bohm. Pictures anyone. This broadcast is Feiersinger’s farewell having arrived a few weeks earlier with Karl Donch as Beckmesser. Donch was far better received by Met audiences and this is the first of 4 broadcasts and 45 performances as the Mastercritic. Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/07/1959
Böhm; Edelmann, Nordmo-Lövberg, Feiersinger, Dönch, Tozzi, Franke
SID.19240642
Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it. *** This is Bohm’s only season with Meistersinger. The premiere had featured Della Casa as Eva, preferable to Nordmo-Lovberg in my view. Donch debuts at the Met with this opera and is on hand for the Met premiere of Wozzeck two days before this broadcast. *** The week starts with a big work, Bohm’s only encounter with Meistersinger on the broadcast airwaves; his 5 performance total in Meistersinger is a surprise, and almost as big is Leinsdorf who conducted lots of Wagner at the Met only has 6. In truth post Bodanzky, Meistersinger was not done all that much, though Reiner managed 19 performances, but even Levine only has 30. Nordmo-Lovberg whose broadcast legacy also includes a Walkure with Vickers and Nilsson (in Bohm’s only season of Walkure at the Met, so maybe Ms. Nordmo-Lovberg who also got a Fidelio production with Vickers under Bohm– but not the broadcast that went to NIlsson, was a “special favorite” of Dr. Bohm. Pictures anyone. This broadcast is Feiersinger’s farewell having arrived a few weeks earlier with Karl Donch as Beckmesser. Donch was far better received by Met audiences and this is the first of 4 broadcasts and 45 performances as the Mastercritic. Resnik appears as Magdalene, a role Bing used her in once the soprano to mezzo switch was done in the mid 1950s. Even counting the quintet, I know of no performer of ‘Lene to ever move the meter for Meistersinger in any direction. Bohm’s single broadcast appearance in Meistersinger is of more interest. As my least favorite Wagner opera Sirius is often a good way to experience it.
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 03/25/1972
Bonynge; Sutherland, Di Giuseppe, Sinclair, Corena
SID.19240743
This is the first season of the production minus Pavarotti and Resnik. Both appear the following season in Sutherland’s second and final broadcast. Sutherland has a third season in 1983 with Kraus, but there was no matinee broadcast (the Sirius live broadcasts now capture portrayals, that used to just go missing). If Di Giuseppe does not have the star power of Pavarotti, he provides reasonable support for Sutherland, who is a complete charmer in the title role. I was surprised to discover she has twice as many Maries as Lily Pons. 8/23/11 – Di Giuseppe is not Pavarotti, but this is still a delightful broadcast.
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Original Air Date: 01/16/1971
Böhm; Rysanek, Nagy, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
SID.19240744
This is the third of Bohm’s four broadcasts of the legendary 1966 production which premiered in the opening weeks of Lincoln Center. Nagy is the first major change in the ensemble, and had been the Apparition in the premiere — James King was the regular Emperor. Nagy more than holds up his end, and is fully up to the vocal challenges. The ensemble is still a marvel a half century later, even if Bohm managed to excise more pages of the score with each successive revival; not a completist, but absolutely a master Straussian. If one is looking for MOoD coverage of Frau, the only Bohm performance has two major cast changes from the original Frau 1966 “ensemble”, Dunn as Nurse, and Schroder-Feinen as Dyer’s Wife. It would be very nice to have another Bohm performance in MOoD, which covers those interpretations, preferably the first broadcast, which has the fewest cuts.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Original Air Date: 02/09/1985
Domingo; Malfitano, Lima, Zschau, Schexnayder, Cheek
SID.19240745
This does not jump out as a particularly distinguished performance, starting with the conducting, but Zschau might be worth checking out as not your soubrette style of Musetta.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/15/1986
Tate; Rendall, Valente, Behrens, von Stade, Alexander
MOD Audio SID.19240746
Idomeneo has some of Mozart’s greatest music. Valente is a doing double duty this week along with Falstaff, and she’s a sublime lyric for either Nanetta or Ilia. Behrens is tough sledding as Elettra. Carol Vaness has two broadcasts on MOoD which I highly recommend.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/14/1946
Busch; Stevens, Jessner, List, Steber, Lechner
MOD Audio SID.19240747
This performance has been on before, and this is Steber’s only 40s broadcast to have made it to Sirius (and to MOoD). This is the kind of voice I love as Sophie, a full lyric, not a soubrette. Jessner has a lot of time in support mostly on the rocks (she debuted as a Valkyrie in 1936, and ended as Gutrune (but preceded by more “rocks” work). Her solo roles were most often Marschallin (cover for Lehmann?) and Eva. She is OK, and this is Stevens still in reasonably fresh voice. glad to have a peek at the 1940s.
DAS RHEINGOLD:Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/26/1957
Stiedry; Uhde, Thebom, Vinay, Davidson, Böhme, Ernster
SID.19240748
The Stiedry Ring from 1957 has been a semi-regular on Sirius, and it’s a slightly different take on the opera than standard Bayreuth.This performance is also available on MOoD and especially for Uhde, Vinay, Thebom, Madeira and Bohme, well worth a listen. This Prologue to the Stiedry Ring is most notable for Vinay’s Loge and Uhde’s Wotan.Not too many global Ring singers from this period, but it gets the job done.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 03/16/1968
Cleva; Kraus, Peters, Corena, Sereni
SID.19240749
Pavarotti is a fine Nemorino, but the performances that stick more strongly in my memory are those by Kraus and Bergonzi, each of whom has a broadcast with Peters. Sereni and Corena owned these parts for many years at the Met, and with good reason. This is the most interesting casting on Sirius this week, but was on only 3 months ago. Is something stuck at Sirius?
DER FREISCHÜTZ:Weber
Original Air Date: 04/15/1972
Ludwig; Kónya, Lorengar, Feldhoff, Mathis
MOD Audio SID.19250101
This is the only Met broadcast of Freischutz, and despite some good work from the treble/tenor clef, Ludwig’s conducting does not give it the sparkle it needs. Feldhoff is more adequate than commanding. One cannot blame the Met entirely, this work simply is not as much a part of the “standard” opera house repertoire as it was 50 years ago.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 12/07/1985
Navarro; Behrens, Moldoveanu, Clark / Pilou, Vickers, Milnes
MOD Audio SID.19250102
New wave of Wagner singer (Behrens) meets older wave (Vickers) but it’s Cav/Pag, not Wagner. Behrens’ only run as Santuzza at the Met is a distant memory for me, and she doesn’t rise to one of the great Santuzzas (now Dimitrova, not always a favorite, DOES). Vickers’ debuted in 1960 as Canio, and this 1985 broadcast performance is his final Canio at the Met. As always Vickers does it his way. He is not quite as demented as his Colon (Buenos Aires) broadcast but if you get his message (and I do), he does great honor to his farewell at the Met to this role in his antepenultimate broadcast.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/05/1983
Leinsdorf; Te Kanawa, Weikl, Battle, Rendall, Dunn, Gramm
MOD Audio SID.19250103
This new production was the first time in German at the Met. Te Kanawa sings beautifully but for anyone who has heard the prior broadcasts from Steber and Della Casa, it’s just not in the same league. Battle and Weikl are strong vocal support.