VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19010427
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
MOD Audio SID.19010428
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
MACBETH:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/03/1973
Molinari-Pradelli; Milnes, Arroyo, Raimondi, Tagliavini
SID.19010529
The Saturday night premiere of this revival was one of the most challenging performances to hustle a ticket ever– why I don’t know. Arroyo sings the Lady superbly and Milnes is well caught (his best is still from Vienna with Ludwig). The other two males are adequate, but when I want to hear Banquo, I turn to Giaiotti from the Met stable, or on airchecks/recordings either Ghiaurov or Christoff. Christoff did perform the aria in his Carnegie Hall orchestra concert, and that was indeed thrilling. Bergonzi premiered Macduff in the Met 1958 premiere and is still the gold standard, but Calleja in the recent Netrebko performance was also quite fine. One of the great memories of this performance was Arroyo’s highly successful realization of Lady Macbeth’s music. No ugly voice here. Molinari-Pradelli provides strong idiomatic conducting.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 04/16/1988
Fournet; Kraus, von Stade, Upshaw, Stilwell
SID.19010530
This is not exactly big scale vocal artillery except Kraus (he broadcast Werther nine years earlier with Crespin), but the Met brings out one of the better French repertoire conductors, and Kraus is a good match for von Stade. This is available all the time on Met Player, as is Kraus/Crespin.
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/12/1992
Panni; Anderson, Leech, Fu, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19010531
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.
IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/27/1960
Cleva; Bergonzi, Stella, Simionato, Bastianini, Wilderman
SID.19010532
Wonder of wonders. Sirius/the Met finally figured out they could broadcast this again. This is Simionato’s only Met broadcast, and her supporting singers are in her league. Now this performance is worth hearing at least twice a year (at least until the Met sees fit to put it in the MOoD catalog. It’s also Bergonzi’s only broadcast Manrico from the Met. Please note that this performance is NOT in MOoD (it should be) and is rarely in rotation 8/1/2011- Outstanding broadcast alert. Simionato’s only Met broadcast; Bergonzi’s only Manrico broadcast. One of Bastianini’s outstanding broadcasts, as also for Stella.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Original Air Date: 12/17/1977
Patanè; Scotto, Aragall, Love, Edwards, Atherton
SID.19010533
Aragall only has 38 Met performances in his nine season tenure. His two broadcasts are Esclarmonde with Sutherland and this Butterfly with Scotto in close to her very best voice. I saw one of these 1977 Butterflys and few tenor voices had such unforced beauty. His Met farewell comes in Boheme 2 days after this broadcast Aragall suffered from severe nervousness which could affect his pitch. Luckily his two Met broadcasts capture mostly just the remarkable voice, one much respected by his peers– Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti. Patane lamentably died much too young at 54 while conducting at the Bavarian State Opera, Munich. He was an excellent maestro in the Met’s Italian wing, and is the conductor for Pavarotti and Ricciarelli’s Ballo in Maschera telecast/DVD. He also is number 4 in Gioconda performances at 25 (Cleva at 65 (Milanov and Tebaldi); Serafin at 55, Toscanini at 29 surpass him).
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 12/26/1936
Abravanel; Maison, Wettergren, Pinza
MOD Audio SID.19010534
This is the second oldest Met performance to have been rebroadcast on Sirius — the Lawrence/Melchior Gotterdammerung also from 1936 (but previous season) is the oldest. Abravanel is more remembered as longtime conductor of the Utah Symphony, but his three Met seasons beginning with this broadcast showed him as a sure hand in the French and German wings of the repertory. The principals have plenty of profile, and Pinza is an excellent High Priest.
TANNHÄUSER:Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/21/1978
Levine; McCracken, Kubiak, Bumbry, Weikl, Macurdy
SID.19010535
This is McCracken’s only broadcast outing as Tannhauser, and he is really very fine. Weikl and Bumbry are tops in these roles and Kubiak is a very decent Elisabeth. Levine is at his very best. What is inexplicable to me is why this performance has not made its way to MOoD. McCracken has 597 Met appearances, more than 300 of them after his return as Otello in March 1963. Bumbry, to my mind is the most important American mezzo of the 20th century. Venus was a breakthrough role for her in 1960 at the Bayreuth Festival. This is her only broadcast from the Met of Venus. This performance does great honor to all of the cast and I am grateful that it has been regularly on Sirius, but the better sound afforded in MOoD would definitely benefit Tannhauser.
JENUFA:Janácek
Original Air Date: 01/25/2003
Jurowski; Mattila, Polaski, Begley, Ventris, Nadler
SID.19010636
I like Jurowski’s work, but I find Mattila and Polaski (encouraged by the director) to be cold with little of the warmth that one should finally feel at the opera’s resolution.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19010637
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
Various:Various
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
Various Artists
SID.19010638
Various selections between scheduled operas. Siriusxm Radio and web player will show the Composer and Title.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
MOD Audio SID.19010640
The work was revived under Conlon in 2013 for 3 Sirius streamed live broadcasts, one of which was rebroadcast on Sirius as part of their June Friday night encores, but no national free network. I saw a lovely production at the original Sadler’s Wells Theatre almost 20 years ago under the late Richard Hickox. It’s one of those works I seem to like less as the years go on, but that may be just me.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010641
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
MOD Audio SID.19010642
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/27/1960
Cleva; Bergonzi, Stella, Simionato, Bastianini, Wilderman
SID.19010743
Wonder of wonders. Sirius/the Met finally figured out they could broadcast this again. This is Simionato’s only Met broadcast, and her supporting singers are in her league. Now this performance is worth hearing at least twice a year (at least until the Met sees fit to put it in the MOoD catalog. It’s also Bergonzi’s only broadcast Manrico from the Met. Please note that this performance is NOT in MOoD (it should be) and is rarely in rotation 8/1/2011- Outstanding broadcast alert. Simionato’s only Met broadcast; Bergonzi’s only Manrico broadcast. One of Bastianini’s outstanding broadcasts, as also for Stella.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
MOD Audio SID.19010744
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 1/29/2000
Kout; Mentzer, Studer, Halfvarson, Norberg-Schulz, Opie
SID: 19010745
This is Cheryl Studer’s penultimate Met performance in her 39 performance Met career. The Met has cast Rosenkavalier more strongly, but Studer still has major Strauss credentials.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 04/16/1988
Fournet; Kraus, von Stade, Upshaw, Stilwell
SID.19010746
This is not exactly big scale vocal artillery except Kraus (he broadcast Werther nine years earlier with Crespin), but the Met brings out one of the better French repertoire conductors, and Kraus is a good match for von Stade. This is available all the time on Met Player, as is Kraus/Crespin.
MACBETH:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/03/1973
Molinari-Pradelli; Milnes, Arroyo, Raimondi, Tagliavini
SID.19010747
The Saturday night premiere of this revival was one of the most challenging performances to hustle a ticket ever– why I don’t know. Arroyo sings the Lady superbly and Milnes is well caught (his best is still from Vienna with Ludwig). The other two males are adequate, but when I want to hear Banquo, I turn to Giaiotti from the Met stable, or on airchecks/recordings either Ghiaurov or Christoff. Christoff did perform the aria in his Carnegie Hall orchestra concert, and that was indeed thrilling. Bergonzi premiered Macduff in the Met 1958 premiere and is still the gold standard, but Calleja in the recent Netrebko performance was also quite fine. One of the great memories of this performance was Arroyo’s highly successful realization of Lady Macbeth’s music. No ugly voice here. Molinari-Pradelli provides strong idiomatic conducting.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Original Air Date: 12/17/1977
Patanè; Scotto, Aragall, Love, Edwards, Atherton
SID.19010748
Aragall only has 38 Met performances in his nine season tenure. His two broadcasts are Esclarmonde with Sutherland and this Butterfly with Scotto in close to her very best voice. I saw one of these 1977 Butterflys and few tenor voices had such unforced beauty. His Met farewell comes in Boheme 2 days after this broadcast Aragall suffered from severe nervousness which could affect his pitch. Luckily his two Met broadcasts capture mostly just the remarkable voice, one much respected by his peers– Carreras, Domingo, and Pavarotti. Patane lamentably died much too young at 54 while conducting at the Bavarian State Opera, Munich. He was an excellent maestro in the Met’s Italian wing, and is the conductor for Pavarotti and Ricciarelli’s Ballo in Maschera telecast/DVD. He also is number 4 in Gioconda performances at 25 (Cleva at 65 (Milanov and Tebaldi); Serafin at 55, Toscanini at 29 surpass him).
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/12/1992
Panni; Anderson, Leech, Fu, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19020101
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.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/21/1940
Papi; Baccaloni, Sayão, Martini, Valentino
MOD Audio SID.19020316
This is one of the older Met broadcasts to appear in the Sirius rebroadcast series. It’s also one of the best, with Baccaloni and Sayao in very top form. This is also available in MOoD.
Sayao and Baccaloni have a lot of charm in our only broadcast from the 40s this week This is also on Met Player, and it’s good to hear why Baccaloni and Sayao were so beloved. What personality even in 1940 AM sound.
TOSCA:Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/23/1957
Mitropoulos; Albanese, Barioni, Warren
SID.19020317
This performance was supposed to be Bjorling with Albanese and Warren. Tosca is not an ideal part for Albanese, but she certainly knows the idiom.
DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/31/2007
Luisi; Voigt, Kerl, Damrau, Grove, Brendel
MOD Audio SID.19020318
This is the Met’s only broadcast of the Strauss work and Kerl and Damrau are very impressive. I don’t love the work, but like most Strauss, it has its moments. It’s repeated too often in rotation which in no way approximates its importance in the Strauss canon.
This was the first Met production in more than eight decades. I love the awakening scene, but for me it’s one of the weaker Strauss works. I shouldn’t complain. No Strauss at all this season or next.
To date this is the only Met matinee broadcast of this uncommon Strauss work. The strongest profile is from Damrau who is an excellent Aithra. The opera has some great moments, and was one of Met audience’s first chances to encounter Luisi, now the Principal Conductor.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/15/1997
Isepp; Vaness, Croft, Graham, Gunn, McLaughlin, Shimell
SID.19020319
This is the season after the Bartoli run as Despina also with Vaness. Most of the interest in this broadcast centers on Richard Croft now in Satyagraha and Susan Graham for whom this is an early broadcast. Her second Dorabella run is in 2001 has also been on Sirius. For Vaness fans she has two Cosi broadcasts from early in her Met career 1984 and 1991, and the 1984 is particularly recommended. Her Mozart singing in the early 1980s was right up there with the very best– Steber, Fleming, Lorengar, Te Kanawa.
FAUST: Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/30/1972
Benzi; Gedda, Boky, Macurdy, Manuguerra, Forst
SID.19020320
Gedda and Manuguerra are two of my favorite singers, and well cast,but neither Boky nor Macurdy is what I want in Gounod. It is indeed sad that such a Faust is presented when I can think of several Fausts which have never been on the airwaves are deserving of hearing–
12/31/1949 Pelletier Kirsten DiStefano Warren Tajo WHY NOT?
12/23/1950 Cleva Kirsten Bjorling Guarrera Siepi WHY NOT?
12/5/1953 Monteux DeLosAngeles Conley Merrill Rossi-Lemeni
2/19/1955 Monteux DeLosAngeles Peerce Merrill Siepi SIRIUS MOoD 2/4/1956 Monteux Kirsten Campora Guarrera Hines Monteux farewell 1/4/1958 Morel Guden Gedda Merrill Hines SIRIUS MOoD
12/19/1959 Morel Soderstrom Bjorling Merrill Siepi WHY NOT?
1/4/1964 Cleva Moffo Morell Ruzdak Siepi SIRIUS
4/9/1966 Pretre Fenn Gedda Walker Siepi
1/18/1969 Varviso Lorengar Gedda Merrill Siepi WHY NOT?
2/26/1972 Rich Zylis-Gara Domingo Sereni Tozzi SIRIUS MOoD
12/30/1972 Benzi Boky Gedda Manuguerra Macurdy SIRIUS
1/8/1977 Pretre Meier, Johanna Burrows Carlson Giaiotti WHY NOT?
More recent Fausts are well covered, but missing Bjorling’s Faust not once but twice (he has no studio recording, and is one of the all-time Met stars). The other Why not have their points. And no, we don’t need more repetitions of the 1972 Faust with Domingo which has been overplayed in recent months.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/25/1961
Rosenstock; Borkh, Rysanek, Madeira, Uhde, Vinay
MOD Audio SID.19020422
Rosenstock appears for the originally scheduled Mitropoulos who had died the previous November. Still, this is a powerful cast in a masterpiece. The whole cast is top drawer, and highly recommended. This is the only Elektra Borkh and Rysanek ever did together, and they are among the very best in these roles. Nice to welcome this performance to MOoD in their 2014 reissues. For me a highlight of the week.
Rosenstock comes to the Met first in 1929, and left after one season (poor reviews compared to Bodanzky and Bodanzky returned the following season). Rosenstock returned to Germany, then to Japan for the WHOLE WWII at NHK. He gets back to New York, and starts anew at New York City Opera and succeeds Halasz as director in 1952. After 4 seasons as director, he is replaced by Julius Rudel, and then returns to the Met in 1961 replacing the recently deceased Mitropoulos.
He goes on to conduct over 250 Met performances in the next 8 years. including Tosca and Lucia on the Met tour among just about everything. He is a solid conductor, and Borkh in 1961 one of the very great Elektras.
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/23/2002
Levine; Frittoli, Shicoff, Frontali, Tian, Ens, Graves
SID.19020423
This performance just doesn’t get off the ground, For me, though Frittoli and Frontali are at least Italianate, they are short of the critical goods necessary to really be full voiced enough for these roles; the interpreters at this new production’s fall premiere earlier in the season did not even have the stylistics. Not one of Met casting’s finest hours. A disappointing revival in a new production. Frittoli was a bit light for the role, and Shicoff would have been much better 10 years earlier. Frontali is a small scaled Miller.
MANON LESCAUT:Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/17/1990
Santi; Freni, Dvorsk, Schexnayder, Tajo
SID.19020424
This is Freni’s only Met broadcast of Manon Lescaut (she did three performances in 1984 as well), and she is one of my favorite Manons even though she is well into the veteran stage.
Dvorsky is acceptable, but not lots of good Des Grieux available in 1990 (a much more challenging part than the Massenet). Santi understands the tradition well, but I prefer Mitropoulos or Levine, both of whom are much more animated.
3/16/12 – Freni was a wonderful Manon Lescaut, but she saved it for close to the end of her career. Luckily she made a great recording with Pavarotti and Levine under Met auspices (Bartoli as the madrigal singer! Taddei as Lescaut) Still, she’s a fine Manon Lescaut, and deserves a better supporting cast and conductor than she gets.
Manon Lescaut is one Puccini that is not overdone so I always look forward to hearing it, and the Met has some great broadcasts including two Bjorlings that have been on Sirius and are in MetOpera on Demand.