“L’ELISIR D’AMORE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1949
Cast: Antonicelli; Tagliavini, Sayão, Baccaloni, Valdengo
Media: MOD Audio SID.17380145 Tags: Archive; 2017
“
“TANNHÄUSER : Wagner
Original Air Date: 01/09/1954
Cast: Szell; Vinay, Harshaw, Varnay, London, Hines
Media: MOD Audio SID.17380146 Tags: Archive; 2017, Wagner
You either love Vinay or you hate him (even as a tenor). As a tenor I like him very much. Wolfram is a particularly congenial part for London, and this was the third performance of a four performance run (at least with Szell who did the next performance after this one and left the Met forever). Szell is one of the prime attractions and this performance is available on Met Player.
This performance is on MOoD and notable as Szell’s last Met broadcast and his penultimate appearance at the Met. Cast are well up to their roles, though Vinay is not to every taste– he is to mine.
This performance is available also in MOoD as well as the Sony Box and has been on Sirius before. I’m sorry that they did not seek out the 1941 Flagstad Melchior broadcast which was at one time available from the Met in their historic LP series so a decent tape does exist. The Dresden version is used.
I take nothing away from the distinction of Szell, but in Tannhauser, the title role is what makes or breaks the performance. Vinay is acceptable, but he is not prime Melchior either.
“
“LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN : Offenbach
Original Air Date: 09/26/2017
Cast: Debus; Grigolo, Naouri, Morley, Hartig, Volkova, Erraught
Media: SID.17390213 Tags: LIVE; 2017
SECOND NIGHT 2017-2018 SEASON
The New Yorker – Bartlett Sher’s production of Offenbach’s “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” often feels disjointed in performance. But in the current revival it coalesces around Vittorio Grigolo’s thrilling performance in the title role, with each act emerging as a fever dream of frustrated longing. The bass Laurent Naouri is a wonderfully arch antagonist as the Four Villains; other standouts include Anita Hartig’s sensitively sung Antonia and Erin Morley’s dazzling Olympia. Offenbach was primarily a composer of operettas, and Johannes Debus, appropriately, conducts with rhythms that dance and melodies that gently waft into the air.
Observer – excerpt below, full review at link
Tenors Keep Show Afloat in Met ‘Hoffmann’ and ‘Magic Flute’
But “routine” doesn’t have to mean “dull,” as the opening week offered a bouquet of striking individual performances. The flashiest turn of all was tenor Vittorio Grigolo’s manic take on the title character in Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann on September 26. For a more harrowing account of a poet spinning out of control, you’d have to imagine a biopic of Edgar Allan Poe played by Judy Garland.
Even the fanciful Garland comparison is accurate, because Grigolo is an artist whose voice just gushes out, sometimes giving the impression it’s in control of him rather than the other way around. And yet, in the taxing final scene reprise of the poet’s passionate ode “Ô Dieu! de quelle ivresse,” the tenor’s voice never flagged; in fact it seemed to grow ever more vibrant.
Among the rest of the cast, only soprano Erin Morley proved a worthy partner, trilling her way through the ornate role of the robot Olympia (one of Hoffmann’s ill-fated loves) with virtuosity and wit. She’s ready, I think, to take on this opera’s other two “lover” parts, Antonia and Giulietta, particularly since the artists the Met fielded for these roles were so nondescript.
“
“L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI : Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/17/2001
Cast: Campanella; Larmore, Polenzani, Ramey, Corbelli
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390207 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is Ramey’s only Mustafa broadcast, and early appearances by Polenzani and Kwiecien who are Met regulars in star parts these days. My own favorite Isabella is Borodina whose performance with Florez and Furlanetto is also on MOoD.”
“A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
Cast: Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390315 Tags: Archive; 2017
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.”
“ESCLARMONDE : Massenet
Original Air Date: 12/11/1976
Cast: Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390317 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Esclarmonde, and the performance in addition to the predictable glitter from Sutherland, captures Aragall in one of his best performances. For many, his material was the best of absolute best, and the new generation of tenors in the 1970s, but it never quite all came together. Here is the exception. Enjoy.”
“DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE : Mozart
Original Air Date: 09/27/2017
Cast: Levine; Schultz, Castronovo, Werba, Lewek, Kehrer
Media: SID.17390320 Tags: LIVE; 2017, Levine, Mozart
Third Night – 2017-2018 Season”
“L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI : Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/17/2001
Cast: Campanella; Larmore, Polenzani, Ramey, Corbelli
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390422 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is Ramey’s only Mustafa broadcast, and early appearances by Polenzani and Kwiecien who are Met regulars in star parts these days. My own favorite Isabella is Borodina whose performance with Florez and Furlanetto is also on MOoD.”
“A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM : Britten
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
Cast: Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390531 Tags: Archive; 2017
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.”
“ESCLARMONDE : Massenet
Original Air Date: 12/11/1976
Cast: Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390534 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Esclarmonde, and the performance in addition to the predictable glitter from Sutherland, captures Aragall in one of his best performances. For many, his material was the best of absolute best, and the new generation of tenors in the 1970s, but it never quite all came together. Here is the exception. Enjoy.”
“L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI : Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/17/2001
Cast: Campanella; Larmore, Polenzani, Ramey, Corbelli
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390638 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is Ramey’s only Mustafa broadcast, and early appearances by Polenzani and Kwiecien who are Met regulars in star parts these days. My own favorite Isabella is Borodina whose performance with Florez and Furlanetto is also on MOoD.”
“ESCLARMONDE : Massenet
Original Air Date: 12/11/1976
Cast: Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
Media: MOD Audio SID.17390743 Tags: Archive; 2017
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Esclarmonde, and the performance in addition to the predictable glitter from Sutherland, captures Aragall in one of his best performances. For many, his material was the best of absolute best, and the new generation of tenors in the 1970s, but it never quite all came together. Here is the exception. Enjoy.”
“FIDELIO : Beethoven
Original Air Date: 02/13/1960
Cast: Böhm; Nilsson, Vickers, Uhde, Czerwenka, Hurley, Anthony
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400102 Tags: Archive; 2017, Nilsson
This performance was issued also on Sony’s Met Historic CD series, as well as being in MOoD. Bohm, Nilsson, and Vickers bring all the exaltation and passion one could want to this opera. Vickers still continues to leave most other Florestans in the dust.
What a privilege to have seen him from beginning (1958 in Dallas) to end great performances well into the 1980s. He’s not for everyone, but in his core roles– Grimes, Otello, Siegmund, Florestan, Samson, Parsifal, Tristan, Enee he never left audiences wanting.
One of the very greatest singers ever to appear on ANY stage, and it
was my privilege to have shared so many evenings with him.
Czerwenka is not my idea of Rocco, but Bohm, Nilsson and Vickers are pretty unbeatable, and no one plays the Leonore No. 3 like Bohm.”
“LES TROYENS : Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Cast: Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400104 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine
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.”
“LES TROYENS : Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Cast: Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400105 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine
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.”
“CARMEN : Bizet
Original Air Date: 02/16/1952
Cast: Reiner; Stevens, Tucker, Conner, Silveri
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400210 Tags: Archive; 2017
“
“FALSTAFF : Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/06/2002
Cast: Levine; Terfel, Mescheriakova, Croft, Blythe, Tilling, Turay
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400212 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Verdi
“
“NORMA : Bellini
Original Air Date: 09/25/2017
Cast: Rizzi; Radvanovsky, DiDonato, Calleja, Rose
Media: SID.17400214 Tags: LIVE; 2017
Opening Night 2017-2018 Season – Soprano Sandra Radvanovsky and mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato star in the Met’s new production of Norma. Tenor Joseph Calleja is Pollione, Norma’s unfaithful lover, and Carlo Rizzi conducts. Sir David McVicar’s evocative production sets the action deep in a Druid forest where nature and ancient ritual rule. Production a gift of Veronica Atkins
Reviews
Anthony Tommasini (NY Times): www.nytimes.com/2017/09/26/arts/music/norma-review-metropolitan-opera.html
Anne Midgette (The Washington Post) www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2017/09/26/for-once-the-met-opera-goes-traditional-for-season-opener/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.b63cc26e01e6
Russell Platt (The New Yorker) www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/norma-and-the-met-operas-leading-ladies
James Jorden (New York Observer) observer.com/2017/09/review-sondra-radvanovsky-sizzles-in-mets-norma-despite-all-odds/
Telegraph www.telegraph.co.uk/opera/what-to-see/norma-review-met-opera-live-hd-solid-unpretentious-spectacle/“
“ANDREA CHÉNIER : Giordano
Original Air Date: 03/26/1977
Cast: Levine; Domingo, Arroyo, MacNeil, Kraft, Love, Chookasian
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400315 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Domingo
“
“EUGENE ONEGIN : Tchaikovsky
Original Air Date: 04/19/1997
Cast: Pappano; Chernov, Gorchakova, Farina, Tarassova, Ognovenko
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400316 Tags: Archive; 2017
We hear so much more of Onegin these days, and this run is Pappano’s (CGarden music director) only Met appearance. Good to hear Chernov again in retrospect. Turned out to not be the Russian Robert Merrill.
***
Antonio Pappano, though an American resident for some years has ended up basing most of his operatic career as the music director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. The Met thought enough to give him this new production as his debut and only run of Met appearances Chernov was originally brought in as a Russian Robert Merrill. The voice is attractive and smoothly lyric, but not a patch on his countryman, Yuri Mazurok, and at least two sizes too small to even be compared to Merrill.
***
Even in the Met’s own archives, the Peter G. Davis review of the opening night comes in for some very hard knocks musically for both the singers and the conductor. Why this was picked for MOoD when the two Mazurok broadcasts (regularly on Sirius) were not picked gives one pause about performance selection on MOoD.”
“DON CARLO : Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/05/1952
Cast: Stiedry; Tucker, Rigal, Silveri, Barbieri, Hines, Hotter
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400317 Tags: Archive; 2017, Verdi
This is the first of Tucker’s three Don Carlo broadcasts, and I find his 1955 preferable. What I’ve never heard, but also from 1952 (but next season) is his second which has a better supporting cast with Merrill for Silveri, and Siepi for Hines as Filippo; Erede is in the pit for his only Don Carlo broadcast. May we hear this please?
This is most distinctive for being Tucker’s first Don Carlo broadcast and one of Hotter’s few. Tucker broadcast the opera again 8 months later in 1952 (but new season) with the production opening night cast (Merrill and Siepi replacing Silveri and Hines, and him of course replacing Bjorling) I’ve never heard this second 1952 broadcast.
Also unusual is that though Tucker went on to sing the opera for 15 more years after his 1955 broadcast with Steber, he never went to the airwaves for it again. At 26 performances, he is by far the Don Carlo champion– I saw him in it three times. most notably at a fall 1968 matinee not broadcast with (Orlandi, Verrett, Merrill, Ghiaurov, and Talvela under Abbado).
Bing did not see Hotter in leading roles and in Walkure he was cast as
Hunding, not Wotan. What has not been rebroadcast on Sirius is Hotter’s
farewell which is a 1954 Parsifal with Svanholm, Varnay, and London, and Hotter as Gurnemanz under Stiedry. I would love to hear that.”
“FIDELIO : Beethoven
Original Air Date: 02/13/1960
Cast: Böhm; Nilsson, Vickers, Uhde, Czerwenka, Hurley, Anthony
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400318 Tags: Archive; 2017, Nilsson
This performance was issued also on Sony’s Met Historic CD series, as well as being in MOoD. Bohm, Nilsson, and Vickers bring all the exaltation and passion one could want to this opera. Vickers still continues to leave most other Florestans in the dust.
What a privilege to have seen him from beginning (1958 in Dallas) to end great performances well into the 1980s. He’s not for everyone, but in his core roles– Grimes, Otello, Siegmund, Florestan, Samson, Parsifal, Tristan, Enee he never left audiences wanting.
One of the very greatest singers ever to appear on ANY stage, and it
was my privilege to have shared so many evenings with him.
Czerwenka is not my idea of Rocco, but Bohm, Nilsson and Vickers are pretty unbeatable, and no one plays the Leonore No. 3 like Bohm.”
“ANDREA CHÉNIER : Giordano
Original Air Date: 03/26/1977
Cast: Levine; Domingo, Arroyo, MacNeil, Kraft, Love, Chookasian
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400319 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Domingo
“
“DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/31/2007
Cast: Luisi; Voigt, Kerl, Damrau, Grove, Brendel
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400320 Tags: Archive; 2017, Strauss
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.”
“LES TROYENS : Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Cast: Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400423 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine
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.”
“LES TROYENS : Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Cast: Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400424 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine
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.”
“CARMEN : Bizet
Original Air Date: 02/16/1952
Cast: Reiner; Stevens, Tucker, Conner, Silveri
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400427 Tags: Archive; 2017
“
“FALSTAFF : Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/06/2002
Cast: Levine; Terfel, Mescheriakova, Croft, Blythe, Tilling, Turay
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400529 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Verdi
“
“ANDREA CHÉNIER : Giordano
Original Air Date: 03/26/1977
Cast: Levine; Domingo, Arroyo, MacNeil, Kraft, Love, Chookasian
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400530 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Domingo
“
“DIE ÄGYPTISCHE HELENA : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/31/2007
Cast: Luisi; Voigt, Kerl, Damrau, Grove, Brendel
Media: MOD Audio SID.17400531 Tags: Archive; 2017, Strauss
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.”