“NORMA : Bellini
Original Air Date: 09/25/2017
Cast: Rizzi; Radvanovsky, DiDonato, Calleja, Rose
Media: SID.17390106 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/“
“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.
“
“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”
“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/“
“NORMA : Bellini
Original Air Date: 09/25/2017
Cast: Rizzi; Radvanovsky, DiDonato, Calleja, Rose
Media: SID.17400640 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/“
“I PURITANI : Bellini
Original Air Date: 01/06/2007
Cast: Summers; Netrebko, Cutler, Vassallo, Relyea
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.17410103 Tags: Archive; 2017, Netrebko
This Puritani run launched Netrebko into superstardom, but also engendered some controversy from some bel cantists and Callas widows. Netrebko is a controversial singer in bel canto, but she had a huge success following her premiere of the new Don Pasquale the previous season. Netrebko is very fresh of voice, and will impress many. Her supporting cast is no more than OK, and for Callas fanatics she is totally inadequate. Watch and hear for yourself.
I did see Sutherland in 1976, which was well up to her standard
even though she had just turned 50. Netrebko in the second Live in HD performance (the English Flute had kicked the series off) was visually
electrifying, and that performance is available on DG Blu-Ray. This audio broadcast is also available in MOoD.
This performance duplicates the HD transmission and the DVD cast. This performance is best experience in its simultaneous HD video which is on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) or on DVD or BLu-Ray. “
“DIE ZAUBERFLÖTE : Mozart
Original Air Date: 02/21/1998
Cast: de Waart; Bonney, Lopardo, Finley, Dunleavy, Moll
Media: MOD Audio SID.17410214 Tags: Archive; 2017, Mozart
I want to take a listen to this broadcast, esp. for Bonney and Finley. I wrote a few months ago on some missing gaps in Zauberflote:
If relatively recent sound is the criterion, more rotation of the Lorengar, Deutekom from 1968 is called for and I would love to hear again the 1970 and 1972 broadcasts which have not yet made it to Sirius. The 1970 features the matchless Papageno of Hermann Prey (and live performance is quite a different thing than the recording studio) Popp is out there for one of her last times as the QotN; the 1972 features the strong Queen of Edda Moser and an unusual Pamina, Adriana Maliponte. If sound is not the sole criterion, it would be nice to hear Bruno Walter conducting in the early 40s, with Steber leading the three ladies in three broadcasts succeeded in 1945 by Regina Resnik. Kipnis and Pinza are 2 of the Sarastros. For really splendid Mozart in English, the 1950 with Steber moving up to Pamina, and Tucker as Tamino; Erna Berger sings the Queen in English under Stiedry.”
“I PURITANI : Bellini
Original Air Date: 01/06/2007
Cast: Summers; Netrebko, Cutler, Vassallo, Relyea
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.17410321 Tags: Archive; 2017, Netrebko
This Puritani run launched Netrebko into superstardom, but also engendered some controversy from some bel cantists and Callas widows. Netrebko is a controversial singer in bel canto, but she had a huge success following her premiere of the new Don Pasquale the previous season. Netrebko is very fresh of voice, and will impress many. Her supporting cast is no more than OK, and for Callas fanatics she is totally inadequate. Watch and hear for yourself.
I did see Sutherland in 1976, which was well up to her standard
even though she had just turned 50. Netrebko in the second Live in HD performance (the English Flute had kicked the series off) was visually
electrifying, and that performance is available on DG Blu-Ray. This audio broadcast is also available in MOoD.
This performance duplicates the HD transmission and the DVD cast. This performance is best experience in its simultaneous HD video which is on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) or on DVD or BLu-Ray. “
“I PURITANI : Bellini
Original Air Date: 01/06/2007
Cast: Summers; Netrebko, Cutler, Vassallo, Relyea
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.17410640 Tags: Archive; 2017, Netrebko
This Puritani run launched Netrebko into superstardom, but also engendered some controversy from some bel cantists and Callas widows. Netrebko is a controversial singer in bel canto, but she had a huge success following her premiere of the new Don Pasquale the previous season. Netrebko is very fresh of voice, and will impress many. Her supporting cast is no more than OK, and for Callas fanatics she is totally inadequate. Watch and hear for yourself.
I did see Sutherland in 1976, which was well up to her standard
even though she had just turned 50. Netrebko in the second Live in HD performance (the English Flute had kicked the series off) was visually
electrifying, and that performance is available on DG Blu-Ray. This audio broadcast is also available in MOoD.
This performance duplicates the HD transmission and the DVD cast. This performance is best experience in its simultaneous HD video which is on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) or on DVD or BLu-Ray. “
“ARIADNE AUF NAXOS : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/12/1988
Cast: Levine; Norman, King, Battle, Troyanos, Nentwig, Dickson
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17420207 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Strauss
“
“THE FIRST EMPEROR : Dun
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Cast: Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.17420319 Tags: Archive; 2017, Domingo
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to.
***
I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).”
“ARIADNE AUF NAXOS : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/12/1988
Cast: Levine; Norman, King, Battle, Troyanos, Nentwig, Dickson
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17420422 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Strauss
“
“THE FIRST EMPEROR : Dun
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Cast: Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.17420531 Tags: Archive; 2017, Domingo
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to.
***
I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).”
“THE FIRST EMPEROR : Dun
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Cast: Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Media: Live in HDMOD Video SID.17420742 Tags: Archive; 2017, Domingo
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to.
***
I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).”
“ARIADNE AUF NAXOS : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/12/1988
Cast: Levine; Norman, King, Battle, Troyanos, Nentwig, Dickson
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17420745 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Strauss
“
“DIE WALKÜRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/08/1989
Cast: Levine; Behrens, Morris, Norman, Lakes, Ludwig, Moll
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17430104 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Wagner
This performance is in the MOoD as a video. Lakes is operating in a league that is at least a half step beyond him. Behrens, who is certainly well schooled, is not the right voice for me. Norman is very much her own stylist. Still this is a strong cast overall, and finds the Met orchestra and Levine in their first cycle together in extremely committed form.”
“DIE WALKÜRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/08/1989
Cast: Levine; Behrens, Morris, Norman, Lakes, Ludwig, Moll
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17430105 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Wagner
This performance is in the MOoD as a video. Lakes is operating in a league that is at least a half step beyond him. Behrens, who is certainly well schooled, is not the right voice for me. Norman is very much her own stylist. Still this is a strong cast overall, and finds the Met orchestra and Levine in their first cycle together in extremely committed form.”
“LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN : Offenbach
Original Air Date: 10/24/2017
Cast: Debus; Grigolo, Naouri, Morley, Hartig, Volkova, Erraught
Media: SID.17430214 Tags: LIVE; 2017
“
“DIE WALKÜRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/08/1989
Cast: Levine; Behrens, Morris, Norman, Lakes, Ludwig, Moll
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17430423 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Wagner
This performance is in the MOoD as a video. Lakes is operating in a league that is at least a half step beyond him. Behrens, who is certainly well schooled, is not the right voice for me. Norman is very much her own stylist. Still this is a strong cast overall, and finds the Met orchestra and Levine in their first cycle together in extremely committed form.”
“DIE WALKÜRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/08/1989
Cast: Levine; Behrens, Morris, Norman, Lakes, Ludwig, Moll
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17430424 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Wagner
This performance is in the MOoD as a video. Lakes is operating in a league that is at least a half step beyond him. Behrens, who is certainly well schooled, is not the right voice for me. Norman is very much her own stylist. Still this is a strong cast overall, and finds the Met orchestra and Levine in their first cycle together in extremely committed form.”
“DIE WALKÜRE : Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/08/1989
Cast: Levine; Behrens, Morris, Norman, Lakes, Ludwig, Moll
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17430641 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Wagner
This performance is in the MOoD as a video. Lakes is operating in a league that is at least a half step beyond him. Behrens, who is certainly well schooled, is not the right voice for me. Norman is very much her own stylist. Still this is a strong cast overall, and finds the Met orchestra and Levine in their first cycle together in extremely committed form.”
“ELEKTRA : Strauss
Original Air Date: 01/22/1994
Cast: Levine; Behrens, Voigt, Fassbaender, McIntyre, King
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17440211 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Strauss
Behrens was not a natural Elektra voice, and her premiere of the production 2 years earlier was her last appearance in the part for close to 2 years. When she returned to the Met for this performance which was also videod and has been issued on DVD in the Levine 40th anniversary collection, she was able to do justice to the part, if not with the tonal reserves of a Nilsson, Varnay, or Jones. This is very early in Deborah Voigt’s career and one hears why she so impressed listeners in the early 90s. This broadcast/telecast is Fassbaender’s Met farewell, and vocally and dramatically she is a bit over the top. She still has her moments.”
“FIDELIO : Beethoven
Original Air Date: 01/06/2001
Cast: Levine; Mattila, Heppner, Leiferkus, Pape, Hong, Polenzani
Media: MOD Audio SID.17440315 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine
This new production was telecast earlier in the season, but this audio (both audio and video are in MOoD) replaces Struckmann with Leiferkus, Welch-Babidge with Hong, and Lloyd with James Morris. Mattila and Heppner are both very good, but below the transcendant Fidelios I remember from Nilsson, Rysanek and Marton in the theater all with the inimitable Jon Vickers as Florestan. Flagstad makes her mark in two Met broadcasts as well.”
“ELEKTRA : Strauss
Original Air Date: 01/22/1994
Cast: Levine; Behrens, Voigt, Fassbaender, McIntyre, King
Media: MOD AudioMOD Video SID.17440316 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Strauss
Behrens was not a natural Elektra voice, and her premiere of the production 2 years earlier was her last appearance in the part for close to 2 years. When she returned to the Met for this performance which was also videod and has been issued on DVD in the Levine 40th anniversary collection, she was able to do justice to the part, if not with the tonal reserves of a Nilsson, Varnay, or Jones. This is very early in Deborah Voigt’s career and one hears why she so impressed listeners in the early 90s. This broadcast/telecast is Fassbaender’s Met farewell, and vocally and dramatically she is a bit over the top. She still has her moments.”
“FIDELIO : Beethoven
Original Air Date: 01/06/2001
Cast: Levine; Mattila, Heppner, Leiferkus, Pape, Hong, Polenzani
Media: MOD Audio SID.17440635 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine
This new production was telecast earlier in the season, but this audio (both audio and video are in MOoD) replaces Struckmann with Leiferkus, Welch-Babidge with Hong, and Lloyd with James Morris. Mattila and Heppner are both very good, but below the transcendant Fidelios I remember from Nilsson, Rysanek and Marton in the theater all with the inimitable Jon Vickers as Florestan. Flagstad makes her mark in two Met broadcasts as well.”
“FIDELIO : Beethoven
Original Air Date: 01/06/2001
Cast: Levine; Mattila, Heppner, Leiferkus, Pape, Hong, Polenzani
Media: MOD Audio SID.17440638 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine
This new production was telecast earlier in the season, but this audio (both audio and video are in MOoD) replaces Struckmann with Leiferkus, Welch-Babidge with Hong, and Lloyd with James Morris. Mattila and Heppner are both very good, but below the transcendant Fidelios I remember from Nilsson, Rysanek and Marton in the theater all with the inimitable Jon Vickers as Florestan. Flagstad makes her mark in two Met broadcasts as well.”
“BILLY BUDD : Britten
Original Air Date: 03/31/1979
Cast: Leppard; Stilwell, Pears, Morris, Glossop, Ward
Media: MOD Audio SID.17450315 Tags: Archive; 2017
Pears created the role of Captain Vere three decades earlier, and James Morris’ Claggart is one of the great post-war assumptions. Luckily the Met has recently added the video of the 1997 telecast with the late Phillip Langridge as Vere, Dwayne Croft, and Morris once again being the evil anchor as Claggart. This 1979 performance is the first broadcast of the Met’s Budd production, and is Pears’ final Met appearance Much of this attention is surely coming because of the Britten centenary. One of the Met’s most distinguished productions.”
“BILLY BUDD : Britten
Original Air Date: 03/31/1979
Cast: Leppard; Stilwell, Pears, Morris, Glossop, Ward
Media: MOD Audio SID.17450634 Tags: Archive; 2017
Pears created the role of Captain Vere three decades earlier, and James Morris’ Claggart is one of the great post-war assumptions. Luckily the Met has recently added the video of the 1997 telecast with the late Phillip Langridge as Vere, Dwayne Croft, and Morris once again being the evil anchor as Claggart. This 1979 performance is the first broadcast of the Met’s Budd production, and is Pears’ final Met appearance Much of this attention is surely coming because of the Britten centenary. One of the Met’s most distinguished productions.”
“DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/08/2001
Cast: Levine; Morris, Mattila, Heppner, Allen, Pape, Polenzani
Media: MOD Video SID.17460104 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Wagner
A little late for Heppner, but still a fine Walther. An excellent
overall performance.”
“DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG : Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/08/2001
Cast: Levine; Morris, Mattila, Heppner, Allen, Pape, Polenzani
Media: MOD Video SID.17460105 Tags: Archive; 2017, Levine, Wagner
A little late for Heppner, but still a fine Walther. An excellent
overall performance.”