LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Original Air Date: 12/23/1989
Cambreling; Lima, Van Dam, Mills, Forst, Malfitano, Boozer
SID.19100529
Hoffmann…………….Luis Lima
Olympia……………..Erie Mills
Giulietta……………Judith Forst
Antonia……………..Catherine Malfitano
Stella………………Pauline Andrey
Lindorf……………..José Van Dam
Coppélius……………José Van Dam
Dappertutto………….José Van Dam
Dr. Miracle………….José Van Dam
Nicklausse…………..Brenda Boozer
Muse………………..Brenda Boozer
Andrès………………Anthony Laciura
Cochenille…………..Anthony Laciura
Pitichinaccio………..Anthony Laciura
Frantz………………Anthony Laciura
Luther………………Spiro Malas
Nathanael……………Philip Creech
Hermann……………..John Darrenkamp
Spalanzani…………..Donald Kaasch
Schlemil…………….Morley Meredith
Crespel……………..John Macurdy
Mother’s Voice……….Gweneth Bean
Conductor……………Sylvain Cambreling
Lima is much stretched by Hoffmann, but he was very sympathetic on stage. I like the three lady casting, and Van Dam is excellent as the villains, his only Met season in them.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 03/05/2005
de Billy; Cura, Graves, Lafont
SID.19100530
This might be OK as a video, but not much aural delight in my view. Contrary to the Met Data base, the Dalis Thomas Bacquier 1964 performance has been on Sirius, but the 1972 with McCracken and Bumbry has not. It is Bumbry’s only Met broadcast of the role, and if Baudo is not as exciting as Pretre in this music (who is?) , it’s one of McCracken’s best parts as well.
Samson…………………José Cura
Dalila…………………Denyce Graves
High Priest…………….Jean-Philippe Lafont
Abimélech………………James Courtney
Old Hebrew……………..Robert Lloyd
Philistine……………..Bernard Fitch
Philistine……………..Richard Hobson
Messenger………………Tony Stevenson
Conductor………………Bertrand de Billy
Production……………..Elijah Moshinsky
Designer……………….Richard Hudson
Lighting designer……….Duane Schuler
Choreographer…………..Graeme Murphy
Stage Director………….Peter McClintock
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/24/1990
Panni; Nucci, Anderson, Pavarotti, Furlanetto, Svendén, Held
MOD Audio SID.19100531
Rigoletto……………Leo Nucci
Gilda……………….June Anderson
Duke of Mantua……….Luciano Pavarotti
Maddalena……………Birgitta Svendén
Sparafucile………….Ferruccio Furlanetto
Monterone……………Alan Held
Borsa……………….Michael Forest
Marullo……………..Vernon Hartman
Count Ceprano………..Richard Vernon
Countess Ceprano……..Joyce Guyer
Giovanna…………….Sondra Kelly
Page………………..Maria Donaldi
Guard……………….Paul De Paola
Conductor……………Marcello Panni
This performance was of the new Otto Schenk production, catching both Anderson and Pavarotti in particularly good voice. Held is a solid Monterone (Sirius does not list, but I find it a very important, if short role). This performance is Pavarotti’s 3d Duke broadcast (the first was from 17 years earlier). As I remember this 1990 performance, he was in very good voice ; this performance is also available on Met Player. Nucci was a highly dependable Rigoletto, if not the crowd favorite Warren or MacNeil were at their best. I had forgotten that Furlanetto was the Sparafucile, and Alan Held the Monterone. Monterone is one of the shortest parts in opera, but a good one can really supercharge a Rigoletto. I would think Held would be well cast (I don’t remember his performance), but my two Monterones are Giaiotti and Morris (Giaiotti’s only broadcast is MacNeil’s first broadcast Rigoletto from 1960 and includes for further bass clef plush Tozzi– we need to hear this on Sirius!!!; Morris is available on Met Player with Pavarotti from 1973).
LOHENGRIN:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/10/1968
Klobucar; Kónya, Arroyo, Dvoráková, Cassel, Macurdy, Milnes
SID.19100532
The Met leaves Milnes off their cast listing, but shouldn’t, he’s one of the solid pluses, as are Konya and Arroyo. I went to the last of this run the following week which featured James King in the title role. Dvorakova is not a favorite of mine (saw her Isolde at the Met and Senta in Philadelphia) but the tone never had clarity or beauty for me.
Lohengrin…..Sándor Kónya
Elsa……Martina Arroyo
Ortrud…..Ludmila Dvoráková
Telramund……Walter Cassel
King Heinrich….John Macurdy
Herald…..Sherrill Milnes
Noble…….Charles Anthony
Noble…….Robert Schmorr
Noble…….Gene Boucher
Noble…….Paul Plishka
Conductor….Berislav Klobucar
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/26/2002
Levine; Domingo, Hong, Deshorties, von Otter, Oswald
SID.19100533
Idomeneo…………….Plácido Domingo
Ilia………………..Hei-Kyung Hong
Idamante…………….Anne Sofie von Otter
Elettra……………..Alexandra Deshorties
Arbace………………Mark Oswald
High Priest………….Antonio Barasorda
Voice of Neptune……..John Relyea
Woman……………….Sandra Lopez
Woman……………….Jossie Pérez
Soldier……………..Tony Stevenson
Soldier……………..Stephen Morscheck
Conductor……………James Levine
Production…………..Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Designer…………….Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Lighting designer…….Gil Wechsler
Stage Director……….David Kneuss
This is Levine’s next to last run of Idomeneo at the Met which is 2006 [last]. This 2002 cast whose main feature is Domingo is surpassed by the 1995 version with a stronger supporting cast, and Levine’s 2006 broadcast which features Roschmann and Kozena both excellent as Ilia and Idamante. Deshorties has had not one, but two Elettras, and the part calls for a Vaness (two excellent broadcasts) or Studer (never broadcast from the Met but in a fall series of performances.) Levine’s Mozart is among his very best operatic work. This is Domingo’s and Von Otter’s second Idomeneo broadcast. Domingo made a strong stab at Idomeno, but I think he’s better on the studio version. The 1995 broadcast also has Carol Vaness’s outstanding Elettra, a much more settled affair than Deshorties. Hong is an excellent Ilia in this 2002 outing. Deshorties had a big success at Glimmerglass this summer as Medea, but her Met work doesn’t always succeed.
TOSCA:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/04/1997
Badea; Guleghina, Larin, Morris
SID.19100534
Tosca……………….Maria Guleghina
Cavaradossi………….Sergej Larin
Scarpia……………..James Morris
Sacristan……………David Evitts
Spoletta…………….Charles Anthony
Angelotti……………James Courtney
Sciarrone……………Bradley Garvin
Shepherd…………….Andrew Jablon
Jailer………………Vaclovas Daunoras
Conductor……………Christian Badea
Production…………..Franco Zeffirelli
Stage Director……….Max Charruyer
Set designer…………Franco Zeffirelli
Costume designer……..Peter J. Hall
Lighting designer…….Gil Wechsler
The draw here is Larin, who died much too early. He has Grigory (Boris Godunov), Don Jose, Don Alvaro, and Pinkerton in addition and I saw his Prince in Rusalka in San Francisco. His Alvaro was excellent (second run the first season of the production) and I wish Sirius would rebroadcast both the Ramey and Morris Borises, both are with Larin, the first under Gergiev with Borodina, and the Morris under Bychkov with Mishura. I’d love to hear the Solti Boris (April 1963) as well, but because of the translation, I doubt we will ever hear it. Larin was a premature passing, and not sure how he sounded on this. Guleghina is not my favorite Tosca, and Tosca is not my favorite opera.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/28/2004
Levine; Borodina, Flórez, Furlanetto, Patriarco
MOD Audio SID.19100535
Isabella……………….Olga Borodina
Lindoro………………..Juan Diego Flórez
Taddeo…………………Earle Patriarco
Mustafà………………..Ferruccio Furlanetto
Elvira…………………Lyubov Petrova
Zulma………………….Sandra Piques Eddy
Haly…………………..Mariusz Kwiecien
Conductor………………James Levine
Production……………..Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Stage Director………….David Kneuss
Designer……………….Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Associate Designer………David Reppa
Levine is always ready to take the podium when a major star or a video is handy, even if Rossini does not figure prominently in his normally outsized totals– 6 Barbieres, 12 Cenerentolas, and 19 Italianas (he does the Horne video revival in 1986 and this sunny revival from 2004. Borodina is a delightful Isabella, and Furlanetto brings more than the normal amount of voice to Mustafa. Having Florez and Kwiecien (one of his first major roles with the company) makes sure that this performance will have plenty to please the ear and the eye.
OTELLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/04/1978
Levine; Vickers, Ricciarelli, MacNeil, Little
SID.19100636
Otello………………Jon Vickers
Desdemona……………Katia Ricciarelli
Iago………………..Cornell MacNeil
Emilia………………Jean Kraft
Cassio………………Frank Little
Lodovico…………….James Morris
Montàno……………..Robert Goodloe
Roderigo…………….Andrea Velis
Herald………………Arthur Thompson
Conductor……………James Levine
This is the third of Vickers’ 4 Otello Met broadcasts. Ricciarelli is a semi-rare commodity, but she does not have enough profile to efface memories of Steber, Tebaldi, DeLosAngeles, Tucci (the Solti 1963 broadcast should be on Sirius ), Te Kanawa, Scotto, Millo, or Fleming. Missing from the Sirius and MOoD ranks are the Steber and Tebaldi performances of 1955 and 1958 in addition to the Tucci/Solti. Steber finally made it to the Sirius airwaves in June 2014, but Tucci, Steber, and Tebaldi all deserve to have their Desdemonas in MOoD.
KÁT’A KABANOVÁ:Janácek
Original Air Date: 03/16/1991
Mackerras; Benacková, Rysanek, Ochman, Haugland, Straka, Quittmeyer
SID.19100637
Kát’a Kabanová……….Gabriela Benacková
Kabanicha……………Leonie Rysanek
Varvara……………..Susan Quittmeyer
Boris……………….Wieslaw Ochman
Tichon………………Allan Glassman
Vána Kudrjas…………Peter Straka
Kuligin……………..Vernon Hartman
Dikoj……………….Aage Haugland
Glasa……………….Sondra Kelly
Feklusa……………..Loretta Di Franco
Passerby…………….Meredith Derr
Townswoman…………..Joyce Olson
Conductor……………Charles Mackerras
Production by…………..Jonathan Miller
Set and Costume designer…Robert Israel
Lighting designer……….Gil Wechsler
This was the premiere season for the Janacek work at the Met, and the Met put out the best cast and conductor imaginable . I am more of a Jenufa guy (and there is a great broadcast with Benackova and Rysanek in 1992. Both have been on Sirius, but both richly deserve to be in MOoD. KATA doesn’t feature the power and catharsis of Jenufa, but one cannot do better than this cast under Mackerras. A great bookend to Benackova and Rysanek’s broadcast Jenufa.
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Original Air Date: 12/23/1989
Cambreling; Lima, Van Dam, Mills, Forst, Malfitano, Boozer
SID.19100638
Hoffmann…………….Luis Lima
Olympia……………..Erie Mills
Giulietta……………Judith Forst
Antonia……………..Catherine Malfitano
Stella………………Pauline Andrey
Lindorf……………..José Van Dam
Coppélius……………José Van Dam
Dappertutto………….José Van Dam
Dr. Miracle………….José Van Dam
Nicklausse…………..Brenda Boozer
Muse………………..Brenda Boozer
Andrès………………Anthony Laciura
Cochenille…………..Anthony Laciura
Pitichinaccio………..Anthony Laciura
Frantz………………Anthony Laciura
Luther………………Spiro Malas
Nathanael……………Philip Creech
Hermann……………..John Darrenkamp
Spalanzani…………..Donald Kaasch
Schlemil…………….Morley Meredith
Crespel……………..John Macurdy
Mother’s Voice……….Gweneth Bean
Conductor……………Sylvain Cambreling
Lima is much stretched by Hoffmann, but he was very sympathetic on stage. I like the three lady casting, and Van Dam is excellent as the villains, his only Met season in them.
DAS RHEINGOLD:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/09/2019
Jordan; Harmer, Barton, Cargill, Ernst, Siegel, Grimsley, Konieczny, Groissböck, Belosselskiy
SID.19100640
Freia……………….Wendy Bryn Harmer
Fricka……………..Jamie Barton*
Erda………………..Karen Cargill
Loge……………….Norbert Ernst (MET Debut)
Mime………………Gerhard Siegel
Donner……………Michael Todd Simpson
Wotan……………..Greer Grimsley
Alberich…………..Tomasz Konieczny (MET Debut)
Fasolt………………Gunter Groissbock
Fafner……………..Dmitry Belosselskiy
Woglinde………..Amanda Woodbury
Wellgunde……..Samantha Hankey
Flosshilde………Tamara Mumford
Conductor……….Philippe Jordan
Production …………………Robert Lepage
Associate Director ………Neilson Vignola
Set Designer ………………Carl Fillion
Costume Designer ….. …Francois St-Aubin
Lighting Designer ……….Etienne Boucher
Video Image Artist ……..Boris Firquet
Revival Stage Director ..J. Knighten Smit
*(Met Role Debut)
Wagner’s visionary initial installment of the Ring Cycle depicts the original sin of the theft of the sacred golden treasure, the vanity of the gods, the greed of the Nibelungen, the fratricide of the giants, and the building of Valhalla. Bass-baritone Greer Grimsley and baritone Michael Volle share the role of Wotan, the conflicted lord of the gods. Mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton sings her first Wagner role at the Met as Wotan’s embattled wife, Fricka. In collaboration with Ex Machina
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/23/1982
Santi; Ricciarelli, Pavarotti, Nucci, Plishka, Cheek, Berini
MOD Audio SID.19100641
Luisa……………….Katia Ricciarelli
Rodolfo……………..Luciano Pavarotti
Miller………………Leo Nucci
Count Walter…………Paul Plishka
Wurm………………..John Cheek
Federica…………….Bianca Berini
Laura……………….Claudia Catania
Peasant……………..Lou Marcella
Conductor……………Nello Santi
Luisa is probably Ricciarelli’s best role, and is well suited to the lyricism as well as technical skill for this part. This performance is also available in MOoD and one I highly recommend, even if Santi is rather lethargic at some critical points. Act 3 of Luisa Miller is among Verdi’s greatest inspirations.
LES TROYENS:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
MOD Audio SID.19100642
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.
I: La prise de Troie
Cassandra……………Jessye Norman
Coroebus…………….Allan Monk
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Priam……………….Ara Berberian
Hecuba………………Lucille Beer
Helenus……………..Robert Nagy
Andromache…………..Jane White
Astyanax…………….Robert Sanchez [Last performance]
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Trojan Soldier……….Vernon Hartman
II: Les Troyens à Carthage
Dido………………..Jessye Norman
Anna………………..Jocelyne Taillon
Narbal………………Paul Plishka
Iopas……………….Douglas Ahlstedt
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Mercury……………..Julien Robbins
Hylas……………….Philip Creech
Trojan Soldier……….John Darrenkamp
Trojan Soldier……….James Courtney
Priam’s Ghost………..James Courtney
Coroebus’s Ghost……..Allan Glassman
Cassandra’s Ghost…….Jean Kraft
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Act II: Ballet
Builders: Deanne Lay, Fredrick Wodin, Marcus Bugler
Sailors: Gary Cordial, Christopher Stocker, Linda Gelinas
Farmers: Kimberly Graves, Antoinette Peloso, Leonard Greco
Conductor……………James Levine
LES TROYENS:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
MOD Audio SID.19100743
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.
I: La prise de Troie
Cassandra……………Jessye Norman
Coroebus…………….Allan Monk
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Priam……………….Ara Berberian
Hecuba………………Lucille Beer
Helenus……………..Robert Nagy
Andromache…………..Jane White
Astyanax…………….Robert Sanchez [Last performance]
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Trojan Soldier……….Vernon Hartman
II: Les Troyens à Carthage
Dido………………..Jessye Norman
Anna………………..Jocelyne Taillon
Narbal………………Paul Plishka
Iopas……………….Douglas Ahlstedt
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Mercury……………..Julien Robbins
Hylas……………….Philip Creech
Trojan Soldier……….John Darrenkamp
Trojan Soldier……….James Courtney
Priam’s Ghost………..James Courtney
Coroebus’s Ghost……..Allan Glassman
Cassandra’s Ghost…….Jean Kraft
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Act II: Ballet
Builders: Deanne Lay, Fredrick Wodin, Marcus Bugler
Sailors: Gary Cordial, Christopher Stocker, Linda Gelinas
Farmers: Kimberly Graves, Antoinette Peloso, Leonard Greco
Conductor……………James Levine
LOHENGRIN:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/10/1968
Klobucar; Kónya, Arroyo, Dvoráková, Cassel, Macurdy, Milnes
SID.19100744
Lohengrin…..Sándor Kónya
Elsa……Martina Arroyo
Ortrud…..Ludmila Dvoráková
Telramund……Walter Cassel
King Heinrich….John Macurdy
Herald…..Sherrill Milnes
Noble…….Charles Anthony
Noble…….Robert Schmorr
Noble…….Gene Boucher
Noble…….Paul Plishka
Conductor….Berislav Klobucar
The Met leaves Milnes off their cast listing, but shouldn’t, he’s one of the solid pluses, as are Konya and Arroyo. I went to the last of this run the following week which featured James King in the title role. Dvorakova is not a favorite of mine (saw her Isolde at the Met and Senta in Philadelphia) but the tone never had clarity or beauty for me.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/28/2004
Levine; Borodina, Flórez, Furlanetto, Patriarco
MOD Audio SID.19100745
Isabella……………….Olga Borodina
Lindoro………………..Juan Diego Flórez
Taddeo…………………Earle Patriarco
Mustafà………………..Ferruccio Furlanetto
Elvira…………………Lyubov Petrova
Zulma………………….Sandra Piques Eddy
Haly…………………..Mariusz Kwiecien
Conductor………………James Levine
Production……………..Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Stage Director………….David Kneuss
Designer……………….Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Associate Designer………David Reppa
Levine is always ready to take the podium when a major star or a video is handy, even if Rossini does not figure prominently in his normally outsized totals– 6 Barbieres, 12 Cenerentolas, and 19 Italianas (he does the Horne video revival in 1986 and this sunny revival from 2004. Borodina is a delightful Isabella, and Furlanetto brings more than the normal amount of voice to Mustafa. Having Florez and Kwiecien (one of his first major roles with the company) makes sure that this performance will have plenty to please the ear and the eye.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 03/05/2005
de Billy; Cura, Graves, Lafont
SID.19100746
Samson…………………José Cura
Dalila…………………Denyce Graves
High Priest…………….Jean-Philippe Lafont
Abimélech………………James Courtney
Old Hebrew……………..Robert Lloyd
Philistine……………..Bernard Fitch
Philistine……………..Richard Hobson
Messenger………………Tony Stevenson
Conductor………………Bertrand de Billy
Production……………..Elijah Moshinsky
This might be OK as a video, but not much aural delight in my view. Contrary to the Met Data base, the Dalis Thomas Bacquier 1964 performance has been on Sirius, but the 1972 with McCracken and Bumbry has not. It is Bumbry’s only Met broadcast of the role, and if Baudo is not as exciting as Pretre in this music (who is?) , it’s one of McCracken’s best parts as well.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/24/1990
Panni; Nucci, Anderson, Pavarotti, Furlanetto, Svendén, Held
MOD Audio SID.19100747
Rigoletto……………Leo Nucci
Gilda……………….June Anderson
Duke of Mantua……….Luciano Pavarotti
Maddalena……………Birgitta Svendén
Sparafucile………….Ferruccio Furlanetto
Monterone……………Alan Held
Borsa……………….Michael Forest
Marullo……………..Vernon Hartman
Count Ceprano………..Richard Vernon
Countess Ceprano……..Joyce Guyer
Giovanna…………….Sondra Kelly
Page………………..Maria Donaldi
Guard……………….Paul De Paola
Conductor……………Marcello Panni
This performance was of the new Otto Schenk production, catching both Anderson and Pavarotti in particularly good voice. Held is a solid Monterone (Sirius does not list, but I find it a very important, if short role). This performance is Pavarotti’s 3d Duke broadcast (the first was from 17 years earlier). As I remember this 1990 performance, he was in very good voice ; this performance is also available on Met Player. Nucci was a highly dependable Rigoletto, if not the crowd favorite Warren or MacNeil were at their best. I had forgotten that Furlanetto was the Sparafucile, and Alan Held the Monterone. Monterone is one of the shortest parts in opera, but a good one can really supercharge a Rigoletto. I would think Held would be well cast (I don’t remember his performance), but my two Monterones are Giaiotti and Morris (Giaiotti’s only broadcast is MacNeil’s first broadcast Rigoletto from 1960 and includes for further bass clef plush Tozzi– we need to hear this on Sirius!!!; Morris is available on Met Player with Pavarotti from 1973).
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 01/20/1979
Rescigno; Bacquier, Sills, Kraus, Hagegård
MOD Audio SID.19100748
Don Pasquale…………Gabriel Bacquier
Norina………………Beverly Sills
Ernesto……………..Alfredo Kraus
Dr. Malatesta………..Håkan Hagegård
Notary………………Nico Castel
Servant……………..Unknown
Conductor……………Nicola Rescigno
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.
FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 02/19/1955
Monteux; Peerce, de los Angeles, Siepi, Merrill, Miller
MOD Audio SID.19100749
Faust……………….Jan Peerce
Marguerite…………..Victoria de los Angeles
Méphistophélès……….Cesare Siepi
Valentin…………….Robert Merrill
Siebel………………Mildred Miller
Marthe………………Thelma Votipka
Wagner………………Lawrence Davidson
Dance……………….Sallie Wilson
Conductor……………Pierre Monteux
This is the second of Monteux’s three Faust broadcasts, the first one also including DeLosAngeles and Merrill. Paul Jackson, in is second volume reviewing Met broadcasts, Sign-off for the Old Met, is very favorable towards all three of them, a bit less so for Peerce and Siepi. I don’t have his reticence about Siepi and am glad this performance isvavailable on MOoD.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/25/1958
Stiedry; Milanov, Labò, Sereni, Siepi, Roggero, Corena
SID.19110315
The fourth and last of Milanov’s Forza Leonoras. Siepi is the big plus here. A fresher Milanov can be heard in 1952 on MOoD with Tucker and Warren. In her best moments, her Leonora is major, but regardless of year, she can be uneven. Unlike most singing the part at 52, she still has the right voice.
DEATH IN VENICE:Britten
Original Air Date: 02/26/1994
Atherton; Rolfe Johnson, Allen, Gall, von Aroldingen,
MOD Audio SID.19110316
“I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.”I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.
Puccini
Original Air Date: 02/03/2007
Rizzi; Gallardo-Domâs, Giordani, Arteta, Croft, Relyea, Plishka
SID.19110317
[Tommasini NYTimes 1/26/2007]…It was as Rodolfo that Mr. Giordani made his 1995 Met debut, and it is always rewarding to hear the role sung by a true Puccini tenor. Still, he has been branching out in recent years into weightier repertory, like Verdi’s Manrico and, at the Met, the hefty title role of Berlioz’s “Benvenuto Cellini.” While such choices testify to his adventurousness, they may explain why his Rodolfo seemed to have lost some of the velvety grace and glowing richness of earlier years. At times he ended melodic phrases abruptly and halted in his delivery. At his best Mr. Giordani can certainly invest a Puccini phrase with vibrant sound and soaring lyricism.
Ms. Gallardo-Domâs may not have a conventionally beautiful sound, and soft high singing does not come naturally to her. The earthy expressivity and subtle intensity of her singing, however, made her an affecting Mimi.
There were strong performances from the hearty baritone Dwayne Croft, a veteran Marcello; the bright-voiced soprano Ainhoa Arteta as Musetta; and the robust young baritone Aaron St. Clair Nicholson as Schaunard, the role of his Met debut last fall. The most complete vocal and dramatic portrayal came from the charismatic bass-baritone John Relyea as Colline. The bass Paul Plishka did double-duty as the hapless landlord Benoit and the wealthy Alcindoro. Carlo Rizzi was the very capable conductor.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1949
Antonicelli; Sayão, Tagliavini, Valdengo, Baccaloni, Lenchner
MOD Audio SID.19110318
This cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. It doesn’t hurt that the men are all native Italian speakers with distinguished reputations. Nice to hear some of the repertory from a different era. One of several performances from the 1949-50 season on this week, this cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. This performance is also available in MOoD.
ERNANI:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/01/1962
Schippers; Bergonzi, Price, MacNeil, Tozzi, Ordassy, Nagy, Reitan
MOD Audio SID.19110319
This is one of the classic Met broadcasts, and on balance the best of the Ernani broadcasts. Corelli was more of an in-house Ernani, but for the broadcast mikes, Bergonzi is close to ideal. MacNeil, one of the Met mainstay baritones on this occasion delivers an absolutely historic performance with a seemingly unending upper register, but also a command of the style that surpassed any modern baritone at the Met. Price is not ideal as Elvira, but she has many superb moments, especially as captured by the mikes. Fortunately this performance as well as the 1965 with Corelli, Sereni, and Siepi joining Price are BOTH on MOoD, and both performances serve Verdi very well indeed.” Available in a Sony historical CD and on MOoD. As much as I love Bergonzi, the most remarkable performance of the afternoon is MacNeil in one of his greatest if not greatest broadcast appearance. Do not miss.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/04/1995
Levine; von Otter, Gessendorf, Hawlata, Grant Murphy, Hornik, Elias, Senechal, Olsen
SID.19110320
Murphy is the main drag on this performance, but Gessendorf who has almost no commercial recording career is a creditable vocal Marschallin. Because Rosenkavalier seems to still be hobbled on rights, we still don’t have Steber with Reiner, Ludwig as Oktavian in 1959, and Tomowa-Sintow or Gwyneth Jones as Marschallin.
Original Air Date: 03/04/2000
Davis; von Stade, Domingo, Pulley, Groves
SID.19110422
This was first rebroadcast last May, but I didn’t listen. It is also the first season with von Stade. She broadcasts again the following season with Hagegard as her Danilo. This Tim Albery production is no more successful than this year’s new production. Merry Widow has better melodies than Lulu, but not more nourishing for me, and I’m not an major Lulu fan.
Holland, NYT
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/25/1958
Stiedry; Milanov, Labò, Sereni, Siepi, Roggero, Corena
SID.19110423
The fourth and last of Milanov’s Forza Leonoras. Siepi is the big plus here. A fresher Milanov can be heard in 1952 on MOoD with Tucker and Warren. In her best moments, her Leonora is major, but regardless of year, she can be uneven. Unlike most singing the part at 52, she still has the right voice.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Original Air Date: 01/31/1976
Nelson; Stilwell, von Stade, Davies, Corena, Morris, Munzer
SID.19110424
To me the main interest here is Morris in his only season as Basilio (5 performances) and Corena’s last Bartolo broadcast (his 10th!). Corena’s successor in this role has still not appeared in my view, and he’s gone 37 years. He has 2 more years at the Met after this broadcast, and manages to be the Sacristan on the Verrett/Pavarotti/MacNeil Tosca video which is his last run except a farewell Don Pasquale with Sills on New Year’s Eve eve in 1978. This is a good enough cast for the opera, but the opera is overdone in regular Met repertory, and again on Sirius broadcasts. This is Corena’ss 10th and final broadcast of a role he owned. James Morris puts in an appearance as Basilio during his breakout year (he was in the new Puritani production). Barbiere is close to Boheme in number of performances in the most recent 10 years.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
MOD Audio SID.19110425
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