ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Levine; Norman, King, Battle, Troyanos, Nentwig, Dickson
Original Air Date: 03/12/1988
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.19410424
This is the audio for the performance issued on DVD, NOT available on MOoD, as are many of the R. Strauss offerings. Battle’s performance is enhanced by the visual. Norman, King, and Troyanos are among the major exponents of their parts in late 20th century.
MACBETH:Verdi
Levine; Milnes, Scotto, Plishka, Jenkins
Original Air Date: 12/18/1982
MOD Audio
SID.19410425
This is the first year of the new production by Peter Hall, which was heavily booed (deservedly– i was there) on its opening night. There is a second year of the production with the cast repeating except with Ciannella for Jenkins. Scotto never had the right voice for the part, and though Deutekom was a very successful Lady Macbeth (not at the Met) she had a knife edge upper register which was not Scotto’s. Milnes is almost two decades into his Met career, and he is better heard earlier with Arroyo (one of the most securely vocalized of Lady Macbeths in Met history; she was not especially memorable dramatically, but Verdi’s notes are well honored.) Met Macbeths with Netrebko , Rysanek (first season especially), and Dalis (despite a very wayward D flat) are all to be preferred to Scotto’s effort.This is the first year of the new production by Peter Hall, which was heavily booed on its opening night. There is a second year of the production with the cast repeating except with Ciannella for Jenkins. Scotto never had the right voice for the part, and though Deutekom was a very successful Lady Macbeth (not at the Met) she had a knife edge upper register which was not Scotto’s. Milnes is almost two decades into his Met career, and he is better heard earlier with Arroyo (one of the most securely vocalized of Lady Macbeths in Met history; she was not especially memorable dramatically, but Verdi’s notes are well honored.) Met Macbeths with Netrebko , Rysanek (first season especially), and Dalis (despite a very wayward D flat) are all to be preferred to Scotto’s effort.
LOHENGRIN:Wagner
Levine; Kollo, Lorengar, Dunn, McIntyre, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 12/04/1976
SID.19410426
This is Kollo’s premiere season at the Met, and this new production had premiered a few weeks before the broadcast. A very fine performance all round with two of my favorite singers, Pilar Lorengar and Bonaldo Giaiotti, bringing some real lyricism to the roles. Also available in MOoD. One of Levine’s very best afternoons.
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Levine; Norman, King, Battle, Troyanos, Nentwig, Dickson
Original Air Date: 03/12/1988
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.19410427
This is the audio for the performance issued on DVD, NOT available on MOoD, as are many of the R. Strauss offerings. Battle’s performance is enhanced by the visual. Norman, King, and Troyanos are among the major exponents of their parts in late 20th century.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Stiedry; Milanov, Tucker, Warren, Siepi, Elias, Corena
Original Air Date: 03/17/1956
MOD Audio
SID.19410428
The A list male casting for this opera in the 1950s at the Met was Tucker, Warren, and Siepi. This is the only broadcast where all three gentlemen (who premiered the new production on opening night of the 1952 season. Milanov certainly had the voice for the Forza Leonora, but as others have noted she is not a young woman in the 1950s, and she could be uneven in a single afternoon. Her current competition is non-existent. Paul Jackson broadcast reviews on this performance, aresilent (he is particularly strong on singers he heard often). Though this has been on before, this is a must listen.
Various:Various
Various Artists
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19410529
Two of opera’s most thrilling dramatic sopranos, Christine Goerke and Nina Stemme, reprise their fierce portrayals of the title princess. Yannick Nézet-Séguin takes the podium to conduct Franco Zeffirelli’s dazzling production of Puccini’s final masterpiece, which also features tenors Yusif Eyvazov and Riccardo Massi as Calàf, sopranos Eleonora Buratto and Hibla Gerzmava as Liù, and bass-baritone James Morris as Timur.
SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, Stolze, Dalis, Stewart, MacWherter
Original Air Date: 03/18/1972
SID.19410531
Rysanek’s first Salomes at the Met came after the groundbreaking new production for Nilsson eight years earlier. Longtime Metgoers were still talking about Welitsch from the late 1940s. The best Met Salomes are Welitsch, Nilsson, Bumbry, Marton, and Mattila (first season). Behrens (who has a great studio performance with Karajan). Rysanek was significantly better five years later when Leinsdorf took the reins with Norman Bailey, Astrid Varnay and Ragnar Ulfung; the 1977 performance is available on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD).
L’ASSEDIO DI CORINTO:Rossini
Schippers; Sills, Verrett, Theyard, Díaz
Original Air Date: 04/19/1975
MOD Audio
SID.19410532
The following season also with Sills and Verrett under Woitach) are the Met broadcast history of this problematic Rossini work, and both are on MOoD. Verrett is in top form, but I find Sills too late for these assumptions. I find the work as edited for these performances a jumble and they don’t make this reluctant Rossinian any less so. Barbiere remains a miracle and though done to death, still sparkles.
SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, Stolze, Dalis, Stewart, MacWherter
Original Air Date: 03/18/1972
SID.19410533
Rysanek’s first Salomes at the Met came after the groundbreaking new production for Nilsson eight years earlier. Longtime Metgoers were still talking about Welitsch from the late 1940s. The best Met Salomes are Welitsch, Nilsson, Bumbry, Marton, and Mattila (first season). Behrens (who has a great studio performance with Karajan). Rysanek was significantly better five years later when Leinsdorf took the reins with Norman Bailey, Astrid Varnay and Ragnar Ulfung; the 1977 performance is available on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD).
CARMEN:Bizet
Mehta; Resnik, Tucker, Raskin, Díaz
Original Air Date: 03/15/1969
SID.19410534
This is Resnik’s only Carmen broadcast, and Mehta is plenty fiery. Although he had premiered the production with Bumbry, the first season broadcast went to Lombard conducting Bumbry with Tucker and Freni). Resnik’s tone, even for Carmen was a bit worn in 1969, but very stylish. Bing almost could not think of Carmen without Tucker. He has four broadcasts during the 1950s and indeed the first two of the new production in 1968 and 1969. My enjoyment of Tucker’s Jose was always limited by the fact that dramatically Domingo and Vickers were far more satisfying. That he sang one more Jose broadcast in 1972– excepting a Domingo replacement for Vickers in 1972 would have had Tucker as the only Jose on the airwaves from 1958 till 1972 (admittedly Bing took Carmen out of the repertoire from 1960-1967). Certainly few other tenors could have supported such an extended string, and been as strong vocally in 1969 as he was in 1952. I like his excellence in other roles more. It is worth noting here that for Tucker’s 99th birthday, there was supposedly some promise of major Sirius broadcasting. Guess Resnik won that battle this week. Raskin is an ordinary Micaela without the magic that attended her Nannetta or her Mozart at City Opera and her career was cut short by illness and an early passing. Diaz is a replacement for the originally scheduled Merrill, and is OK. Mehta (conductor for life of the Israel Philharmonic, though Zoroastrian) makes this a very Kosher Carmen indeed.
MACBETH:Verdi
Levine; Milnes, Scotto, Plishka, Jenkins
Original Air Date: 12/18/1982
MOD Audio
SID.19410535
This is the first year of the new production by Peter Hall, which was heavily booed (deservedly– i was there) on its opening night. There is a second year of the production with the cast repeating except with Ciannella for Jenkins. Scotto never had the right voice for the part, and though Deutekom was a very successful Lady Macbeth (not at the Met) she had a knife edge upper register which was not Scotto’s. Milnes is almost two decades into his Met career, and he is better heard earlier with Arroyo (one of the most securely vocalized of Lady Macbeths in Met history; she was not especially memorable dramatically, but Verdi’s notes are well honored.) Met Macbeths with Netrebko , Rysanek (first season especially), and Dalis (despite a very wayward D flat) are all to be preferred to Scotto’s effort.This is the first year of the new production by Peter Hall, which was heavily booed on its opening night. There is a second year of the production with the cast repeating except with Ciannella for Jenkins. Scotto never had the right voice for the part, and though Deutekom was a very successful Lady Macbeth (not at the Met) she had a knife edge upper register which was not Scotto’s. Milnes is almost two decades into his Met career, and he is better heard earlier with Arroyo (one of the most securely vocalized of Lady Macbeths in Met history; she was not especially memorable dramatically, but Verdi’s notes are well honored.) Met Macbeths with Netrebko , Rysanek (first season especially), and Dalis (despite a very wayward D flat) are all to be preferred to Scotto’s effort.
THE MAKROPULOS CASE:Janácek
Robertson; Norman, Clark, Hagegård, McIntyre
Original Air Date: 01/20/1996
SID.19410636
This was the cursed production which premiered the opera at the Met a few weeks earlier, and was stopped in minutes due to the death of Richard Versalle. The English version is by Moshinsky (the director), Robertson When the opera is revived two years later, it is in Czech with Malfitano and Mackerras conducting. Norman is sui generis, and so is her performance of this part. This is the premiere season for Makropulos with Norman filling out the Janacek lines (in an English translation partially attributed to her). She sings gloriously, even if it misses some of the angularity inherent in the score. This is one broadcast in a translation that regularly makes it to the airwaves if not MOoD.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Leinsdorf; Siepi, Peters, Amara, Borg, Miller
Original Air Date: 01/28/1961
SID.19410637
This performance was also issued in Sony’s Historical series on CD, but strikingly not in the Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) which features a performance from the season before with the same conductor, Figaro, Count, and Cherubino. Della Casa is swapped with Amara and Soderstrom (as Susanna) is swapped with Peters. Siepi is the chief attraction here. His Figaro is represented by 3 other Nozze performances, but strangely his Mephisto only has one streaming representation, but neither Bjorling (1950, 1959) nor a strong cast for his last turn at the microhones in 1969.
LOHENGRIN:Wagner
Levine; Kollo, Lorengar, Dunn, McIntyre, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 12/04/1976
SID.19410638
This is Kollo’s premiere season at the Met, and this new production had premiered a few weeks before the broadcast. A very fine performance all round with two of my favorite singers, Pilar Lorengar and Bonaldo Giaiotti, bringing some real lyricism to the roles. Also available in MOoD. One of Levine’s very best afternoons.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Stiedry; Milanov, Tucker, Warren, Siepi, Elias, Corena
Original Air Date: 03/17/1956
MOD Audio
SID.19410639
The A list male casting for this opera in the 1950s at the Met was Tucker, Warren, and Siepi. This is the only broadcast where all three gentlemen (who premiered the new production on opening night of the 1952 season. Milanov certainly had the voice for the Forza Leonora, but as others have noted she is not a young woman in the 1950s, and she could be uneven in a single afternoon. Her current competition is non-existent. Paul Jackson broadcast reviews on this performance, aresilent (he is particularly strong on singers he heard often). Though this has been on before, this is a must listen.
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Levine; Norman, King, Battle, Troyanos, Nentwig, Dickson
Original Air Date: 03/12/1988
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.19410640
This is the audio for the performance issued on DVD, NOT available on MOoD, as are many of the R. Strauss offerings. Battle’s performance is enhanced by the visual. Norman, King, and Troyanos are among the major exponents of their parts in late 20th century.
ALCESTE:Gluck
Panizza; Bamptom, Maison, Warren
Original Air Date: 03/08/1941
SID.19410641
This is one of the few 1940s broadcasts that gets to Sirius, but neither the 1952 with Flagstad, nor the 1961 with Farrell (both in English) have made it to Sirius. Again, it seems the translation is inhibiting their inclusion. Review of Pitts Sanborn in the World-Telegraph, Mme. Bampton Sings Role of Alceste – Following the present method of frequently changing the allotment of prominent roles, the Metropolitan management offered its third Alceste last evening with a new representative of the name part. After the fiery magnificence of Marjorie Lawrence as Alcestis came the lyric charm of Rose Bampton. Comely, tall and statuesque, Mme. Bampton showed in her carefully studied poses and gestures what pains she had taken to portray the self-sacrificing heroine persuasively to the eye. And in her singing tenderness and pathos found touching expression. Since this was only Mme. Bampton’s first assumption of an inexorably exacting role, we may look for further development later on of its more cogently dramatic aspects. Her voice seems now, under sympathetic guidance, to have found a congenial lyric field. Her tones were often of delightful quality last evening, her phrasing was marked by grace and fine taste and there was always the thought of the accomplished musician. Altogether, Mme. Bampton may be congratulated cordially on her present achievement, which holds the promise of even better things to come. Once more Rene Maison supplied an admirable Admetus. Francesco Valentino replaced the indisposed Leonard Warren as the High Priest of Apollo, singing well apart from an excessive vibrato. The beauty of the tableau at the end of Act II made up in part for the pinchbeck naiveties that met the eye.
MANON:Massenet
López-Cobos; Fleming, Giordano, Chaignaud
Original Air Date: 04/08/2006
MOD Audio
SID.19410743
This is Fleming’s last Manon from the Met and her only full length Met broadcast. Fleming was more interesting in her telecast opening night St. Sulpice scene than here. She is even better in a Paris Opera DVD from the early 2000s with Alvarez. She does not always have an easy time of it at the Met. Alvarez (from Paris, but who opened this run with Fleming) was much better than Giordano (not to be confused with Marcello Giordani who was in Fleming’s first Manons at the Met in 1997 and not broadcast).
LES TROYENS:Berlioz
Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
MOD Audio
SID.19410744
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.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Levine; Eaglen, Andersen, Halfvarson, Held, Radvanovsky, Palmer
Original Air Date: 04/22/2000
MOD Audio
SID.19420316
This is one of the two Ring cycles broadcast by Eaglen and Levine. This one finds Eaglen on better form than the 2004 (her Met farewell), but Salminen is a stronger Hagen than Halfvarson. The 2004 has been on Sirius, but even though I previously posted that it was available on MOoD, I do not see it present in current availability. This is Felicity Palmer’s Met debut and really potent Gibich siblings in Held and Radvanovsky.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Kout; Ziegler, Gessendorf, Haugland, Kilduff, Meredith
Original Air Date: 03/09/1991
SID.19420317
Part of the draw is certainly Pavarotti, but this mostly low voltage marquee cast is very solid. Gessendorf has a second Marschallin four years later under Levine with von Otter and Hawlata which has also been on Sirius. I saw Gessendorf several times in the house, and though not a dramatic house of fire, I like her very much, and find she fills the “big lyric” German roles very well. She’s definitely worth a listen. 7/2/11 Gessendorf is one of those singers who flew under the radar during her Met career. This is the first of her two broadcast Marschallins, and I highly recommend. I think she is even better served on the second one in 1995 with von Otter and Hawlata under Levine. Her Senta broadcast is on Met Player, and her Walkure Sieglinde was also broadcast (Ludwig’s farewell, and G. Jones as the Brunnhilde). She has a number of other Met performances, but alas only these four broadcasts.
IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Conlon; Giacomini, Price, Cortez, Quilico, Cheek
Original Air Date: 02/06/1982
SID.19420320
SR: Besides Price’s excellent “known quantity” Leonora, this broadcast offers the opportunity for Giacomini fans to relish his Manrico and to hear the very much in his prime Louis Quilico as di Luna. Some of the bloom had, by 1982, begun to depart from Viorica Cortez’ voice..but she still had much to offer. All-in-all an enjoyable outing. This is a very young Conlon who still had 5 or 6 broadcasts already under his belt. I have no strong memory of this performance, but Giacomini’s certainly had the heft for Manrico if not necessarily easy upper register. Cortez is not one of my favorites. This is getting towards the end for Price. Listen to her in 1961 where her Leonora is stunning, and that is on Met Player as well as Sony CDs.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
MOD Audio
SID.19420321
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again).
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Benini; Alaimo, Netrebko, Flórez, Kwiecien
Original Air Date: 04/15/2006
MOD Audio
SID.19420107
This is the first year of the production, and I am sorry this was not the one that was filmed for DVD. This was the end of the Volpe era, and when Levine who was originally attached to this production did not appear because of illness (not the most recent one), any televising disappeared — TV production had practically disappeared under Volpe. Alaimo is a superior Pasquale to Del Carlo, and Florez’ Ernesto should have been captured in this Met production. As much as I enjoy this final video with Levine and gang several years later, for the best in Donizetti audio singing, this is the performance you want. I’m not especially partial to either Sills or Peters as Norina, and my favorite is Grist with Kraus, Corena, and Krause under Franci. Even though Netrebko is several voice sizes bigger than Florez, they are both star performers, and give high profile performances. This is the year of the new production, and the unifying presence of Alaimo is no small contribution. I enjoy Netrebko’s HD (also on DVD and MOoD) at the next revival under Schenk, but I’m grateful this performance is in the MOoD.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Nelson; Bumbry, Theyard, Colzani / McCracken, Moffo, Milnes
Original Air Date: 01/18/1975
SID.19420423
This is Moffo’s final performance broadcast from the Met, and she does not go out on a high note. Milnes is not my preferred Tonio, but I prefer him to Pons who has eight more than Milnes. I prefer MacNeil, Merrill, or Warren among modern Met baritones. The surprise is Merrill only has 22 Tonios with his last in 1960; Caruso (118) and Martinelli(68) are firmly ahead of all Canio competitors, but McCracken is third and by a healthy amount more than any other postwar tenors who are bunched in the 20s. I like Bumbry’s Santuzza, even if it is not as authentic as Cossotto’s. It’s a good fit for her voice.
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Conlon; Morris, Behrens, Lakes, Salminen
Original Air Date: 01/18/1992
MOD Audio
SID.19420424
Salminen is the main interest of this performance. It comes relatively late in Behrens’ Met career Met goers were very spoiled by the Rysanek/London era in this opera (and esp. so under Bohm) Behrens would have been better pre-Ring. Hollander has to really have some magic to work for me.
TOSCA:Puccini
Molinari-Pradelli; Ross, Bergonzi, Colzani
Original Air Date: 12/12/1970
SID.19420425
Bergonzi has a memorable Cavaradossi in 1959 with Steber and London which is also available on Met Player. I remember hearing parts of this 1970, and Bergonzi is in better form for the earlier broadcast but still a master stylist. He actually does a third Cavaradossi on the airwaves in 1975 with Zylis-Gara and Bacquier under Erede (Met debut 1951! and long absent– now THAT performance interests me. My #1 Sirius omission remains the Stella Tosca of 1958 under MItropoulos. There are some uninspiring Tosca casts in the last 25 years, not as bad as Trovatore, but nothing that I panting for. This is a break from some of the more common Toscas on Sirius. Ross had a powerful voice and I saw her several times in Philadelphia (often partnered with Tucker in Turandot, Aida, and Gioconda). This is late in her career (not early for Bergonzi or Colzani) I’ll probably tune in to this to hear to see how late Ross sounds compared to some of today’s Toscas. It’s the Puccini work most in need of a rest, at least for me. Bergonzi broadcasts Cavaradossi three times, first in 1959 with Eleanor Steber and George London, and in 1975 with Teresa Zylis-Gara and Gabriel Bacquier under Alberto Erede. HIs last Met performance is Edgardo in 1988 with Lucia Aliberti and then eight years later appears in the James Levine 25th anniversary gala. The Steber performance is the best of the three performances, but Ross is worth checking out.
DON CARLO:Verdi
Stiedry; Bjorling, Rigal, Merrill, Barbieri, Siepi, Hines
Original Air Date: 11/11/1950
MOD Audio
SID.19420426
This is the production that opened the Bing regime in 1950, and re-introduces Don Carlo to New York audiences. The men are the equal or superior of just about anyone who has ever sung these roles. Barbieri was new, and if Eboli was not quite her meat as much as her Amneris, Azucena, and Quickly, she was still the Eboli of choice when the sainted Covent Garden production of 1958 made the case in London for the opera 8 years later. New York was to see more sensational Ebolis in the 1960s with Bumbry, Cossotto, and Verrett delivering masterful portrayals of the Princess. Rigal would not have seemed quite so short of desirable had she had less outstanding colleagues. Elisabetta remains a challenging role, and though never essayed by Milanov (then the queen of Verdi in New York) or Tebaldi (never did the part onstage), the part didn’t turn out to be a major success for either Steber or Rysanek, though both have their moments in the role. Caballe, Freni, Kabaiwanska and Millo all were notable exponents, but runs were very limited. Scotto is mostly very good (not too late, not too heavy, but still not quite the right voice, if still wonderful stylistically. A propos the discussion on Verdi sopranos, Leontyne Price never did the part, which is unsurprising as it does not play to her considerable Verdian strengths—but that’s another discussion. Siepi’s contribution is particularly important in that he opens and closes the Bing regime as Filippo, and it is a shame that the April 1972 performance has not been rebroadcast. Three veterans of the 1950 broadcast, Merrill, Siepi, and Amara (Celestial Voice) as well as two new Verdian stars in Caballe and Milnes.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Böhm; Nilsson, King, Evans, Edelmann, Pracht, Anthony
Original Air Date: 01/22/1966
MOD Audio
SID.19420427
Even though the classic 1960 broadcast is Bohm, Nilsson, and Vickers; Nilsson and King are fine, but Geraint Evans is not meant for this kind of role vocally. Uhde has his deficiencies but is much more appropriate. It’s a bit too late for Edelmann, but there “never was” for Czerwenka in the 1960. The 1960 performance also appears on a Sony Historical CD. What has not appeared in the Sirius run is the Beethoven 1971 bicentenary broadcast of the new production with Rysanek, Vickers with an excellent effort by Berry and Tozzi also under Bohm. Serious omission!