CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 12/07/1985
Navarro; Behrens, Moldoveanu, Clark / Pilou, Vickers, Milnes
MOD Audio SID.19250102
New wave of Wagner singer (Behrens) meets older wave (Vickers) but it’s Cav/Pag, not Wagner. Behrens’ only run as Santuzza at the Met is a distant memory for me, and she doesn’t rise to one of the great Santuzzas (now Dimitrova, not always a favorite, DOES). Vickers’ debuted in 1960 as Canio, and this 1985 broadcast performance is his final Canio at the Met. As always Vickers does it his way. He is not quite as demented as his Colon (Buenos Aires) broadcast but if you get his message (and I do), he does great honor to his farewell at the Met to this role in his antepenultimate broadcast.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/05/1983
Leinsdorf; Te Kanawa, Weikl, Battle, Rendall, Dunn, Gramm
MOD Audio SID.19250103
This new production was the first time in German at the Met. Te Kanawa sings beautifully but for anyone who has heard the prior broadcasts from Steber and Della Casa, it’s just not in the same league. Battle and Weikl are strong vocal support.
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 04/03/1954
Kozma; Stevens, Tucker, de los Angeles, Guarrera
MOD Audio SID.19250104
This is a standard Met Carmen from the 50s, with especially rich vocal performances from Tucker and DeLos Angeles. Stevens is a Met icon, but again one needs her visuals to get the full effect. Stevens broadcast Carmen 11 times,4 under Edward Johnson’s regime in the 40s and 7 times under Bing, 4 of them with Tucker, 2 with Del Monaco, 1 with Di Stefano. This revival of Carmen had been originally under the baton of Pierre Monteux who had previously conducted the work 1917-1919!!!. Kozma gets a good review from Robert Sabin in Musical America. Although this as this is only the 3d Sirius week of rebroadcast in the last 5 years, it is now available in the Met’s streaming service, MOoD.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/22/1972
Pritchard; Zylis- Gara, Bottazzo, Elias, Uppman, Stratas, Berry
MOD Audio SID.19250105
This is the first season Cosi returns to the original Italian at the Met, but still retains the Lunt/Gerard production. Pritchard is an experienced Mozartean, if rarely to my taste. Stratas is sharp casting for Despina, and nice to see Berry in a congenial part.This is Vickers’ first of four Otello broadcasts and in the Zeffirelli production new the previous year. This is Levine’s first season out in Otello, and Quilico is a familiar figure with a voice well suited to Verdi baritone roles– in an era of Merrill, MacNeil, and Milnes, Quilico doesn’t seem so top tier. Among today’s baritones he sings the pants off of any of them
TOSCA:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/07/1956
Mitropoulos; Tebalsi, Tucker, Warren
SID.19250106
I don’t love Tosca. Warren is not my favorite Scarpia, but this performance is simply a must hear. The Opera-L archives have reactions from some tough critics on this performance, and the reaction is always the same; LISTEN! Just as the Callas/De Sabata dominates the commercial Toscas, this Met performance is the best live performance I’ve ever heard of Tosca. For ten broadcasts and 18 years, Bing did not repeat a protagonist until Crespin did a second Tosca broadcast (both have been on Sirius). The major Sirius omission is Stella, Tucker, Warren from 1958. I wouldn’t mind hearing Roman from 1950, but the 1958 looks very strong on paper. And Mitropoulos gets full marks for molding these thoroughbreds into such a satisfying whole. 6/19/12 – I love this performance, and it is thankfully on MOoD, but for a change I wish Sirius would broadcast the Stella performance also with Tucker and Warren, also under Mitropoulos. Some of the more recent Tosca broadcasts from Sirius make one wonder how they were selected! 3/8/11 – I don’t love Tosca. Warren is not my favorite Scarpia, but this performance is simply a must hear. The Opera-L archives have reactions from some tough critics on this performance, and the reaction is always the same; LISTEN! It’s on Met Player to be experienced anytime and to me every bit the equal of the legendary commercial Callas/De Sabata recording. Just as the Callas dominates the commercial Toscas, this Met performance is the best live performance I’ve ever heard of Tosca. For 10 broadcasts and 18 years, Bing did not repeat a protagonist until Crespin did a second Tosca broadcast (both have been on Sirius). The major Sirius omission is Stella, Tucker, Warren from 1958. I wouldn’t mind hearing Roman from 1950, but the 1958 looks very strong on paper.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/18/1961
Rosenstock; Nilsson, Dalis, Liebl, Cassel, Hines
MOD Audio SID.19250107
This is Nilsson’s second of four Isolde broadcasts from the Met, and is also available in MOoD as is the exact same cast but under Solti in one of his rare Met broadcasts two years later in 1963. Rosenstock rarely thrills me, but the key question is how well Liebl holds up two years into his Tristan ventures. Nilsson’s first Isolde broadcast from 1960 features Bohm in the pit, but has never been on Sirius, an unfortunate omission. 5/24/2012 – This is Nilsson’s second Isolde broadcast, and Liebel is much helped by the microphones. Nilsson is also available in 1963 with much the same cast under Solti. Both this performance and the Solti are on MOoD. What has not been on Sirius is Nilsson’s first Isolde from 1960 which features Bohm’s only season in the pit for Tristan and Vinay as her Tristan. The supporting cast is otherwise much the same. Could we dig that one out as well? 8/7/2011 – This performance has been available for some time on Met Player, and Met Player recently added the Nilsson Solti from 1963 with much the same supporting cast. My records show that Nilsson’s debut year Isolde under Bohm has still not been on Sirius.
LA GIOCONDA:Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 04/15/1967
Cleva; Tebaldi, Morell, MacNeil, Elias, Siepi
SID.19250208
This is Tebaldi’s first Gioconda broadcast (first season at Lincoln Center) and her final Gioconda is broadcast a year later. Both performances are available on Met Player. The second is arguably even more strongly cast– Bergonzi and Cossotto are just about the classiest Enzo and Laura you’ll ever hear, but for Tebaldi that broadcast comes after more than 30 Giocondas in something like 20 months. The wear and tear shows in that later broadcast, but both are available for comparison. Such hearty casting is impossible for this or many other Italian late 19th century works today. For some of us Gioconda with this kind of cast has plenty of rewards, for the rest of you there’s another playing of Moses und Aron.
DON CARLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/14/1992
Levine; Sylvester, Millo, Chernov, Zajick, Ramey, Koptchak
SID.19250209
Sylvester, Millo, Chernov, and Zajick all repeat their roles from the Levine Sony Classical studio recording and this broadcast has been added to MOoD relatively recently ; Ramey who is the recording’s Inquisitor moves up to Filippo for this Met series including this broadcast, with Koptchak taking over the GI. This is the first of Zajick’s three broadcast outings as Eboli, and she is one of the best. Chernov who never quite turned into the new Robert Merrill still had a beautifully burnished tone, and his voice is a more natural fit than say Keenlyside (at least at the Met). This is Millo’s final Elisabetta with the Met (her earlier broadcast is in 1986). This is Ramey’s first of two Filippo broadcasts — 2002 (also with Zajick) is under Gergiev. Sylvester is a first rate Don Carlo, and while I loved this past season’s conducting by Nezet-Seguin, this 1992 cast is a world above the most recent casting and one of the best balanced Don Carlo casts ever.
MEFISTOFELE:Boito
Original Air Date: 02/19/2000
Elder; Ramey, Villarroel, Margison
MOD Audio SID.19250211
So far this is the only Met broadcast of Mefistofele, as its 1925 previous Met performance precedes the Met matinee series, and Bing had mostly ceded the work to NYCO first with Treigle, and later with Ramey. Here is Ramey at close to his twilight from the Met in a very solid performance, and a good delivery from the Met chorus. Margison and Villaroel are OK, but much better tenor casting was certainly available during the Bing years. Ramey was still in good voice for this broadcast, but this Robert Carsen production which had been practically everywhere (I saw it in SF as well as NYC) could not attract the great tenors of the day to Faust. A pity. I saw Kraus in Philadelphia, and Bergonzi has distinguished performances as well. Margerita deserves better than Villaroel as well. Time for the Met to revive again with or without the Carsen production. Lots of good casting around for this. even if no one at Ghiaurov/ Siepi vocal accomplishment for the title role. These days, the basso ranks are even more depleted than 13 years ago, but lots of interesting tenors and sopranos for these two roles. Calleja would be my first choice for Faust, but there are others who could do fine work, including Fabiano. Radvanovsky would be a most interesting combo Margerita/Helen and the Met chorus is several cuts above their work a dozen years ago. I’m not wild about the Carsen production (there are worse), but a rumored revival seems to have disappeared. Mefistofele is not represented in MOoD and should be available there, starting with capturing prime Ramey
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/30/1950
Reiner; Hotter, Varnay, Svanholm, Nilsson
MOD Audio SID.19250212
Only two months since the last rotation? A bit of chaos in current Sirius programming. This performance is also in the Met’s bicentenary Wagner CD box from Sony. Reiner, Hotter, and Varnay are experienced Wagnerians, but this is one Wagner opera better served by the historic partnership a decade later of Schippers / Bohm, London, and Rysanek (and Tozzi too). (9/26/16)
, 
I PURITANI:Bellini
Original Air Date: 03/30/1991
Bonynge; Gruberova, Merritt, Gavanelli, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19250213
This is primarily for Gruberova fans. She doesn’t sing in USA much so just as well since she only has two Met broadcasts, this Puritani and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos. Of greater interest would be her Queen of the Night (Met debut) and the new production of Traviata with Kleiber and Shicoff (neither broadcast; in today’s world of live Sirius, we would likely be hearing both)
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/22/1949
Antonicelli; Steber, Di Stefano, Merrill
MOD Audio SID.19250214
Steber has her only broadcast of Violetta (late replacement for Sayao), and is clearly in top form and vocally and musically this is one of the best. DiStefano is more promising of tone than execution. It’s his first time at the Met in the part, and he only has seven more, the last in 1952. Merrill is in one of his signature parts, and the voice is truly a “wall of beautiful sound”. Paul Jackson in volume 1 of his 3 volume annotated coverage of Met broadcasts gives a very detailed review of this performance and is particularly enthusiastic on Steber “glorious from start to finish and one of the finest in [Met] broadcast history”and Antonicelli.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Original Air Date: 03/02/1974
Pritchard; Walker, Elias, Goeke, Corena, Tozzi
SID.19250315
The Met does Barber too much and this kind of casting from 37 years ago is pretty weak tea, Corena and Tozzi excepted. Corena the supreme Bartolo for 2.5 decades has 10 Met broadcasts, eight of them have been on Sirius, and two of them are on Met Player. Almost any of them are more worthy of your time than this one. I love Corena’s Bartolo ( he has 10 broadcasts!!! pick another) , but this is no star outing from the Met which has many fine Barbieres. There are other ways to honor Rosalind Elias.
LULU:Berg
Original Air Date: 04/02/1988
Levine; Malfitano, Mazura, Troyanos, Hamilton, Foldi
SID.19250316
Lulu is not a regular item for me, but Mazura and Troyanos were specialists, and Leighton Kerner, the late Village Voice critic found her the most satisfying of 11 Lulus he had encountered. I don’t find Lulu a very good audio only encounter, and it’s sad that the Dexter production which was telecast with Migenes (replacing Stratas) has not made its way to Met OperaonDemand, but is on a Met issued DVD in the Levine 40th anniversary DVD box.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/18/1961
Rosenstock; Nilsson, Dalis, Liebl, Cassel, Hines
MOD Audio SID.19250317
This is Nilsson’s second of four Isolde broadcasts from the Met, and is also available in MOoD as is the exact same cast but under Solti in one of his rare Met broadcasts two years later in 1963. Rosenstock rarely thrills me, but the key question is how well Liebl holds up two years into his Tristan ventures. Nilsson’s first Isolde broadcast from 1960 features Bohm in the pit, but has never been on Sirius, an unfortunate omission. 5/24/2012 – This is Nilsson’s second Isolde broadcast, and Liebel is much helped by the microphones. Nilsson is also available in 1963 with much the same cast under Solti. Both this performance and the Solti are on MOoD. What has not been on Sirius is Nilsson’s first Isolde from 1960 which features Bohm’s only season in the pit for Tristan and Vinay as her Tristan. The supporting cast is otherwise much the same. Could we dig that one out as well? 8/7/2011 – This performance has been available for some time on Met Player, and Met Player recently added the Nilsson Solti from 1963 with much the same supporting cast. My records show that Nilsson’s debut year Isolde under Bohm has still not been on Sirius.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 12/07/1985
Navarro; Behrens, Moldoveanu, Clark / Pilou, Vickers, Milnes
MOD Audio SID.19250318
New wave of Wagner singer (Behrens) meets older wave (Vickers) but it’s Cav/Pag, not Wagner. Behrens’ only run as Santuzza at the Met is a distant memory for me, and she doesn’t rise to one of the great Santuzzas (now Dimitrova, not always a favorite, DOES). Vickers’ debuted in 1960 as Canio, and this 1985 broadcast performance is his final Canio at the Met. As always Vickers does it his way. He is not quite as demented as his Colon (Buenos Aires) broadcast but if you get his message (and I do), he does great honor to his farewell at the Met to this role in his antepenultimate broadcast.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/05/1983
Leinsdorf; Te Kanawa, Weikl, Battle, Rendall, Dunn, Gramm
MOD Audio SID.19250319
This new production was the first time in German at the Met. Te Kanawa sings beautifully but for anyone who has heard the prior broadcasts from Steber and Della Casa, it’s just not in the same league. Battle and Weikl are strong vocal support.
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 04/03/1954
Kozma; Stevens, Tucker, de los Angeles, Guarrera
MOD Audio SID.19250320
This is a standard Met Carmen from the 50s, with especially rich vocal performances from Tucker and DeLos Angeles. Stevens is a Met icon, but again one needs her visuals to get the full effect. Stevens broadcast Carmen 11 times,4 under Edward Johnson’s regime in the 40s and 7 times under Bing, 4 of them with Tucker, 2 with Del Monaco, 1 with Di Stefano. This revival of Carmen had been originally under the baton of Pierre Monteux who had previously conducted the work 1917-1919!!!. Kozma gets a good review from Robert Sabin in Musical America. Although this as this is only the 3d Sirius week of rebroadcast in the last 5 years, it is now available in the Met’s streaming service, MOoD.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/22/1972
Pritchard; Zylis- Gara, Bottazzo, Elias, Uppman, Stratas, Berry
MOD Audio SID.19250321
This is the first season Cosi returns to the original Italian at the Met, but still retains the Lunt/Gerard production. Pritchard is an experienced Mozartean, if rarely to my taste. Stratas is sharp casting for Despina, and nice to see Berry in a congenial part.This is Vickers’ first of four Otello broadcasts and in the Zeffirelli production new the previous year. This is Levine’s first season out in Otello, and Quilico is a familiar figure with a voice well suited to Verdi baritone roles– in an era of Merrill, MacNeil, and Milnes, Quilico doesn’t seem so top tier. Among today’s baritones he sings the pants off of any of them
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/22/1949
Antonicelli; Steber, Di Stefano, Merrill
MOD Audio SID.19250423
Steber has her only broadcast of Violetta (late replacement for Sayao), and is clearly in top form and vocally and musically this is one of the best. DiStefano is more promising of tone than execution. It’s his first time at the Met in the part, and he only has seven more, the last in 1952. Merrill is in one of his signature parts, and the voice is truly a “wall of beautiful sound”. Paul Jackson in volume 1 of his 3 volume annotated coverage of Met broadcasts gives a very detailed review of this performance and is particularly enthusiastic on Steber “glorious from start to finish and one of the finest in [Met] broadcast history”and Antonicelli.
MEFISTOFELE:Boito
Original Air Date: 02/19/2000
Elder; Ramey, Villarroel, Margison
MOD Audio SID.19250427
So far this is the only Met broadcast of Mefistofele, as its 1925 previous Met performance precedes the Met matinee series, and Bing had mostly ceded the work to NYCO first with Treigle, and later with Ramey. Here is Ramey at close to his twilight from the Met in a very solid performance, and a good delivery from the Met chorus. Margison and Villaroel are OK, but much better tenor casting was certainly available during the Bing years. Ramey was still in good voice for this broadcast, but this Robert Carsen production which had been practically everywhere (I saw it in SF as well as NYC) could not attract the great tenors of the day to Faust. A pity. I saw Kraus in Philadelphia, and Bergonzi has distinguished performances as well. Margerita deserves better than Villaroel as well. Time for the Met to revive again with or without the Carsen production. Lots of good casting around for this. even if no one at Ghiaurov/ Siepi vocal accomplishment for the title role. These days, the basso ranks are even more depleted than 13 years ago, but lots of interesting tenors and sopranos for these two roles. Calleja would be my first choice for Faust, but there are others who could do fine work, including Fabiano. Radvanovsky would be a most interesting combo Margerita/Helen and the Met chorus is several cuts above their work a dozen years ago. I’m not wild about the Carsen production (there are worse), but a rumored revival seems to have disappeared. Mefistofele is not represented in MOoD and should be available there, starting with capturing prime Ramey
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/30/1950
Reiner; Hotter, Varnay, Svanholm, Nilsson
MOD Audio SID.19250428
Only two months since the last rotation? A bit of chaos in current Sirius programming. This performance is also in the Met’s bicentenary Wagner CD box from Sony. Reiner, Hotter, and Varnay are experienced Wagnerians, but this is one Wagner opera better served by the historic partnership a decade later of Schippers / Bohm, London, and Rysanek (and Tozzi too). (9/26/16)
,
I PURITANI:Bellini
Original Air Date: 03/30/1991
Bonynge; Gruberova, Merritt, Gavanelli, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19250529
This is primarily for Gruberova fans. She doesn’t sing in USA much so just as well since she only has two Met broadcasts, this Puritani and Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos. Of greater interest would be her Queen of the Night (Met debut) and the new production of Traviata with Kleiber and Shicoff (neither broadcast; in today’s world of live Sirius, we would likely be hearing both)
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 04/03/1954
Kozma; Stevens, Tucker, de los Angeles, Guarrera
MOD Audio SID.19250530
This is a standard Met Carmen from the 50s, with especially rich vocal performances from Tucker and DeLos Angeles. Stevens is a Met icon, but again one needs her visuals to get the full effect. Stevens broadcast Carmen 11 times,4 under Edward Johnson’s regime in the 40s and 7 times under Bing, 4 of them with Tucker, 2 with Del Monaco, 1 with Di Stefano. This revival of Carmen had been originally under the baton of Pierre Monteux who had previously conducted the work 1917-1919!!!. Kozma gets a good review from Robert Sabin in Musical America. Although this as this is only the 3d Sirius week of rebroadcast in the last 5 years, it is now available in the Met’s streaming service, MOoD.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/18/1961
Rosenstock; Nilsson, Dalis, Liebl, Cassel, Hines
MOD Audio SID.19250533
This is Nilsson’s second of four Isolde broadcasts from the Met, and is also available in MOoD as is the exact same cast but under Solti in one of his rare Met broadcasts two years later in 1963. Rosenstock rarely thrills me, but the key question is how well Liebl holds up two years into his Tristan ventures. Nilsson’s first Isolde broadcast from 1960 features Bohm in the pit, but has never been on Sirius, an unfortunate omission. 5/24/2012 – This is Nilsson’s second Isolde broadcast, and Liebel is much helped by the microphones. Nilsson is also available in 1963 with much the same cast under Solti. Both this performance and the Solti are on MOoD. What has not been on Sirius is Nilsson’s first Isolde from 1960 which features Bohm’s only season in the pit for Tristan and Vinay as her Tristan. The supporting cast is otherwise much the same. Could we dig that one out as well? 8/7/2011 – This performance has been available for some time on Met Player, and Met Player recently added the Nilsson Solti from 1963 with much the same supporting cast. My records show that Nilsson’s debut year Isolde under Bohm has still not been on Sirius.
IL TRITTICO:Puccini
Original Air Date: 12/08/2018
de Billy; Wagner, Blythe, Álvarez, Gagnidze, Muraro, Opolais, McKay, Blythe, Mkhitaryan, Blythe, Ayan, Domingo, Muraro
MOD Audio SID.19250535
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 12/07/1985
Navarro; Behrens, Moldoveanu, Clark / Pilou, Vickers, Milnes
MOD Audio SID.19250636
New wave of Wagner singer (Behrens) meets older wave (Vickers) but it’s Cav/Pag, not Wagner. Behrens’ only run as Santuzza at the Met is a distant memory for me, and she doesn’t rise to one of the great Santuzzas (now Dimitrova, not always a favorite, DOES). Vickers’ debuted in 1960 as Canio, and this 1985 broadcast performance is his final Canio at the Met. As always Vickers does it his way. He is not quite as demented as his Colon (Buenos Aires) broadcast but if you get his message (and I do), he does great honor to his farewell at the Met to this role in his antepenultimate broadcast.
MEFISTOFELE:Boito
Original Air Date: 02/19/2000
Elder; Ramey, Villarroel, Margison
MOD Audio SID.19250637
So far this is the only Met broadcast of Mefistofele, as its 1925 previous Met performance precedes the Met matinee series, and Bing had mostly ceded the work to NYCO first with Treigle, and later with Ramey. Here is Ramey at close to his twilight from the Met in a very solid performance, and a good delivery from the Met chorus. Margison and Villaroel are OK, but much better tenor casting was certainly available during the Bing years. Ramey was still in good voice for this broadcast, but this Robert Carsen production which had been practically everywhere (I saw it in SF as well as NYC) could not attract the great tenors of the day to Faust. A pity. I saw Kraus in Philadelphia, and Bergonzi has distinguished performances as well. Margerita deserves better than Villaroel as well. Time for the Met to revive again with or without the Carsen production. Lots of good casting around for this. even if no one at Ghiaurov/ Siepi vocal accomplishment for the title role. These days, the basso ranks are even more depleted than 13 years ago, but lots of interesting tenors and sopranos for these two roles. Calleja would be my first choice for Faust, but there are others who could do fine work, including Fabiano. Radvanovsky would be a most interesting combo Margerita/Helen and the Met chorus is several cuts above their work a dozen years ago. I’m not wild about the Carsen production (there are worse), but a rumored revival seems to have disappeared. Mefistofele is not represented in MOoD and should be available there, starting with capturing prime Ramey
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 01/22/1972
Pritchard; Zylis- Gara, Bottazzo, Elias, Uppman, Stratas, Berry
MOD Audio SID.19250638
This is the first season Cosi returns to the original Italian at the Met, but still retains the Lunt/Gerard production. Pritchard is an experienced Mozartean, if rarely to my taste. Stratas is sharp casting for Despina, and nice to see Berry in a congenial part.This is Vickers’ first of four Otello broadcasts and in the Zeffirelli production new the previous year. This is Levine’s first season out in Otello, and Quilico is a familiar figure with a voice well suited to Verdi baritone roles– in an era of Merrill, MacNeil, and Milnes, Quilico doesn’t seem so top tier. Among today’s baritones he sings the pants off of any of them
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/05/1983
Leinsdorf; Te Kanawa, Weikl, Battle, Rendall, Dunn, Gramm
MOD Audio SID.19250743
This new production was the first time in German at the Met. Te Kanawa sings beautifully but for anyone who has heard the prior broadcasts from Steber and Della Casa, it’s just not in the same league. Battle and Weikl are strong vocal support.