LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 03/02/2019
Mazzola; Yende, Blythe, Camarena, Corbelli, Muraro
Live in HD SID.19359996
Tenor Javier Camarena and soprano Pretty Yende team up for a feast of bel canto vocal fireworks—including the show-stopping tenor aria “Ah! Mes amis … Pour mon âme,” with its nine high Cs. Alessandro Corbelli and Maurizio Muraro trade off as the comic Sergeant Sulpice, with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. And in an exciting piece of casting, stage and screen icon Kathleen Turner makes her Met debut in the speaking role of the Duchess of Krakenthorp. Enrique Mazzola conducts. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; and the Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna
LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/14/2018
de Billy; Yoncheva, Beczala, Domingo, Vinogradov, Belosselskiy, Petrova
Live in HD SID.19359997
Plácido Domingo adds yet another role to his legendary Met career in this rarely performed Verdi gem, a heart-wrenching tragedy of fatherly love. Sonya Yoncheva sings the title role opposite Piotr Beczała in the first Met performances of the opera in more than ten years. Bertrand de Billy conducts. Production a gift of Catherine and Ephraim Gildor Revival a gift of Rolex and Mrs. Jayne Wrightsman
ANDREA CHÉNIER:Giordano
Original Air Date: 12/28/1957
Cleva; Tucker, Milanov, Warren, Elias, Lipton, Amparan
MOD Audio SID.19360102
Better is Corelli to Tucker, Tebaldi to Milanov, and Bastianini to Warren in these Chenier roles, but the last four decades have rarely brought one let alone three singers for these roles. So enjoy this 1957 cast with 1966 (which Sirius still hasn’t rebroadcast) with Tebaldi, Corelli, and Colzani probably the last one with such authentic style.
BENVENUTO CELLINI:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 12/27/2003
Levine; Giordani, Bayrakdarian, Del Carlo, Jepson, Lloyd
MOD Audio SID.19360103
This is the opera’s only broadcast from its only season. There is much lovely music along the way, but it does not have cumulative impact for me. Giordani copes not always pleasantly with an extremely challenging role. Twice a year for Cellini is just about the maximum desired cycling. Once a year would be enough especially since it’s in MOoD.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/20/1962
Rich; Amara, Morell, Hurley, Testi, Giaiotti
SID.19360104
Not much in this cast draws me except for Giaiotti’s only broadcast Colline. He was considered by many in the tier behind Siepi, Tozzi, and Hines. He was an anchor of the Met ensemble for almost 3 decades, and frequently encountered as Timur, Raimondo, and Ramfis. There are definitely more interesting Bohemes out there, and they are broadcast more frequently than this. Still not a plus in this week’s listings.
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 01/09/1937
Papi; Ponselle, Rayner, Bodanya, Huehn
MOD Audio SID.19360105
This is the third oldest Met broadcast in the Sirius rebroadcast series (Gotterdammerung and Samson are older). The calling card is Ponselle whose Carmen was controversial even when she did it. A memento of her in live performance is also available on MOoD. This is one of the oldest broadcasts to appear on Sirius, and there isn’t much Ponselle around.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 05/07/2005
Levine; Lopardo, von Otter, Diener, Connolly, Grant Murphy
MOD Audio SID.19360106
Levine’s conducting in Mozart is among his very great achievements, and this is one of von Otter’s best Met efforts. The Met’s first Clemenza 20 years earlier with two very fine singers no longer with us– Tatiana Troyanos and Elizabeth Connell, Levine again at the podium. This 2005 performance is Levine’s last Met broadcast of the work.
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/1990
Conlon; Behrens, Clark, Dernesch, Wlaschiha, Baker
SID.19360107
Hildegard Behrens burst on the scene when she appeared with Karajan in his EMI recording of Salome, and subsequent Salzburg production in 1977-1978. Twelve years between her historic recording and her live broadcast from the Met wouldn’t be so long if one were say 35, but Behrens was 41, so this Met broadcast comes at the age of 53. For 53, it is OK, but what was perfection 13 years earlier in the studio is now careful and studied. At a much younger age, Welitsch had the same occurrence. In 1949 she had New York on its heel with her Salome under Reiner at the Met; three years later, it’s a different world; the 1952 Salome is a pale shadow of 1949. Welitsch is 36 in 1949 and 39 in 1952. Three Salomes live were Birgit Nilsson March 1965 (broadcast a few days later) when she was 47. What is remarkable is that she was capable of a concert Salome with Chicago Symphony nine years later in 1974 when she was 56. Tales are told in both Chicago and New York about these concert Salomes. Eva Marton (also heard on a Met broadcast. Not as ideal as Nilsson vocally, she still made quite an impact, and she was 46 for her Met Salome. Last but definitely not least was Karita Mattila who does rank as the most sizzling Salome who could also sing. In 2004, when she was 44, it was filmed by the Met but has never been shown. Four years later she did the work for the HD cameras and she is OK, but now not at the pinnacle (and the HD and the production concept do not reward a Salome that is a bit too ripe.) But prime Nilsson, prime Marton, and prime Mattila, all three captured on Met Saturday matinee microphones are the touchstones. Elektra, in addition to be a more interesting work, allows its heroine more latitude, and Nilsson and Marton as well as Varnay, Jones, and Behrens are all distinguished Elektras. The Met missed Marton as Elektra which is a huge omission. Salome does not yield such pleasure on immediate repetition. Just a little too late for almost everyone. Wlaschiha who is not quite smooth enough for Jokanaan, but a fine Alberich. Cassilly did the first thre Herods (and the last was his Met farewell); Graham Clark did the remaining five.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1960
Cleva; Formichini, Söderström, Corena, Guarrera
SID.19360208
This is the premiere year of the new production, where most notably Corena arrived in a balloon, and also ushered in a fine series of productions designed by Robert O’Hearn and directed by Nathaniel Merrill. One might almost call them anti-Regie, but very solid design and production values. Formichini was a replacement for Valletti, but the afternoon is Corena’s, still unsurpassed in this role. Check out the Bergonzi and Kraus afternoons with him as well; both are on Met Player. The key figure in the MET L’Elisirs is the nonpareil Fernando Corena in his first season as Dulcamara. He holds the house record at 53, but I was surprised to see how close Plishka is at 47 Formichini is a substitution for Valletti.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
MOD Audio SID.19360209
The two real vocal standouts are Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London, Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.
FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 01/04/1958
Morel; Gedda, Güden, Hines, Merrill, Roggero
MOD Audio SID.19360211
Gedda (in his first season and his first broadcast) is extremely fine. This performance is also available on MOoD. The other bulwark is Robert Merrill’s Valentin. Guden and Hines are OK, but certainly not the first interpreter you would want to hear. Gedda and Merrill are top drawer, better stlll are several Marguerites to Guden, and Hines while earnest is far from Siepi’s league. Siepi has not one but TWO broadcast Fausts from the Met with Bjorling– 1950 and 1959 and these are long overdue for retransmission and listing in MOoD. Siepi has six broadcast Mephistopheles, only two of which have been on Sirius, the 1955 with Peerce and De Los Angeles and Merrill (also on MOoD) and 1964 with Morell and Moffo. This has been on before and Gedda and Merrill certainly are very fine in their parts, but the continue avoidance of the TWO Bjoerling (1950 and 1959 my preference is for 1959) broadcasts is a big gap in the Met broadcast legacy on Sirius. Where is the 1949 with Kirsten and DiStefano. The Morel is also on Met Player.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/30/1961
Schick; Farrell, Tucker, Merrill, Hines, Vanni, Corena
SID.19360212
This production was on tour in Dallas five months later with Amara replacing Farrell who was ill, and Peerce who was doing his first Alvaros with the Met. Schick has the forces very mobilized. Farrell is not ideal, but nice to hear her. The men are all in close to absolute prime even if the fare is more Idaho than pasta, it’s top quality.
THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES:Corigliano
Original Air Date: 01/04/1992
Levine; Stratas, Hagegård, Quilico, Horne, Clark, Fleming
MOD Video SID.19360213
This was a basically successful Met commission and beautifully cast and prepared. Best experienced with the video from a telecast the next week), which is available from Levine’s 40th anniversary DVD package and in MOoD. The video really helps the work along. . Commissioned by the Met and with a libretto by William M. Hoffman, the work imagines an opera put on by the ghost of Beaumarchais for the ghost of Marie Antoinette and the other spectral residents of Versailles. The sold-out, seven-performance premiere run featured an all-star cast that included Teresa Stratas, Håkan Hagegård, Renée Fleming, Graham Clark, Gino Quilico, and Marilyn Horne.
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L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/21/1981
Rescigno; Horne, Blake, Berberian, Bruscantini
MOD Audio SID.19360214
This is the third of Horne’s four Met Isabellas. She is a noted Rossinian, a great advocate for young singers. She totally dominates the Isabella roster at the Met, also see Borodina with Furlanetto in the 21st century. Baltsa who has a very limited Met career did bring her Rossini heroines to Chicago but her recordings are more interesting, and Berganza even more so. WIsh the 2004 Italiana with Borodina, Florez, and Furlanetto would be rebroadcast. The men especially are extremely fine.
AIDA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1950
Cooper; Welitsch, Vinay, Harshaw, Merrill, Hines
MOD Audio SID.19360315
Welitsch has some powerful moments, and a pleasure to hear early Merrill in this role. He is the Met champion Amonasro with 72 (MacNeil is 71, and Amato 70)
JENUFA:Janácek
Original Air Date: 01/25/2003
Jurowski; Mattila, Polaski, Begley, Ventris, Nadler
SID.19360316
Jenufa is among the most accessible of Janacek, but this new production for Mattila is a bit unlovable. Polaski did not equal Silja or Rysanek. Jurowski’s conducting is very good, but in the end Jenufa should have more warmth, and it’s not there in the singing. Mattila is in decent form, Polaski is an unpersuasive Kostelnicka, Mattila and Polaski (encouraged by the director) can be cold with little of the warmth that one should finally feel at the opera’s resolution.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 05/01/2019
Luisotti; Feola, Zaharia, Hymel, Gagnidze, Ivashchenko
SID.19360535
Verdi’s tragic jester returns in Michael Mayer’s neon-bedecked, Las Vegas–themed production. Baritones Roberto Frontali and George Gagnidze share the title role, and soprano Nadine Sierra reprises her portrayal of Gilda, the role that helped launch her now-blossoming Met career. Tenors Vittorio Grigolo, Francesco Demuro, Matthew Polenzani, and Stephen Costello share the role of the lascivious Duke, and Nicola Luisotti conducts.
WOZZECK:Berg
Original Air Date: 12/31/2005
Levine; Held, Dalayman, Clark, Fink, Forbis
SID.19370102
Excellent performance on all counts. The 2001 videotaping of Wozzeck performances with Struckmann and Dalayman finally made it into Levine’s 40th anniversary DVD box (but not in print separately. As long as one is looking into Levine boxes, his 40th anniversary CD box contains a different Wozzeck : Jose van Dam, Anja Silja, Ragnar Ulfung, Richard Cassilly, Dieter Weller; March 8, 1980.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 02/18/1956
Kempe; Stevens, Della Casa; Edelmann, Güden, Herbert
MOD Audio SID.19370103
Della Casa, no more beautiful woman ever trod the operatic stage. With Kempe in the pit for his final Met broadcast, this is a wonderful all-around performance. This performance has been on, but not frequently. An absolute rave. If maybe a little late for Stevens, Della Casa and Guden are in absolute prime. Kempe appeared too little and we certainly need his Arabella (in English) with Steber, Guden and London to appear on Sirius. Don’t miss.
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/06/1986
Domingo; Kraus, Gasdia, Plishka, Harris, Schexnayder
MOD Audio SID.19370104
This broadcast documents Gasdia’s only season at the Met. The run, Kraus’ only times in Romeo at the Met, also featured six performances with Soviero, whom I would have preferred in the broadcast.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19370105
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Original Air Date: 04/03/1976
Woitach; Zylis-Gara, Alexander, Casei, Uppman, Castel
SID.19370106
All three of ZG’s Cio-Cio Sans have been on Sirius 76 and 79 under Woitach, 81 under Fulton, though none have made it to Met Opera on Demand (MOoD). She is very solid, but we really need the Stella/Fernandi and Tucci/Bergonzi. Stella premiered the 1958 production and is probably her best broadcast representation. She deserves to be heard in this role.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/09/1950
Reiner; Vinay, Traubel, Thebom, Nilsson, Schöffler
SID.19370107
With leads like these, and Reiner in the pit, this is well worth investigating. Traubel has 40s broadcasts with both Melchior (3) and Svanholm with conductors like Leinsdorf, Beecham, and Busch. Alas none of these have been on Sirius. Enjoy this example of the original “St. Louis woman.”
I LOMBARDI:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/15/1994
Levine; Flanigan, Pavarotti, Beccaria, Plishka
MOD Audio SID.19370208
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Lombardi. Pavarotti is in both the December telecast and January broadcast and Ramey was in the premiere and telecast, Plishka in the audio broadcast. Neither Flanigan nor Beccaria are really up to this major assignment. Flanigan except for two Musettas the following fall, disappears from the Met roster. Her contributions to contemporary opera are significant, and she has some excellent work at NYCO, including a fine Lady Macbeth. Both this broadcast and the telecast a month earlier in December are on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD). The telecast was originally to have been Millo, but she left the production shortly after opening night. Ramey did the Met premiere (and telecast), but Plishka is on this broadcast. This broadcast is Beccaria’s Met farewell. Levine, the chorus, Pavarotti, and the bass deliver rather well some of Verdi’s lustiest music, but it’s far from the level of Ernani in terms of finish. In a week’s rotation, Lombardi is an interesting diversion. I Lombardi alla Prima Crociata to use its full name only got to the Met stage with this series of performances. Millo who originated the production was mostly replaced by Flanigan after 2 performances. Beccaria in a major part really is lacking in the face you want. Pavarotti of course gets La mia letizia, one of the great Verdian tenor arias; there is also the unforgettable trio (with violin obbligato) which Levine did for Gniewek as much as for himself. It’s not as good as either Ernani or Macbeth in my view, but several of the choruses are stirring, and with the newly energized Palumbo leadership, the Met could well revive this. The distinctive Pavarotti aside, the soprano and tenor parts could be very reasonably cast today. This performance at hand is also on MetPlayer.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Original Air Date: 04/17/1982
Levine; Hofmann, Dunn, Stewart, Hines, Meredith
MOD Audio SID.19370209
The main claim to fame is the superb sound of the orchestra. Vocally Levine has better casts, and the failure to bring to Sirius the 1985 broadcast with Vickers, Rysanek, and Moll is very surprising; it has been issued as a Met premium CD. This is the 4th of Levine’s 12 Parsifal broadcasts, and is available like three others in MOoD. Hofmann was certainly effective in the theatre, but I prefer Vickers (esp. the 1985 with Rysanek) or Domingo (with Gwyneth Jones’ farewell from 1995 with PD). Stewart is an excellent Amfortas, but I like a voice a bit smoother than Hines– Siepi or Moll. For Dunn, some of the second act writing is very challenging.
OTELLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1967
Mehta; Caballé, McCracken, Gobbi, Lorenzi
MOD Audio SID.19370211
This is the first Otello broadcast from the new house at Lincoln Center. Caballe is very fine in the fourth act, but earlier acts do not find her fully engaged. McCracken and Gobbi are fully engaged from first note, and Mehta is a solid participant. Sirius continues to deprive us of Tebaldi’s 1955 and 1958 Desdemonas which capture her (especially 1955) in remarkable voice. This is Caballe’s first broadcast from the Met, and McCracken, Gobbi and Mehta are wonderful partners. Compared to some other Desdemonas, I found her a little short until Act Four, but in the final act she was on all eight cylinders. I love the chemistry of McCracken and Gobbi. This fine performance is available on MetPlayer also. There never was a tenor quite like James McCracken—a veritable force of nature vocally, he fought his way to an international career that would come to be dominated by his seething portrayal of the title role of Verdi’s Otello. In this March 11, 1967, broadcast conducted by Zubin Mehta, McCracken’s finely sung Otello rages with a raw-nerve fury but also brings heroic tenderness to the love duet and his final moments. Montserrat Caballé’s singing, regal in its beauty throughout, gives way to towering passion in Desdemona’s clash with Otello in Act III. Tito Gobbi is utter, impeccable evil as Iago, heard in the savage glee he finally takes in hurling Cassio’s name, like a knife, at Otello at the end of Act II. This performance is available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) and definitely worth your time.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 12/10/1988
Siciliani; Dimitrova, Mauro, Fondary / Giacomini, Soviero, Pons
SID.19370212
Though Dimitrova was well regarded for her power and skill in the “big” roles, her Santuzza was one of the very best I’ve ever heard, and more importantly, seemed very personal. Her voice is satisfyingly volcanic this afternoon. No less impressive is the Pagliacci with Giacomini’s farewell to the Met. He is on top form for this Canio. Soviero has a strong Nedda as well. Siciliani gives full veristic sway in his conducting. Recommended.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/05/1977
Bedford; Morris, Blegen, Harper, Carlson, Ewing
SID.19370213
Morris was quite a decent Figaro, and Blegen and Ewing were solid Susanna and Cherubino. Harper is odd casting for a house accustomed to Steber, De Los Angeles, Della Casa, Lorengar Te Kanawa, and Fleming.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Original Air Date: 03/10/1951
Walter; Flagstad, Svanholm, Schöffler, Ernster, Conner, Klein
MOD Audio SID.19370214
This performance marks Flagstad’s return season after an absence of ten years. She also has a Fidelio broadcast under Walter from 1941 which has now also been rebroadcast and finds Flagstad on even finer form on Sirius. Walter and Flagstad are the attraction with the supporting cast variable.
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Original Air Date: 03/27/1982
Chailly; Domingo, Morris, Welting, Troyanos, Eda-Pierre, Howells
MOD Audio SID.19370316
This is Chailly’s only Met appearance, and is the premiere year of the Schenk, Schneider-Siemssen production. I’m surprised this performance is not the one in MOoD instead of the Levine from 1993. Much as I like Vaness and Held, an 11 year younger Domingo with the above cast (and especially Senechal) would seem more likely. Still, this performance is a welcome choice for the Sirius rotation (it’s not often included).