LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Young; Leech, Morris, Dessay, Larmore, Racette, Mentzer
Original Air Date: 02/07/1998
SID.19470210
Here is Dessay at her youthful supreme, Young’s conducting is not always ideal, but Leech and Morris are on excellent form. Natalie is not to be missed (if only her Violetta sounded even half like this). Dessay in her early Met career literally brought the house down with her Olympia. Simone Young was not a popular addition to the Metropolitan, Unforgettable. Leech and Morris are very solid in their big roles.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Rudolf; Guarrera, Peters, Valletti, Corena, Hines
Original Air Date: 12/21/1957
MOD Audio
SID.19470211
Guarrera is an alert if not so suave Figaro. Rudolf leads an experienced ensemble. One should listen to Corena here to hear why he’s remains so missed. The Met should release the Berganza 1968 video if for no other reason to preserve his Bartolo.
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Abbado; Freni, Lima, Toczyska, Milnes
Original Air Date: 03/19/1994
SID.19470212
I enjoyed seeing Freni in the role, but Fedora turned out to be a much more congenial role for her late period. Tocyzyska is always an alert performer.
LULU:Berg
Levine; Stratas, Mazura, Lear, Riegel, Foldi
Original Air Date: 01/03/1981
SID.19470315
This is Stratas’ only Lulu broadcast from the Met, and by everyone’s reckoning it is a strong cast. The telecast was done a few weeks earlier with Julia Migenes in the title role replacing Stratas. That is available on DVD issued by the Met
Puccini
Levine; Zylis-Gara, Ciannella, Elvira, Capecchi
Original Air Date: 03/21/1981
SID.19470316
This is not the most common of Met Manon Lescaut casts, but Zylis-Gara has some lovely moments, and so does Ciannella even if he is much more tried by the vocal demands of the role. Elvira who left us too soon makes for a fine Lescaut. There are better Manon Lescauts in the broadcast archive that have not yet been rebroadcast, but Zylis-Gara and Ciannella are not without their interest.
MOSES UND ARON:Schoenberg
Levine; Tomlinson, Langridge
Original Air Date: 02/20/1999
MOD Audio
SID.19470319
There are only two broadcasts this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently.There are only two broadcasts – this Met broadcast premiere in 1999 and the 2003 with the same principals, The 1993 has been issued as a Met CD and is available in MOoD and has also been in Sirius rotation. The 1993 performance is only available in the Sirius rotation, but both come around rather frequently. These same forces broadcast the opera again four years later, and to date these are the only broadcasts of the Schoenberg work from the Met. It’s not on my regular listening schedule, but an important 20th century work for those who determine importance.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Levine; Rendall, Troyanos, Alexander, Montague, Hong
Original Air Date: 02/14/1987
SID.19470320
Unlike Idomeneo, Levine has totally dominated this opera at the Met, conducting 35 of the 45 performances. This is his second broadcast, and the vocal standout is once again Troyanos. MOoD features Levine’s first in 1985, and his last broadcast in 2005.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Monteux; Stevens, Güden, Hurley
Original Air Date: 04/09/1955
SID.19470422
Stevens has two runs at the Met in 1955 under Monteux and three seasons later with a broadcast now under Max Rudolf and with Amara the Euridice. For my money no one ever looked better as Orfeo, but the audio only record is not nearly as memorable. Monteux is a legendary conductor (world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chloe in Paris), but not sure that Gluck finds him at his best. This Orfeo is from his penultimate Met season. Monteux who also recorded it with Stevens, is really part of history (he conducted the world premieres of Rite of spring and Daphnis and Chlore). Stevens is a much beloved Met figure, but I think there are better ways to experience Orfeo.
AKHNATEN:Glass
Original Air Date: 11/23/2019
Karen Kamensek: Anthony Roth Costanzo, J’Nai Bridges, Dísella Lárusdóttir, Aaron Blake
Live in HD SID.19470600
LE PROPHÈTE:Meyerbeer
Lewis; McCracken, Scotto, Horne, Hines
Original Air Date: 01/29/1977
SID.19480102
Though this is the only broadcast of Prophete from the Met, I find the work of little interest. The big name singers work hard, but Lewis is not the man to make the work seem better than it is. The second season is in the opening weeks under Charles Mackerras (typically a much higher profile conductor), but not broadcast. In the current environment we would have had one and possibly two offerings with new casting of both Berthe (Rita Shane) and Jean (Guy Chauvet).
Donizetti
Müller; Olsen, Battle, Dara, Oswald
Original Air Date: 12/05/1992
SID.19480103
The opera is not of such depth to deserve what seems like a a weekly rotation. There were a number of evening performances broadcast live of the Florez Damrau cast. They don’t exactly overplay the Bergonzi or Kraus performances, CB has 2, and AK has 1. But better to give the opera a rest, because we’ll have plenty of L’elisir come September. This is Battle’s last Elisir broadcast, and the supporting cast is not especially distinguished.Dara was always a rather colorless Dulcamara for me, and I want a bit more Italian sunshine than Olsen. Battle has 30 (!!!) Met Adinas, the champion. She is not the first Adina I think of. Both Freni and Scotto are more to my taste for very different reasons. Once again this ordinary L’elisir is trotted out. The opera itself (not just this performance) seems overplayed in rotation. It does feature very good orchestra playing and excellent sound. This performance has had some rest, but there are several other Battle Elisirs with Pavarotti that also appear so it seems to repeat her assumption a bit too frequently.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Isepp; Vaness, Croft, Graham, Gunn, McLaughlin, Shimell
Original Air Date: 03/15/1997
SID.19480104
This is the season after the Bartoli run as Despina also with Vaness. Most of the interest in this broadcast centers on Richard Croft now in Satyagraha and Susan Graham for whom this is an early broadcast. Her second Dorabella run is in 2001 has also been on Sirius. For Vaness fans she has two Cosi broadcasts from early in her Met career 1984 and 1991, and the 1984 is particularly recommended. Her Mozart singing in the early 1980s was right up there with the very best– Steber, Fleming, Lorengar, Te Kanawa.
Wagner
Levine; Domingo, Tomowa-Sintow, Marton, McIntyre, Macurdy
Original Air Date: 02/16/1985
SID.19480105
This performance is also available in MOoD. Domingo sings very well, but for me the special excitement of this performance comes from the two ladies. Marton had not yet started her heavy round of Elektra performances, and her singing is commanding without ever being less than very feminine. Lohengrin is one of Levine’s best efforts, and here’s the cast for it. The ladies are simply splendid, among the best exponents of their roles in the last 3 decades. Lohengrin is one of Levine’s best Wagner efforts.
Various:Various
Various Artists
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19480106
Gounod
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.19480107
Nezet-Seguin’s conducting was one of the best things he’s done at the Met, and both Kaufmann and Pape were excellent if not exactly erasing aural memories of Bjorling and Siepi (1950 and 1959). The two blots for me were Poplavskaya as Marguerite and the misconceived production by Des McAnuff which will not disturb listening.
Puccini
Domingo; Zhang, Smith, Zifchak, Salsi, Sorensen
Original Air Date: 12/17/2011
SID.19480208
Good to hear Zhang on a broadcast. I thought she was very impressive in the theatre. This is a promotion from the matinee to the archival series rather quickly. The controversial part of this run of Butterfly was the conducting shared by Yves Abel and Placido Domingo. Zhang was a very high profile Butterfly both on the radio and in the theatre, so no conductor was going to get the best of her.
Ponchielli
Cleva; Milanov, Baum, Warren, Rankin, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 04/02/1955
SID.19480209
This is a pretty representative Gioconda cast for the 1950s. It should catch Tozzi in his prime condition coming a month after his debut and Rankin was well suited to Laura, an awkward part for many. Warren should also be at his best. That leaves Milanov and Baum in two giant roles. There is no question of Milanov’s legendary status and in this role in particular. She can also be a maddeningly uneven singer, sometimes within the same performance or even section of music. I love Gioconda, but it is a challenging sing. Callas has a fine studio recording made after her firing from the Met that is still very good, but I don’t have any Callas annals handy, but don’t think she has many/any after 1952. Tebaldi saved it till late in her career, and the part didn’t work for Farrell. I enjoyed both Bumbry and Marton, but the part was well beyond Scotto, and recent efforts by Voigt and Urmana are down another rung. Milanov’s melodramatics are solid.
Verdi
Levine; Millo, Domingo, Toczyska, Milnes, Plishka
Original Air Date: 01/07/1989
MOD Video
SID.19480210
This is Domingo’s second of 3 Radames broadcasts (the last is a simulcast video the following season with Zajick instead of Toczyska). Millo is on excellent form, and Tocyzska is an arresting performer who is a very solid Amneris.
BILLY BUDD:Britten
Mackerras; Hampson, Clark, Morris, Held, Courtney
Original Air Date: 04/04/1992
MOD Audio
SID.19480211
Morris has sung almost every Claggart in the production and it is one of his best parts. Hampson isn’t always ideal as an innocent, but he’s a fine musician and the cast under Mackerras is top drawer. There is also an excellent Met video of the production with Dwayne Croft on MOoD.
Donizetti
Varviso; Sutherland; Kónya, Herlea, Giaiotti
Original Air Date: 12/05/1964
MOD Audio
SID.19480212
This is Sutherland’s second broadcast Lucia, and not often heard. Konya is not my favorite Edgardo, but for those who don’t want to hear Bonynge, they get another figure at the podium.
Various:Various
Various Artists
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19480213
Gounod
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.19480319
Nezet-Seguin’s conducting was one of the best things he’s done at the Met, and both Kaufmann and Pape were excellent if not exactly erasing aural memories of Bjorling and Siepi (1950 and 1959). The two blots for me were Poplavskaya as Marguerite and the misconceived production by Des McAnuff which will not disturb listening.
Verdi
Nézet-Séguin; Yoncheva, Cano, Antonenko, Pittas, Lucic
Original Air Date: 10/17/2015
Live in HD
SID.19480321
Verdi
Nézet-Séguin; Yoncheva, Cano, Antonenko, Pittas, Lucic
Original Air Date: 10/17/2015
Live in HD
SID.19480533
Gounod
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.19480637
Nezet-Seguin’s conducting was one of the best things he’s done at the Met, and both Kaufmann and Pape were excellent if not exactly erasing aural memories of Bjorling and Siepi (1950 and 1959). The two blots for me were Poplavskaya as Marguerite and the misconceived production by Des McAnuff which will not disturb listening.
Verdi
Nézet-Séguin; Yoncheva, Cano, Antonenko, Pittas, Lucic
Original Air Date: 10/17/2015
Live in HD
SID.19480744
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Cleva; Stratas, Raimondi, Bower, Sereni, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 02/04/1967
SID.19490102
This is early Stratas, and Raimondi, Sereni, and Tozzi are a very authentic group of supporting Bohemians. What is unusual is this has not been on Sirius in the last five years. Stratas has a famous video with Carreras from the premiere season of the Zeffirelli Boheme in 1982 20 years after her first Met Boheme as a 23 year old. From her debut in 1959 until 1964 she appears on the airwaves only in very small roles but with the new production of Last Savage she jumps to the big time and this Boheme is her first broadcast from the new house in Lincoln Center. Gianni Raimondi does not have a long Met career (1965-1968) but both of his broadcasts this Rodolfo and a later Tosca with Crespin are of fine quality. He was over 40 at his Met debut and died in 2008 at the age of 85. His Rodolfo is preserved on film as he originated the famous Zeffirelli Boheme at La Scala with Freni and Karajan. Beverly Bower has the distinction of singing the first performance in the new Lincoln Center Opera House, a student matinee of Fanciulla del West . She had also been an NYCO stalwart before joining the Met. Sereni and Tozzi were part of the normal Met Boheme ensemble.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490103
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was on the rocks as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490104
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was on the rocks as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Levine; Hampson, James, Cheek, Schuman, Olsen, Swenson
Original Air Date: 01/13/1996
SID.19490105
I’m not a big fan of Hampson’s Giovanni, but in his three broadcasts (all with Levine) he has some interesting supporting casts in 1991 and 2004. I lean toward more encounters with the 2004 broadcast with the elusive (for the Met) Anja Harteros. This is an all-American cast FWIW.