FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Live in HDMOD Video SID.18440531
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.
THE GREAT GATSBY:Harbison
Original Air Date: 01/01/2000
Levine; Hadley, Upshaw, Croft, Graham, Baker, Lieberson
MOD Audio SID.18440532
Levine is a great promoter of Harbison’s work, but I miss the appeal.
First appearance of Hunt Lieberson whose only other role was Didon in the new Troyens production whose broadcast marks Hunt Lieberson’s Met farewell in February 2003 before her untimely death in July 2006.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
MOD Audio SID.18440533
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. Stevens I never saw live, but I want a more settled, glamorous sound for Dalila.
Singher came in 1943 to the Met and makes his farewell eight months after this Samson broadcast doing the two performances of the four Hoffmann villains. He’s an important part of the Met’s French wing with both Pelleas and Golaud in two different revivals. He went on to be a major teacher at the Curtis Institute, with James King his most notable student.
This performance is available on MOoD, and I am happy to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
12/5/16
***
I am not a huge fan of the audio only Stevens’ Dalila, but this performance with a fine High Priest from Singher certainly is not wanting for vocal voltage. This performance is available on MetPlayer as well. 1/16/12
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/05/1983
Leinsdorf; Te Kanawa, Weikl, Battle, Rendall, Dunn, Gramm
MOD Audio SID.18440636
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.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 01/18/1975
Nelson; Bumbry, Theyard, Colzani / McCracken, Moffo, Milnes
SID.18440637
TBA
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/05/1983
Leinsdorf; Te Kanawa, Weikl, Battle, Rendall, Dunn, Gramm
MOD Audio SID.18440638
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.
ALCESTE:Gluck
Original Air Date: 03/08/1941
Panizza; Bamptom, Maison, Warren
SID.18440639
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.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/28/1959
Cleva; Warren, Peters, Fernandi, Wilderman, Roggero
SID.18440640
This is the the last of Warren’s 9 Rigoletto broadcasts. His 1945 broadcast with Sayao and Bjorling is on Met Player and while maybe not quite as deep dramatically has all the vocal goods in order. Fernandi is not what one is usually looking for as Duke beyond his native familiarity The performance is most notable for being Warren’s final Rigoletto broadcast. I never saw him live, but always loved his Rigoletto. Only Warren really impressed me.
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS:Stravinsky
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
MOD Audio SID.18440641
Rake’s Progress had its American premiere under Fritz Reiner on a Met broadcast. I saw this Jonathan Miller production when it was new in 1998 with the same cast as above except Jerry Hadley was the Tom Rakewell. I find the work cold, and though very well prepared, the Miller production did not make it one whit more interesting.
AIDA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/07/1989
Levine; Millo, Domingo, Toczyska, Milnes, Plishka
MOD Video SID.18440642
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.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 01/10/2004
Lacombe; Alagna, Kasarova, Petrova, Schaldenbrand
MOD Audio SID.18440743
Alagna has had steady employment at the Met in the last decade and his Werther is a solid accomplishment. Kasarova was not to my taste in the theater and even less so in audio only.
8/11/2013 – Alagna made a hasty exit around the time of 9/11 and with the new Faust production (with Isokowski and Pape under Levine) in 2003. The following year this Werther showed him on good behavior, but I find Kasarova’s voice totally wrong for Massenet, and she didn’t make for much electricity with Alagna. Werther is more popular than Manon these days– a good bit shorter, and the Manon leads harder to cast well. In light of the mercurial (and new papa to be) Alagna, it will be interesting to hear this again.
2/24/2012 – Kasarova took multiple attempts before finally showing up at the Met, and I felt her unusual timbre was not a good fit for Charlotte, nor an especially congenial match for Alagna. In many ways I feel as if Alagna sings better today. Let’s see if I feel the same way listening to this broadcast.
4/21/2011 – When I saw this in the house in 2004 with this cast I was pretty disappointed. This was when Alagna’s singing was not really appealing at all. He had the style down, but I wish he would return to Werther with the kind of singing he has been doing the last two seasons. Both of Kraus’ fine performances (one with Crespin, the other with von Stade) are on Met Player.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
MOD Audio SID.18440744
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. Stevens I never saw live, but I want a more settled, glamorous sound for Dalila.
Singher came in 1943 to the Met and makes his farewell eight months after this Samson broadcast doing the two performances of the four Hoffmann villains. He’s an important part of the Met’s French wing with both Pelleas and Golaud in two different revivals. He went on to be a major teacher at the Curtis Institute, with James King his most notable student.
This performance is available on MOoD, and I am happy to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version 12/5/16
I am not a huge fan of the audio only Stevens’ Dalila, but this performance with a fine High Priest from Singher certainly is not wanting for vocal voltage. This performance is available on MetPlayer as well. 1/16/12
THE GREAT GATSBY:Harbison
Original Air Date: 01/01/2000
Levine; Hadley, Upshaw, Croft, Graham, Baker, Lieberson
MOD Audio SID.18440745
Levine is a great promoter of Harbison’s work, but I miss the appeal.
First appearance of Hunt Lieberson whose only other role was Didon in the new Troyens production whose broadcast marks Hunt Lieberson’s Met farewell in February 2003 before her untimely death in July 2006.
MACBETH:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/18/1982
Levine; Milnes, Scotto, Plishka, Jenkins
MOD Audio SID.18440746
“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 (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.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Original Air Date: 02/07/1976
Mauceri; Jones, Thomas, McIntyre, Macurdy, Blegen, Riegel
SID.18440747
I attended one of the performances in this run where Bernstein had opted out some months before the performances. Jones was a moving Leonore visually, but musically this revival did not come together.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/28/1959
Cleva; Warren, Peters, Fernandi, Wilderman, Roggero
SID.18440748
This is the the last of Warren’s 9 Rigoletto broadcasts. His 1945 broadcast with Sayao and Bjorling is on Met Player and while maybe not quite as deep dramatically has all the vocal goods in order. Fernandi is not what one is usually looking for as Duke beyond his native familiarity The performance is most notable for being Warren’s final Rigoletto broadcast. I never saw him live, but always loved his Rigoletto. Only Warren really impressed me.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/02/1957
Stiedry; Harshaw, Windgassen, Böhme, Uhde, Schech, Madeira
MOD Audio SID.18440749
This is a very solid performance and Windgassen in one of only two broadcasts from his single season at the Met. While Frick was the pre-eminent Wagner bass of the 50s, for Hagen there was a strong competition between Bohme and Greindl for next slot. I always preferred Bohme’s voice. Harshaw is up to the score in every way if without the star presence of Nilsson or Varnay. This performance is also available in MOoD. This used to be a very rare performance.
11/21/11 – The Siegfried from this cycle was on a few weeks ago, and while Harshaw is a far different Brunnhilde than Modl, I look forward to hearing this. These are major Wagnerians (mostly native Europeans) from the late 1950s, and well worth hearing.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/02/1957
Stiedry; Harshaw, Windgassen, Böhme, Uhde, Schech, Madeira
MOD Audio SID.18450101
This is a very solid performance and Windgassen in one of only two broadcasts from his single season at the Met. While Frick was the pre-eminent Wagner bass of the 50s, for Hagen there was a strong competition between Bohme and Greindl for next slot. I always preferred Bohme’s voice. Harshaw is up to the score in every way if without the star presence of Nilsson or Varnay. This performance is also available in MOoD. This used to be a very rare performance.
11/21/11 – The Siegfried from this cycle was on a few weeks ago, and while Harshaw is a far different Brunnhilde than Modl, I look forward to hearing this. These are major Wagnerians (mostly native Europeans) from the late 1950s, and well worth hearing.
Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/02/1957
Stiedry; Harshaw, Windgassen, Böhme, Uhde, Schech, Madeira
MOD Audio SID.18450101
Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/05/1964
Varviso; Sutherland; Kónya, Herlea, Giaiotti
MOD Audio SID.18450102
Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/09/2006
Levine; van Rensburg, Röschmann, Deshorties, Kozená. Francis
MOD Audio SID.18450103
Tchaikovsky
Original Air Date: 04/10/1999
Gergiev; Domingo, Gorchakova, Söderström, Hvorostovsky, Borodina, Putilin
MOD AudioMOD Video SID.18450104
Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/04/1959
Cleva; Gari, Rysanek, Merrill, Thebom, Hines, Uhde
MOD Audio SID.18450105
Gounod
Original Air Date: 04/13/1968
Molinari-Pradelli; Gedda, Freni, Macurdy, Baldwin, Reardon
SID.18450107
Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/19/1987
Bonynge; Pavarotti, Sutherland, Verrett, Nucci, De Grandis
MOD Audio SID.18450208
Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/04/1976
Levine; Kollo, Lorengar, Dunn, McIntyre, Giaiotti
SID.18450209
Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/04/1976
Levine; Kollo, Lorengar, Dunn, McIntyre, Giaiotti
SID.18450210
Rossini
Original Air Date: 01/17/1976
Schippers; Sills, Verrett, Di Giuseppe, Díaz
SID.18450211
Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/02/1944
Szell; Traubel, Janssen, Bampton, Melchior, Thorborg, Kipnis
MOD Audio SID.18450212
Giordano
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
MOD Video SID.18450213