DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Ehrling; Stewart, Saunders, Cox, Leib, Macurdy, Riegel
Original Air Date: 04/17/1976
SID.20110209
Jackson in his execrably edited third volume of Met broadcast history makes Ehrling into a Swiss conductor, when of course he was a native Swede through and through. Stewart has a notable recording of Sachs for Bavarian Radio under Kubelik with Janowitz and Konya that can still be located on specialty labels (Fischer-Dieskau’s effort with Jochum on DG effectively blocked this from what would normally have been the logical label. Jean Cox recently passed on, and was the infamous Siegfried at my 1978 Chereau performance at Bayreuth– Kollo mimed and Cox sang from offstage as he did not know the complex staging. Arlene Saunders long a NYCO favorite finally gets to the Met towards the end of her career, but per Jackson is still quite a successful Eva. So lots of curiosity for this performance.
BILLY BUDD:Britten
Leppard; Stilwell, Pears, Morris, Glossop, Ward
Original Air Date: 03/31/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20110211
Pears created the role of Captain Vere three decades earlier, and James Morris’ Claggart is one of the great post-war assumptions. Luckily the Met has recently added the video of the 1997 telecast with the late Phillip Langridge as Vere, Dwayne Croft, and Morris once again being the evil anchor as Claggart. This 1979 performance is the first broadcast of the Met’s Budd production, and is Pears’ final Met appearance Much of this attention is surely coming because of the Britten centenary. One of the Met’s most distinguished productions.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Cleva; Milanov, Tucker, Valentino / Amara, Baum, Merrill
Original Air Date: 04/13/1957
SID.20110212
The main feature here is Merrill’s Tonio which he only broadcast twice in his long Met career, this performance and in 1960 with a weaker Cavalleria cast. The Pagliacci is the same cast on both broadcasts. Warren really dominated Tonio during his lifetime, and MacNeil and Milnes in the latter part of Merrill’s career. Merrill is the voice for the prologue, and he also has an excellent commercial with Lorengar and McCracken.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Leinsdorf; Te Kanawa, Weikl, Battle, Rendall, Dunn, Gramm
Original Air Date: 03/05/1983
MOD Audio
SID.20110214
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.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Levine; Pavarotti, Voigt, Pons, Shin, Dever
Original Air Date: 02/15/1997
SID.20110321
Except for Pavarotti, there is nothing of special distinction. Both of Pavarotti’s Met videos (1980 and 1991) of Ballo have more interest and they are both on MOoD. Levine only has three matinee broadcasts, 1991 (with Millo and Pavarotti), this broadcast, and a 2015 with Radvanovsky, Tamura (replacing Beczala) and Hvorostovsky. Better to add that one to the rotation.
THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES:Corigliano
Levine; Stratas, Hagegård, Quilico, Horne, Clark, Fleming
Original Air Date: 01/04/1992
MOD Video
SID.20110535
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.
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER:Wagner
Valery Gergiev: Evgeny Nikitin, Anja Kampe, Sergey Skorokhodov, Franz-Josef Selig
Broadcast of performance from 03/10/2020
SID.20110640
The March 14 live performance and the LIVE IN HD Transmission have been canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and the recommendations of city, state and federal elected officials.
The broadcast will be of the Tuesday 3-10 performance taped as preparation for the Saturday Live in HD transmission.
François Girard, whose revelatory 2013 take on Parsifal set the recent Met standard for Wagner stagings, unveils a spellbinding new vision of the composer’s tale of a cursed sea captain doomed to sail the open ocean for eternity. With sweeping sets by John Macfarlane, Girard’s new production turns the Met stage into a rich, layered tableau reminiscent of a vast oil painting. Valery Gergiev conducts a brilliant cast led by bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin as the Dutchman, with German soprano Anja Kampe making her anticipated Met debut as the devoted Senta, whose selfless love is what the Dutchman seeks. Bass Franz-Josef Selig is her father, Daland, and tenor Sergey Skorokhodov is her deserted former lover, Erik. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam; The Abu Dhabi Festival; and Opéra de Québec
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RUSALKA:Dvorak
Nézet-Séguin; Fleming, Beczala, Magee, Zajick, Relyea
Original Air Date: 02/08/2014
Live in HD
SID.20120102
Read RWW’s Review of the Live in HD broadcast of this cast.
AIDA:Verdi
Schippers; Price, Bergonzi, Bumbry, Merrill, Hines
Original Air Date: 02/25/1967
MOD Audio
SID.20120103
On paper this performance looks like the dream cast. It is not. Price who sang possibly her very best performance ever in the opening night Antony and Cleopatra six months earlier, sings much too much on “principal” with a particularly vulgar opening of Ritorna vincitor. What is most sad is that her first two Aida broadcasts, the first with Gorr, Bergonzi, Sereni, Siepi, and Macurdy under Solti from 1963, the second from 1965 with Dalis, Tucker, Merrill, Ghiuselev, Michalski under Mehta have not been on Sirius. The first I remember vividly , and has been on private European pressings; it is one of the very best Met Aidas. Bergonzi is substantially stronger in 1963; The 1965 performance simply has Mehta as a better Aida conductor than Schippers. Richard Tucker, whose career is not overlooked by the Sirius folk, has not managed to have his Radames on Sirius despite having broadcast the role with Nilsson, Price, and Arroyo. Bumbry is here in the first of her 3 broadcast Amnerises, and she is better with Arroyo which has been on Sirius. Merrill is in remarkable voice 21 years after his debut (a few too many woofs, but still the most mellifluous Amonasro ever (though plenty of testosterone if not real anger). So here are 4 relatively recent Aidas (post 1960) which somehow can’t get to the airwaves. This 1967 is on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) and also appears in the 2013 Verdi at the Met bicentennial box, but it still does not rank as one of Price’s best efforts, or one of the best modern Met Aidas. Available in MOoD. This is also in the new Verdi box , but the missing AIda should be the 1963 with Solti conducting Price, Gorr, Bergonzi, Siepi, Macurdy. Bergonzi cracks in the Celeste AIda and neither Price nor Bumbry are at their best.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Szell; Traubel, Janssen, Bampton, Melchior, Thorborg, Kipnis
Original Air Date: 12/02/1944
MOD Audio
SID.20120104
Who cares about 1944 sound? Janssen is a bit lightweight as Wotan, but then there is Szell, Traubel, Melchior, Kipnis and Thorborg. Szell does not linger and the Met is not a great Wagner orchestra at this point. Traubel’s Todesverkundigung is nobility itself, but the cuts are wearying.
ANDREA CHÉNIER:Giordano
Rudel; Martinucci, Millo, Milnes, Kesling, Castle, Johnson
Original Air Date: 12/22/1990
MOD Audio
SID.20120105
This performance marks the 25th anniversary of Milnes’ Met debut, and he goes on to 1997. Millo and Martinucci are authentic Italianate performances with voices well suited to the roles, This is actually some of the best casting of the last 25 years for this opera.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Böhm; Fassbaender, Lear, Jungwirth, Mathis, Dooley
Original Air Date: 02/23/1974
SID.20120106
Evelyn Lear is a solid Marschallin, even if she is somewhat eclipsed by Fassbaender and Mathis, among the two best performers to ever do these roles. Bohm is in the pit, and Jungwirth is an excellent Ochs (as he is on the Solti Crespin commercial.)
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Levine; Rolfe Johnson, von Otter, Vaness, Kirchschlager, Grant Murphy
Original Air Date: 12/06/1997
SID.20120107
Vaness and von Otter team up with Levine for Idomeneo also. Clemenza has some glorious moments, but I like Idomeneo better. One of Carol Vaness’s best efforts at the Met.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Varviso; Herlea, Grist, Shirley, Corena, Siepi
Original Air Date: 03/19/1966
MOD Audio
SID.20120208
This is Reri Grist’s debut year, and the broadcast comes three weeks later. Herlea had some success debuting in Don Carlo two years earlier. One does not get better than Corena and Siepi in these roles. As Barbieres go, this one is not bad. Corena and Siepi are absolute masters in these roles, and the rest of the cast is good to very good– Grist has made her debut a few weeks before this broadcast. Varviso has an excellent studio Barbiere with Berganza, but this is a fine cast, which in the case of Corena and Siepi is not surpassed. Herlea is not as impressive here as in his Rodrigo (Don Carlo) but still a decent Figaro. I prefer a mezzo Rosina, but Grist is a fine singer and under-represented.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Levine; Eaglen, West, Salminen, Held, Wray, Naef
Original Air Date: 04/24/2004
SID.20120209
This is Eaglen’s final Met appearance, although not so marked yet in the database. Her 2000 broadcast is on MOoD with Stig Anderson and Eric Halvarson and Felicity Palmer’s Met debut as Waltraute. West was always a solid singer for me and I will take a listen to see how sounds vis a vis current competition, and Salminen is the standard for Hagen. But don’t expect too much from Eaglen. The tone had become significantly compromised by the final round of her Met performances.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Levine; Eaglen, West, Salminen, Held, Wray, Naef
Original Air Date: 04/24/2004
SID.20120210
This is Eaglen’s final Met appearance, although not so marked yet in the database. Her 2000 broadcast is on MOoD with Stig Anderson and Eric Halvarson and Felicity Palmer’s Met debut as Waltraute. West was always a solid singer for me and I will take a listen to see how sounds vis a vis current competition, and Salminen is the standard for Hagen. But don’t expect too much from Eaglen. The tone had become significantly compromised by the final round of her Met performances.
I LOMBARDI:Verdi
Levine; Flanigan, Pavarotti, Beccaria, Plishka
Original Air Date: 01/15/1994
MOD Audio
SID.20120211
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.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Summers; Diener, Groves, Graham, Gilfry, Upshaw, Pertusi
Original Air Date: 02/24/2001
SID.20120212
I only heard portions of this broadcast, where I thought Diener was a better than average Fiordiligi, and very good work from Susan Graham, though she appears four years earlier with Vaness and Isepp conducting a more interesting supporting cast- Marie McLaughlin, Richard Croft, Nathan Gunn, and William Shimell. I do not have strong memories of this performance, though Diener has solid Mozart credentials, and this is definitely prime time for Susan Graham.
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Bonynge; Sutherland, Di Giuseppe, Sinclair, Corena
Original Air Date: 03/25/1972
SID.20120213
This is the first season of the production minus Pavarotti and Resnik. Both appear the following season in Sutherland’s second and final broadcast. Sutherland has a third season in 1983 with Kraus, but there was no matinee broadcast (the Sirius live broadcasts now capture portrayals, that used to just go missing). If Di Giuseppe does not have the star power of Pavarotti, he provides reasonable support for Sutherland, who is a complete charmer in the title role. I was surprised to discover she has twice as many Maries as Lily Pons. 8/23/11 – Di Giuseppe is not Pavarotti, but this is still a delightful broadcast.
DON CARLO:Verdi
Adler; Corelli, Rysanek, Herlea, Dalis, Tozzi, Uhde
Original Air Date: 03/07/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20120214
This performance is in the Sony Historical CD series. Corelli is the centerpiece, but he despite being in thrilling voice, is a bit of a mess. Rysanek has her moments, some very good, some not so good. Herlea is a successful debutant as Rodrigo, and Dalis a distinctive Eboli. The great Met Ebolis are shortly to arrive with Bumbry, Cossotto, Verrett and Zajick. This performance is heavily cut and Tozzi shows signs that his voice is no longer in prime condition, but one of the most beautiful voices ever in that prime.
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Davis; Norman, Cochran, Rolandi, Ewing, Weller, Duesing
Original Air Date: 01/05/1985
SID.20130102
RWW: This is Ms. Norman’s first season at the Met in her most frequent assumption. Cochran makes his Met farewell in his only sizable part–Vogelsang in Meistersinger does not qualify. He had a distinguished career in Frankfurt that did not translate to New York in terms of timing or repertory. I heard him when he was still at Curtis, and while very musical, lacked a star sound. Ewing is not a Composer to my taste (nor is Stratas), but hearing early Norman or the charming Rolandi is not a poor way to pass the time. Ariadne remains my favorite Strauss opera.
FAUST:Gounod
Cleva; Morell, Moffo, Siepi, Ruzdak, Martin
Original Air Date: 01/04/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20130103
RWW: Siepi is the outstanding contribution here. He has 6 Mephisto broadcasts, but still missing from the Sirius/MOoD roster are the 2 Bjorlings from 1950 and 1959, and 1969 with Lorengar, Gedda, and Merrill. The recently deceased (fall 2013) Janis Martin is featured in this 1964 performance before her move to Europe and starring roles.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Stiedry; Milanov, Labò, Sereni, Siepi, Roggero, Corena
Original Air Date: 01/25/1958
SID.20130104
RWW: The fourth and last of Milanov’s Forza Leonoras. Siepi is the big plus here. A fresher Milanov can be heard in 1952 on MOoD with Tucker and Warren. In her best moments, her Leonora is major, but regardless of year, she can be uneven. Unlike most singing the part at 52, she still has the right voice.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Rudolf; London, Harshaw, Corena, Steber, Conley, Conner
Original Air Date: 03/13/1954
SID.20130105
RWW: The unusual casting is for the two leading ladies with Harshaw in her first Anna broadcast (the second comes a year later with Siepi for London, Amara for Steber, Valletti for Conley, and Peters for Conner. Rudolf, Harshaw, and Corena are the constants. Steber finishes her 1944-1954 Met connection with Elvira at 3 tour stops with Valletti back for them. With Bing’s full complement of lyric sopranos, he unveils a new production in 1957 with Steber moving up to Anna [Steber did a 2 performance preview of her Anna in the 1954-1955 season], Della Casa becoming the preferred Elvira, and Peters the preferred Zerlina. I’m happy to have this 1954 in the rotation, but once again call on the Met to offer the 1957 broadcast on Sirius and eventually on MOoD. I have a European pressing of this performance, and it is one of the great broadcasts of the 1950s.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Amaducci; Flagello, Curtin, Guarrera, Barbieri, Raskin, Alva
Original Air Date: 12/16/1967
MOD Audio
SID.20130106
RWW: Barbieri, Guarrera, and Alva are veterans of many Falstaffs, and Flagello features a lot of voice for a bass Falstaff. Amaducci, by memory, didn’t have much sparkle. High praise for Alva and Barbieri; she is a characterful Quickly, and he a perfect Fenton, but Amaducci is possibly the weakest Falstaff conductor in Met history(certainly on broadcasts). The 1964 Bernstein has never been on Sirius, and though the Met Database records the 1972 as having been on Sirius with Gobbi, Tebaldi, and Paskalis under von Dohnanyi, it has not been on more than once, and should be heard again. Both of these performances belong in MOoD not this performance. Flagello who had one of the great voices in a time when the Met’s bass cabinet was chock full sings the part very well, but for this work, you must have a conductor to work with you, and that he doesn’t have. Alas, Falstaff is about ensemble, not individual efforts.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Rattle; Skelton, Stemme, Gubanova, Pape, Nikitin
Original Air Date: 10/08/2016
Live in HD
SID.20130107
Bachtrack Review
Tristan………………..Stuart Skelton
Isolde…………………Nina Stemme
Brangäne……………….Ekaterina Gubanova
King Marke……………..René Pape
Kurwenal……………….Evgeny Nikitin
Melot………………….Neal Cooper
Sailor’s Voice………….Tony Stevenson
Steersman………………David Crawford
Shepherd……………….Alex Richardson
Young Tristan…………..Jonathan O’Reilly
English Horn Solo……….Pedro R. Díaz
Conductor………………Simon Rattle
Production……………..Mariusz Trelinski
Set Designer……………Boris Kudlicka
Costume Designer………..Marek Adamski
Lighting Designer……….Marc Heinz
Choreographer…………..Tomasz Wygoda
Video Production Designer..Bartek Macias
TV Director…………….Gary Halvorson
LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR:Donizetti
Papi; Pons, Jagel, Brownlee, Pinza
Original Air Date: 02/27/1937
SID.20130108
RWW: Lily Pons seduced a whole generation of New Yorkers with her glamour, her Gallic presence, and staccati in alt., but I saw her last Lucia in Fort Worth, and never much cared for her recordings. Whatever I think, this is one of the oldest Met broadcasts on Sirius, and Pons’ appeal continues. John Brownlee has a voice that can be passable in Fledermaus, but for me not in Lucia. Ezio Pinza is as good as one gets.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI:Zandonai
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, MacNeil, Lewis
Original Air Date: 04/07/1984
MOD AudioMOD Video
SID.20130209
RWW: A bit late for Scotto, but MacNeil makes quite a meal of his Giovanni. MacNeil’s role is no cameo. Very committed performances from all. Best experienced in the video version available on DVD and Met Player.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130210
RWW: Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Barenboim; Lehman, Dalayman, DeYoung, Youn, Grochowski
Original Air Date: 12/06/2008
MOD Audio
SID.20130211
RWW: Celebrated Wagnerian conductor Daniel Barenboim made his Met debut with this production of one of opera’s greatest dramas. Gary Lehman and Katarina Dalayman are the legendary title characters in this searing story of love and destiny. Kwangchul Youn sings King Marke, the betrayed monarch whose understanding and forgiveness comes too late to save the lovers’ life. Michelle DeYoung is Isolde’s servant Brangäne and Gerd Grochowski sings Kurwenal, Tristan’s faithful companion. I’ve enjoyed Dalayman in other Wagner roles, and Barenboim in his Tristans from Bayreuth and La Scala, but my memories just didn’t show this hanging together as well. I’ll be listening again via MOoD as well.. We are finally starting to have Gelb era broadcasts in the rotation and it is good to be able to hear some new views.