Verdi
Sodero; Warren, Sayão, Björling, Cordon, Lipton
Original Air Date: 12/29/1945
MOD Audio
SID.19510318
This is the only broadcast Duke from the Met with Bjorling and while relatively early Warren, he is the vocal master of this part. Sound is typical AM 40s, but the voices are well captured. I prefer this Bjorling Warren pairing to the RCA commercial from the mid-50s. Sayao is flattered a bit by the microphones, but there are some other 1940s Met broadcasts that should join this fine go at Rigoletto. For years the Met with great regularity put out Warren, Merrill, and MacNeil in the title role. For Met listeners what’s not to like. Sayao and Bjorling are not exactly lesser grade. Don’t look for a Gossett critical edition, but Verdi is VERY well served. This performance is also on Met Player, as it should be.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
MOD Audio
SID.19510319
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
Various:Various
Various Artists
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19510320
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Erede; Valdengo, Pons, Di Stefano, Baccaloni, Hines
Original Air Date: 12/16/1950
MOD Audio
SID.19510321
This performance is also available on Sony Historic CD. I always enjoy Valdengo, and Di Stefano is interesting, but Pons is almost NEVER to my taste. She has a long Met career and was a big star. It is not a faceless Barber, but I prefer Corena and gang from later years.
TBA:TBA
TBA
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19510422
ESCLARMONDE:Massenet
Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
Original Air Date: 12/11/1976
MOD Audio
SID.19510424
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Esclarmonde, and the performance in addition to the predictable glitter from Sutherland, captures Aragall in one of his best performances. For many, his material was the best of absolute best, and the new generation of tenors in the 1970s, but it never quite all came together. Here is the exception. Enjoy.
Puccini
Rudel; Mitchell, Mauro, Schexnayder, Tajo
Original Air Date: 01/31/1987
SID.19510425
Mitchell is quite a good Manon, and Mauro is acceptable. I’ve heard this performance several times on Sirius, and it is a decent repertory performance. 10/17/11-Manon Lescaut is at the top of my Puccini list, and it is nice to hear Mitchell’s lush voice in the music, while still showing off attractive high notes. Mauro is less to my taste, but this performance is not overly rotated. I’ll catch again during the week.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Kout; Mentzer, Studer, Halfvarson, Norberg-Schulz, Opie
Original Air Date: 01/29/2000
MOD Audio
SID.19510426
This is Cheryl Studer’s penultimate Met performance in her 39 performance Met career. The Met has cast Rosenkavalier more strongly, but Studer still has major Strauss credentials.
Various:Various
Various Artists
Original Air Date: 01/01/9999
SID.19510427
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Papi; Baccaloni, Sayão, Martini, Valentino
Original Air Date: 12/21/1940
MOD Audio
SID.19510529
This is one of the older Met broadcasts to appear in the Sirius rebroadcast series. It’s also one of the best, with Baccaloni and Sayao in very top form. This is also available in MOoD. Sayao and Baccaloni have a lot of charm in our only broadcast from the 40s this week This is also on Met Player, and it’s good to hear why Baccaloni and Sayao were so beloved. What personality even in 1940 AM sound.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
MOD Audio
SID.19510530
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
DON CARLO:Verdi
Stiedry; Tucker, Rigal, Silveri, Barbieri, Hines, Hotter
Original Air Date: 04/05/1952
MOD Audio
SID.19510531
This is most distinctive for being Tucker’s first Don Carlo broadcast and one of Hotter’s few. This is the first of Tucker’s three Don Carlo broadcasts, and I find his 1955 preferable. What I’ve never heard, but also from 1952 (but next season) is his second which has a better supporting cast with Merrill for Silveri, and Siepi for Hines as Filippo; Erede is in the pit for his only Don Carlo broadcast. Also unusual is that though Tucker went on to sing the opera for 15 more years after his 1955 broadcast with Steber, he never went to the airwaves for it again. At 26 performances, he is by far the Don Carlo champion– I saw him in it three times. most notably at a fall 1968 matinee not broadcast with (Orlandi, Verrett, Merrill, Ghiaurov, and Talvela under Abbado). Bing did not see Hotter in leading roles and in Walkure he was cast as Hunding, not Wotan. What has not been rebroadcast on Sirius is Hotter’s farewell which is a 1954 Parsifal with Svanholm, Varnay, and London, and Hotter as Gurnemanz under Stiedry.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Erede; Valdengo, Pons, Di Stefano, Baccaloni, Hines
Original Air Date: 12/16/1950
MOD Audio
SID.19510532
This performance is also available on Sony Historic CD. I always enjoy Valdengo, and Di Stefano is interesting, but Pons is almost NEVER to my taste. She has a long Met career and was a big star. It is not a faceless Barber, but I prefer Corena and gang from later years.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Levine; Schnaut, Voigt, Schwarz, Pape, Jerusalem
Original Air Date: 12/21/2002
SID.19510533
The same 3 ladies also have a 1999 broadcast with Levine which is regularly alternated on Sirius. For my taste, this is far too much Schnaut. Schwarz whom I remember fondly for her work on the Chereau Ring at Bayreuth (an outstanding Fricka) makes her last Met appearance with this broadcast, but though gone 12 years, the database does not yet mark it as a final Met appearance [still true in 2015]. I prefer Varnay, Borkh, and Nilsson. Eva Marton did not do her Elektra at the Met, a great loss, and Gwyneth Jones did not broadcast any of her 4 Met Elektras– one of her best roles. Marton does have a fantastic Chrysothemis with Mastilovic under Leinsdorf which has been on Sirius and well worth a listen.
Verdi
Sodero; Warren, Sayão, Björling, Cordon, Lipton
Original Air Date: 12/29/1945
MOD Audio
SID.19510534
This is the only broadcast Duke from the Met with Bjorling and while relatively early Warren, he is the vocal master of this part. Sound is typical AM 40s, but the voices are well captured. I prefer this Bjorling Warren pairing to the RCA commercial from the mid-50s. Sayao is flattered a bit by the microphones, but there are some other 1940s Met broadcasts that should join this fine go at Rigoletto. For years the Met with great regularity put out Warren, Merrill, and MacNeil in the title role. For Met listeners what’s not to like. Sayao and Bjorling are not exactly lesser grade. Don’t look for a Gossett critical edition, but Verdi is VERY well served. This performance is also on Met Player, as it should be.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
MOD Audio
SID.19510535
This performance is not often rebroadcast, and is as distinctive for Leinsdorf’s sleek conducting as for Nilsson’s continued mastery of Isolde. I find Jess Thomas less ingratiating than most, but this is one of his better performances.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Kout; Mentzer, Studer, Halfvarson, Norberg-Schulz, Opie
Original Air Date: 01/29/2000
MOD Audio
SID.19510642
This is Cheryl Studer’s penultimate Met performance in her 39 performance Met career. The Met has cast Rosenkavalier more strongly, but Studer still has major Strauss credentials.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Papi; Baccaloni, Sayão, Martini, Valentino
Original Air Date: 12/21/1940
MOD Audio
SID.19510638
This is one of the older Met broadcasts to appear in the Sirius rebroadcast series. It’s also one of the best, with Baccaloni and Sayao in very top form. This is also available in MOoD. Sayao and Baccaloni have a lot of charm in our only broadcast from the 40s this week This is also on Met Player, and it’s good to hear why Baccaloni and Sayao were so beloved. What personality even in 1940 AM sound.
ESCLARMONDE:Massenet
Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
Original Air Date: 12/11/1976
MOD Audio
SID.19510640
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Esclarmonde, and the performance in addition to the predictable glitter from Sutherland, captures Aragall in one of his best performances. For many, his material was the best of absolute best, and the new generation of tenors in the 1970s, but it never quite all came together. Here is the exception. Enjoy.
Puccini
Rudel; Mitchell, Mauro, Schexnayder, Tajo
Original Air Date: 01/31/1987
SID.19510641
Mitchell is quite a good Manon, and Mauro is acceptable. I’ve heard this performance several times on Sirius, and it is a decent repertory performance. 10/17/11-Manon Lescaut is at the top of my Puccini list, and it is nice to hear Mitchell’s lush voice in the music, while still showing off attractive high notes. Mauro is less to my taste, but this performance is not overly rotated. I’ll catch again during the week.
ESCLARMONDE:Massenet
Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
Original Air Date: 12/11/1976
MOD Audio
SID.19510743
This is the Met’s only broadcast of Esclarmonde, and the performance in addition to the predictable glitter from Sutherland, captures Aragall in one of his best performances. For many, his material was the best of absolute best, and the new generation of tenors in the 1970s, but it never quite all came together. Here is the exception. Enjoy.
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA:Rossini
Erede; Valdengo, Pons, Di Stefano, Baccaloni, Hines
Original Air Date: 12/16/1950
MOD Audio
SID.19510744
This performance is also available on Sony Historic CD. I always enjoy Valdengo, and Di Stefano is interesting, but Pons is almost NEVER to my taste. She has a long Met career and was a big star. It is not a faceless Barber, but I prefer Corena and gang from later years.
IDOMENEO:Mozart
Levine; Heppner, Upshaw, Vaness, Mentzer, Kazaras
Original Air Date: 12/21/1991
MOD Audio
SID.19510745
This is a solid performance, and especially so for the young Heppner, and Vaness, who is probably the best Electra the Met has seen.
DON CARLO:Verdi
Stiedry; Tucker, Rigal, Silveri, Barbieri, Hines, Hotter
Original Air Date: 04/05/1952
MOD Audio
SID.19510746
This is most distinctive for being Tucker’s first Don Carlo broadcast and one of Hotter’s few. This is the first of Tucker’s three Don Carlo broadcasts, and I find his 1955 preferable. What I’ve never heard, but also from 1952 (but next season) is his second which has a better supporting cast with Merrill for Silveri, and Siepi for Hines as Filippo; Erede is in the pit for his only Don Carlo broadcast. Also unusual is that though Tucker went on to sing the opera for 15 more years after his 1955 broadcast with Steber, he never went to the airwaves for it again. At 26 performances, he is by far the Don Carlo champion– I saw him in it three times. most notably at a fall 1968 matinee not broadcast with (Orlandi, Verrett, Merrill, Ghiaurov, and Talvela under Abbado). Bing did not see Hotter in leading roles and in Walkure he was cast as Hunding, not Wotan. What has not been rebroadcast on Sirius is Hotter’s farewell which is a 1954 Parsifal with Svanholm, Varnay, and London, and Hotter as Gurnemanz under Stiedry.
TANNHÄUSER:Wagner
Levine; McCracken, Kubiak, Bumbry, Weikl, Macurdy
Original Air Date: 01/21/1978
SID.19510747
This is McCracken’s only broadcast outing as Tannhauser, and he is really very fine. Weikl and Bumbry are tops in these roles and Kubiak is a very decent Elisabeth. Levine is at his very best. What is inexplicable to me is why this performance has not made its way to MOoD. McCracken has 597 Met appearances, more than 300 of them after his return as Otello in March 1963. Bumbry, to my mind is the most important American mezzo of the 20th century. Venus was a breakthrough role for her in 1960 at the Bayreuth Festival. This is her only broadcast from the Met of Venus. This performance does great honor to all of the cast and I am grateful that it has been regularly on Sirius, but the better sound afforded in MOoD would definitely benefit Tannhauser.
ELEKTRA:Strauss
Levine; Schnaut, Voigt, Schwarz, Pape, Jerusalem
Original Air Date: 12/21/2002
SID.19520101
The same 3 ladies also have a 1999 broadcast with Levine which is regularly alternated on Sirius. For my taste, this is far too much Schnaut. Schwarz whom I remember fondly for her work on the Chereau Ring at Bayreuth (an outstanding Fricka) makes her last Met appearance with this broadcast, but though gone 12 years, the database does not yet mark it as a final Met appearance [still true in 2015]. I prefer Varnay, Borkh, and Nilsson. Eva Marton did not do her Elektra at the Met, a great loss, and Gwyneth Jones did not broadcast any of her 4 Met Elektras– one of her best roles. Marton does have a fantastic Chrysothemis with Mastilovic under Leinsdorf which has been on Sirius and well worth a listen.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY:Puccini
Armiliato; Dessì, Armiliato, Bunnell, Shimell, Fracker
Original Air Date: 03/30/2002
SID.19520102
Dessi has focused her career primarily in Europe so she could regularly sing with her husband, Fabio Armiliato. She has only 20 Met performances covering a span of 15 years, and this is her final Met broadcast to date. Her brother-in-law is in the pit, who has 10 x the number of Met appearances. I relistened to the first act of this yesterday, and what a pleasure to two native Italians in the leads. Fabio’s absence from the Met tenor roster has been much felt in the last decade, and conductor Mario seemed much more detailed and involved than has been the norm from some of his recent Met outings. What IS missing us and MOOd are two broadcasts featuring native Italian speakers in the lead roles– Stella and Fernandi in 1958 and Tucci and Bergonzi from 1962.
Wagner
Levine; Domingo, Tomowa-Sintow, Marton, McIntyre, Macurdy
Original Air Date: 02/16/1985
SID.19520103
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.