LUISA MILLER:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/23/1982
Santi; Ricciarelli, Pavarotti, Nucci, Plishka, Cheek, Berini
MOD Audio SID.19100641
Luisa……………….Katia Ricciarelli
Rodolfo……………..Luciano Pavarotti
Miller………………Leo Nucci
Count Walter…………Paul Plishka
Wurm………………..John Cheek
Federica…………….Bianca Berini
Laura……………….Claudia Catania
Peasant……………..Lou Marcella
Conductor……………Nello Santi
Luisa is probably Ricciarelli’s best role, and is well suited to the lyricism as well as technical skill for this part. This performance is also available in MOoD and one I highly recommend, even if Santi is rather lethargic at some critical points. Act 3 of Luisa Miller is among Verdi’s greatest inspirations.
LES TROYENS:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
MOD Audio SID.19100642
Norman repeated Verrett’s double assumption on this broadcast (Verrett’s was for the opening of the production in 1973 when Ludwig was indisposed–I was there, quite an evening). I rather prefer Norman’s Didon to her Cassandre, but this broadcast now takes its place in MOoD. Enee is close to an impossible part, but Sooter is no worse than Ronald Dowd was in Boston for Caldwell.
I: La prise de Troie
Cassandra……………Jessye Norman
Coroebus…………….Allan Monk
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Priam……………….Ara Berberian
Hecuba………………Lucille Beer
Helenus……………..Robert Nagy
Andromache…………..Jane White
Astyanax…………….Robert Sanchez [Last performance]
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Trojan Soldier……….Vernon Hartman
II: Les Troyens à Carthage
Dido………………..Jessye Norman
Anna………………..Jocelyne Taillon
Narbal………………Paul Plishka
Iopas……………….Douglas Ahlstedt
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Mercury……………..Julien Robbins
Hylas……………….Philip Creech
Trojan Soldier……….John Darrenkamp
Trojan Soldier……….James Courtney
Priam’s Ghost………..James Courtney
Coroebus’s Ghost……..Allan Glassman
Cassandra’s Ghost…….Jean Kraft
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Act II: Ballet
Builders: Deanne Lay, Fredrick Wodin, Marcus Bugler
Sailors: Gary Cordial, Christopher Stocker, Linda Gelinas
Farmers: Kimberly Graves, Antoinette Peloso, Leonard Greco
Conductor……………James Levine
LES TROYENS:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 02/18/1984
Levine; Norman, Sooter, Monk, Taillon, Plishka, Ahlstedt
MOD Audio SID.19100743
Norman repeated Verrett’s double assumption on this broadcast (Verrett’s was for the opening of the production in 1973 when Ludwig was indisposed–I was there, quite an evening). I rather prefer Norman’s Didon to her Cassandre, but this broadcast now takes its place in MOoD. Enee is close to an impossible part, but Sooter is no worse than Ronald Dowd was in Boston for Caldwell.
I: La prise de Troie
Cassandra……………Jessye Norman
Coroebus…………….Allan Monk
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Priam……………….Ara Berberian
Hecuba………………Lucille Beer
Helenus……………..Robert Nagy
Andromache…………..Jane White
Astyanax…………….Robert Sanchez [Last performance]
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Trojan Soldier……….Vernon Hartman
II: Les Troyens à Carthage
Dido………………..Jessye Norman
Anna………………..Jocelyne Taillon
Narbal………………Paul Plishka
Iopas……………….Douglas Ahlstedt
Ascanius…………….Claudia Catania
Panthus……………..John Cheek
Aeneas………………Edward Sooter
Mercury……………..Julien Robbins
Hylas……………….Philip Creech
Trojan Soldier……….John Darrenkamp
Trojan Soldier……….James Courtney
Priam’s Ghost………..James Courtney
Coroebus’s Ghost……..Allan Glassman
Cassandra’s Ghost…….Jean Kraft
Hector’s Ghost……….Morley Meredith
Act II: Ballet
Builders: Deanne Lay, Fredrick Wodin, Marcus Bugler
Sailors: Gary Cordial, Christopher Stocker, Linda Gelinas
Farmers: Kimberly Graves, Antoinette Peloso, Leonard Greco
Conductor……………James Levine
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/28/2004
Levine; Borodina, Flórez, Furlanetto, Patriarco
MOD Audio SID.19100745
Isabella……………….Olga Borodina
Lindoro………………..Juan Diego Flórez
Taddeo…………………Earle Patriarco
Mustafà………………..Ferruccio Furlanetto
Elvira…………………Lyubov Petrova
Zulma………………….Sandra Piques Eddy
Haly…………………..Mariusz Kwiecien
Conductor………………James Levine
Production……………..Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Stage Director………….David Kneuss
Designer……………….Jean-Pierre Ponnelle
Associate Designer………David Reppa
Levine is always ready to take the podium when a major star or a video is handy, even if Rossini does not figure prominently in his normally outsized totals– 6 Barbieres, 12 Cenerentolas, and 19 Italianas (he does the Horne video revival in 1986 and this sunny revival from 2004. Borodina is a delightful Isabella, and Furlanetto brings more than the normal amount of voice to Mustafa. Having Florez and Kwiecien (one of his first major roles with the company) makes sure that this performance will have plenty to please the ear and the eye.
RIGOLETTO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/24/1990
Panni; Nucci, Anderson, Pavarotti, Furlanetto, Svendén, Held
MOD Audio SID.19100747
Rigoletto……………Leo Nucci
Gilda……………….June Anderson
Duke of Mantua……….Luciano Pavarotti
Maddalena……………Birgitta Svendén
Sparafucile………….Ferruccio Furlanetto
Monterone……………Alan Held
Borsa……………….Michael Forest
Marullo……………..Vernon Hartman
Count Ceprano………..Richard Vernon
Countess Ceprano……..Joyce Guyer
Giovanna…………….Sondra Kelly
Page………………..Maria Donaldi
Guard……………….Paul De Paola
Conductor……………Marcello Panni
This performance was of the new Otto Schenk production, catching both Anderson and Pavarotti in particularly good voice. Held is a solid Monterone (Sirius does not list, but I find it a very important, if short role). This performance is Pavarotti’s 3d Duke broadcast (the first was from 17 years earlier). As I remember this 1990 performance, he was in very good voice ; this performance is also available on Met Player. Nucci was a highly dependable Rigoletto, if not the crowd favorite Warren or MacNeil were at their best. I had forgotten that Furlanetto was the Sparafucile, and Alan Held the Monterone. Monterone is one of the shortest parts in opera, but a good one can really supercharge a Rigoletto. I would think Held would be well cast (I don’t remember his performance), but my two Monterones are Giaiotti and Morris (Giaiotti’s only broadcast is MacNeil’s first broadcast Rigoletto from 1960 and includes for further bass clef plush Tozzi– we need to hear this on Sirius!!!; Morris is available on Met Player with Pavarotti from 1973).
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 01/20/1979
Rescigno; Bacquier, Sills, Kraus, Hagegård
MOD Audio SID.19100748
Don Pasquale…………Gabriel Bacquier
Norina………………Beverly Sills
Ernesto……………..Alfredo Kraus
Dr. Malatesta………..Håkan Hagegård
Notary………………Nico Castel
Servant……………..Unknown
Conductor……………Nicola Rescigno
This is Beverly Sills’ farewell production and her company farewell comes at the end of the Met spring tour in Detroit. This is the audio broadcast that followed the national telecast by 9 days, and marks her Metropolitan Opera House farewell. Both performances are available in Met Opera on Demand (MOoD). I find Sills’ video a congenial interpretation even if I prefer the Netrebko video. For audio, I prefer the younger Kraus with Grist and Corena.
FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 02/19/1955
Monteux; Peerce, de los Angeles, Siepi, Merrill, Miller
MOD Audio SID.19100749
Faust……………….Jan Peerce
Marguerite…………..Victoria de los Angeles
Méphistophélès……….Cesare Siepi
Valentin…………….Robert Merrill
Siebel………………Mildred Miller
Marthe………………Thelma Votipka
Wagner………………Lawrence Davidson
Dance……………….Sallie Wilson
Conductor……………Pierre Monteux
This is the second of Monteux’s three Faust broadcasts, the first one also including DeLosAngeles and Merrill. Paul Jackson, in is second volume reviewing Met broadcasts, Sign-off for the Old Met, is very favorable towards all three of them, a bit less so for Peerce and Siepi. I don’t have his reticence about Siepi and am glad this performance isvavailable on MOoD.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1949
Antonicelli; Sayão, Tagliavini, Valdengo, Baccaloni, Lenchner
MOD Audio SID.19110102
This cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. It doesn’t hurt that the men are all native Italian speakers with distinguished reputations. Nice to hear some of the repertory from a different era. One of several performances from the 1949-50 season on this week, this cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. This performance is also available in MOoD.
ERNANI:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/01/1962
Schippers; Bergonzi, Price, MacNeil, Tozzi, Ordassy, Nagy, Reitan
MOD Audio SID.19110103
This is one of the classic Met broadcasts, and on balance the best of the Ernani broadcasts. Corelli was more of an in-house Ernani, but for the broadcast mikes, Bergonzi is close to ideal. MacNeil, one of the Met mainstay baritones on this occasion delivers an absolutely historic performance with a seemingly unending upper register, but also a command of the style that surpassed any modern baritone at the Met. Price is not ideal as Elvira, but she has many superb moments, especially as captured by the mikes. Fortunately this performance as well as the 1965 with Corelli, Sereni, and Siepi joining Price are BOTH on MOoD, and both performances serve Verdi very well indeed.” Available in a Sony historical CD and on MOoD. As much as I love Bergonzi, the most remarkable performance of the afternoon is MacNeil in one of his greatest if not greatest broadcast appearance. Do not miss.
DEATH IN VENICE:Britten
Original Air Date: 02/26/1994
Atherton; Rolfe Johnson, Allen, Gall, von Aroldingen,
MOD Audio SID.19110107
“I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.”I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
MOD Audio SID.19110209
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
MOD Audio SID.19110210
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
Original Air Date: 03/26/1977
Levine; Domingo, Arroyo, MacNeil, Kraft, Love, Chookasian
MOD Audio SID.19110213
Domingo’s only Met broadcast outing despite appearances in 3 seasons. There are at least three major broadcasts not yet on Sirius which should be heard, the 1954 with Del Monaco, Milanov, Warren when the production was premiered, the 1960 broadcast with Tebaldi, Tucker, and Bastianini,the greatest Gerard I’ve heard on broadcast or record, and 1966, Tebaldi, Corelli, Colzani, Corelli being the outstanding Chenier of the postwar period for my money. Now these are Cheniers!
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/2000
Gergiev; Morris, Stemme, Wagenführer, Rootering, Grove, Polenzani
MOD Audio SID.19110214
The Met for almost two decades led a charmed life with most Dutchman revivals centered on Leonie Rysanek as Senta, and for the first decade George London as the Dutchman. This performance was an early appearance by Nina Stemme at the Met, long before her acclaimed Brunnhildes around the world in the last 5 years. People were not thinking of her as a future Brunnhilde in 2000, and an important appearance in 2016 as Elektra in a new production.
DEATH IN VENICE:Britten
Original Air Date: 02/26/1994
Atherton; Rolfe Johnson, Allen, Gall, von Aroldingen,
MOD Audio SID.19110316
“I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.”I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1949
Antonicelli; Sayão, Tagliavini, Valdengo, Baccaloni, Lenchner
MOD Audio SID.19110318
This cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. It doesn’t hurt that the men are all native Italian speakers with distinguished reputations. Nice to hear some of the repertory from a different era. One of several performances from the 1949-50 season on this week, this cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. This performance is also available in MOoD.
ERNANI:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/01/1962
Schippers; Bergonzi, Price, MacNeil, Tozzi, Ordassy, Nagy, Reitan
MOD Audio SID.19110319
This is one of the classic Met broadcasts, and on balance the best of the Ernani broadcasts. Corelli was more of an in-house Ernani, but for the broadcast mikes, Bergonzi is close to ideal. MacNeil, one of the Met mainstay baritones on this occasion delivers an absolutely historic performance with a seemingly unending upper register, but also a command of the style that surpassed any modern baritone at the Met. Price is not ideal as Elvira, but she has many superb moments, especially as captured by the mikes. Fortunately this performance as well as the 1965 with Corelli, Sereni, and Siepi joining Price are BOTH on MOoD, and both performances serve Verdi very well indeed.” Available in a Sony historical CD and on MOoD. As much as I love Bergonzi, the most remarkable performance of the afternoon is MacNeil in one of his greatest if not greatest broadcast appearance. Do not miss.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
MOD Audio SID.19110425
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
MOD Audio SID.19110426
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
Original Air Date: 03/26/1977
Levine; Domingo, Arroyo, MacNeil, Kraft, Love, Chookasian
MOD Audio SID.19110530
Domingo’s only Met broadcast outing despite appearances in 3 seasons. There are at least three major broadcasts not yet on Sirius which should be heard, the 1954 with Del Monaco, Milanov, Warren when the production was premiered, the 1960 broadcast with Tebaldi, Tucker, and Bastianini,the greatest Gerard I’ve heard on broadcast or record, and 1966, Tebaldi, Corelli, Colzani, Corelli being the outstanding Chenier of the postwar period for my money. Now these are Cheniers!
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/2000
Gergiev; Morris, Stemme, Wagenführer, Rootering, Grove, Polenzani
MOD Audio SID.19110531
The Met for almost two decades led a charmed life with most Dutchman revivals centered on Leonie Rysanek as Senta, and for the first decade George London as the Dutchman. This performance was an early appearance by Nina Stemme at the Met, long before her acclaimed Brunnhildes around the world in the last 5 years. People were not thinking of her as a future Brunnhilde in 2000, and an important appearance in 2016 as Elektra in a new production.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1949
Antonicelli; Sayão, Tagliavini, Valdengo, Baccaloni, Lenchner
MOD Audio SID.19110
This cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. It doesn’t hurt that the men are all native Italian speakers with distinguished reputations. Nice to hear some of the repertory from a different era. One of several performances from the 1949-50 season on this week, this cast is a repeat of the previous season, with the men just about all you could want in these roles, and Sayao has plenty of her own artillery. This performance is also available in MOoD.
ERNANI:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/01/1962
Schippers; Bergonzi, Price, MacNeil, Tozzi, Ordassy, Nagy, Reitan
MOD Audio SID.19110535
This is one of the classic Met broadcasts, and on balance the best of the Ernani broadcasts. Corelli was more of an in-house Ernani, but for the broadcast mikes, Bergonzi is close to ideal. MacNeil, one of the Met mainstay baritones on this occasion delivers an absolutely historic performance with a seemingly unending upper register, but also a command of the style that surpassed any modern baritone at the Met. Price is not ideal as Elvira, but she has many superb moments, especially as captured by the mikes. Fortunately this performance as well as the 1965 with Corelli, Sereni, and Siepi joining Price are BOTH on MOoD, and both performances serve Verdi very well indeed.” Available in a Sony historical CD and on MOoD. As much as I love Bergonzi, the most remarkable performance of the afternoon is MacNeil in one of his greatest if not greatest broadcast appearance. Do not miss.
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
MOD Audio SID.19110642
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
DIE MEISTERSINGER VON NÜRNBERG:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/1995
Levine; Weikl, Mattila, Heppner, Svenden, Prey, Rootering, Magnussonm Del Carlo, Schaldenbrand, Pape
MOD Audio SID.19110743
Levine has six Meistersinger matinee broadcasts, and this, his second is arguably the most strongly cast with sterling work from Weikl and Prey and wonderful performances from Mattila and Heppner at their best. Very solid casting up and down the line for this deceptively challenging work. Available on MOoD and DVD both. Because of its length, it’s nice to have the choice of when to start and stop
ERNANI:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/01/1962
Schippers; Bergonzi, Price, MacNeil, Tozzi, Ordassy, Nagy, Reitan
MOD Audio SID.19110745
This is one of the classic Met broadcasts, and on balance the best of the Ernani broadcasts. Corelli was more of an in-house Ernani, but for the broadcast mikes, Bergonzi is close to ideal. MacNeil, one of the Met mainstay baritones on this occasion delivers an absolutely historic performance with a seemingly unending upper register, but also a command of the style that surpassed any modern baritone at the Met. Price is not ideal as Elvira, but she has many superb moments, especially as captured by the mikes. Fortunately this performance as well as the 1965 with Corelli, Sereni, and Siepi joining Price are BOTH on MOoD, and both performances serve Verdi very well indeed.” Available in a Sony historical CD and on MOoD. As much as I love Bergonzi, the most remarkable performance of the afternoon is MacNeil in one of his greatest if not greatest broadcast appearance. Do not miss.
Giordano
Original Air Date: 03/26/1977
Levine; Domingo, Arroyo, MacNeil, Kraft, Love, Chookasian
MOD Audio SID.19110746
Domingo’s only Met broadcast outing despite appearances in three seasons. There are at least three major broadcasts not yet on Sirius which should be heard, the 1954 with Del Monaco, Milanov, Warren when the production was premiered, the 1960 broadcast with Tebaldi, Tucker, and Bastianini,the greatest Gerard I’ve heard on broadcast or record, and 1966, Tebaldi, Corelli, Colzani, Corelli being the outstanding Chenier of the postwar period for my money. Now these are Cheniers!
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/16/2000
Gergiev; Morris, Stemme, Wagenführer, Rootering, Grove, Polenzani
MOD Audio SID.19110747
The Met for almost two decades led a charmed life with most Dutchman revivals centered on Leonie Rysanek as Senta, and for the first decade George London as the Dutchman. This performance was an early appearance by Nina Stemme at the Met, long before her acclaimed Brunnhildes around the world in the last 5 years. People were not thinking of her as a future Brunnhilde in 2000, and an important appearance in 2016 as Elektra in a new production.
DEATH IN VENICE:Britten
Original Air Date: 02/26/1994
Atherton; Rolfe Johnson, Allen, Gall, von Aroldingen,
MOD Audio SID.19110748
“I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.”I’ve given Britten’s final work several tries in the theatre and on record, and it just doesn’t make it for me. I’m always game for Peter Grimes and Billy Budd, and enjoy Albert Herring as well, so it’s not any antipathy to Britten. But I feel the inspiration as barren as Aschenbach’s view of life. Both Met revivals, the original with Peter Pears from 1974 and this 1994 revival are available in MOoD.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1986
Levine; Taddei, Neblett, Monk, Cossotto, Blegen, Ahlstedt
MOD Audio SID.19120103
Its particularly good to have this performance back on the radio. Taddei and Cossotto make a most interesting pair, and I’m sorry she did not do more of the part. I don’t have strong memories of Neblett and Monk. Taddei who came very late to the Met did this run of Falstaff followed by a run in L’elisir which was broadcast and has been on Sirius. If they run that performance again I will check it out. Taddei’s actual Met farewell is as Dulcamara in Met in the Pennsauken Cooper River Park in New Jersey with Hong as his Adina. Taddei appeared as both Scarpia and Rigoletto in Philadelphia (both with Tucker) and I also saw his Leporello in Dallas (with Sutherland and the EMI gang), Germont (with Callas) and much later Leporello again in San Francisco with Siepi. The Met was not starving for good baritones in those days, so we got too little of him and very late. He has a nice non-Met legacy of studio and live performances. He died at 93 June 2, 2010.