LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/21/1962
Strasfogel; Moffo, Morell, Sereni
SID.19130316
I’m sure I heard this performance while I was still living in Texas, but despite the visual glamor of Moffo, I find her appeal in this part limited. Along with Albanese (not one of my favorites) with 87, Moffo with her 80 Violettas totally dominate the chronology. Sembrich and Bori are the next two down and by more than two and half dozen. Most Violetta totals at the Met hover between 15 and 25. This is Moffo’s first Violetta broadcast, so probably her best. Her other two (in different seasons) come in 1967, and I know those performances well. Although Moffo had a high selling Traviata for RCA, this is the first of her three broadcasts, and the only one that has been on Sirius. I like her commercial, but as early as 1967, vocally I found her compromised (but always with huge E flat). Morell and Sereni are OK, no more. This is the first of Moffo’s three Violetta broadcasts; the other two are in 1967 (in different seasons). Moffo was a gorgeous Violetta, and very successful. I’m not sure how well it bears up in live performance in an audio only mode, but I’ll give this a try. As for the other Met broadcast Traviatas, I wish the Met would reach back to the 1935 Ponselle/Tibbett Traviata under Panizza. This has been on private labels for years and exists in good enough sound. Ponselle will not be to everyone’s taste, but I find the duet with Tibbett with Panizza’s masterly support to be of the highest quality. Albanese is the dominant Violetta (with several broadcasts from Sayao none on Sirius), but her only appearance on Sirius is her last Violetta broadcast in 1959. It’s a little late, but since I don’t much care for her Violetta (see Paul Jackson’s analysis of Met broadcasts– he worships Albanese), she is partnered by Valletti, and they make a winning pair. Two performances which have been on Sirius and are both on Met Player are the Steber with DiStefano and Merrill from 1949 (she’s replacing Sayao and practically doing a lesson in vocal technique and exquisite vocalism) and Tebaldi from 1957, where first act transpositions are mostly irrelevant to one of the most celebrated performances ever. Tebaldi did 21 performances in a single season, and Bing sent her everywhere. If not quite the perfection of the Tosca, this Violetta is quite memorable. Almost worth a Met Player subscription on its own. Surprisingly, the 1964 Sutherland Violetta has not been on Sirius. This omission should be corrected as part of the Guild’s upcoming memorial to her. I saw her Violetta at least 3 times, and it was one of her most memorable roles. Sutherland is not the only omission that should make its way to Sirius. I remember Cruz-Romo’s fine 1973 broadcast (very much in the Tebaldi tradition), Rita Shane replacing Sills in 1976 (Wixell’s only Germont broadcast), Maria Chiara in 1977, Malfitano in 1982 (I think the first to do two verses of Addio del passato), Maliponte in 1984 (I don’t remember this performance but she’s a favorite of many on this list including me) 1987 with Tomowa Sintow (again I have no memory, but she’s a singer I remember fondly) and the 2000 broadcast with Gallardo-Domas. While I thought Butterfly too heavy for her, her Violetta is one of the very best, and this has not made it to Sirius. Sirius has some heavy lifting to do for Traviata!
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/2001
Eschenbach; Fleming; Ketelsen, Bonney, Very, Forst, Halfvarson
MOD Audio SID.19130320
This is Fleming’s only Met broadcast outing as Arabella. Eschenbach was the fly in the ointment when I saw the production prior to the broadcast, and so he remains. Because of the English translation used prior to the new production, Sirius listeners are regularly denied the glories of Steber under Kempe in the premiere season of 1955, and Della Casa from 1957-1965. Della Casa has studio and stage Arabellas in German from other sources, but Kempe is a special Straussian, and Steber is in particularly stunning voice with London from the premiere year. 09/24/2012 – I thought Eschenbach was the real fly in the ointment when this revival came around. Fleming is in very beautiful voice, but the performance as a whole lacks magic. Arabella takes special handling and this doesn’t really get it. 03/27/2012 – I saw an earlier performance in the run, and while OK, Fleming did not have a great deal of personality. The singing was excellent. I prefer Steber or Della Casa. 8/2/2011 – For me, Eschenbach is a bit of the fly in the ointment, but this is still a solid Arabella cast. This does give me a chance to make a plea for the Met premiere broadcast of Arabella (in English — part of the delay I am sure) with Steber, Guden, London, under Rudolf Kempe. What a magnificent performance from all concerned
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
MOD Audio SID.19130321
This is an absolute MUST. Mercifully it’s on Met Player (at least for North America). Bohm and Nilsson are ablaze. I saw two performance this first season of the Rennert/Heinrich production and as much as I loved the Solti recording, and later Nilsson with Solti and CSO at Carnegie Hall, Bohm and Nilsson burned ever so brightly, and the conductor threw in a concert Don Juan before the Salome to warm the orchestra up. I added Ernst Wiemann who as First Nazarene makes his presence known, and he was part of excellent Met singers in secondary parts. The supporting cast is very strongly cast (the five Jews and the Nazarenes Ernst Wiemann and the recently deceased Calvin Marsh are very distinctive. One of the great performances captured, with Nilsson in her only broadcast Met Salome, and it’s a humdinger. Liebl and Dalis both in the new Rennert production and their vivid singing contribute strongly, but in the end it’s a Birgit and Karl show.
ARABELLA:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/2001
Eschenbach; Fleming; Ketelsen, Bonney, Very, Forst, Halfvarson
MOD Audio SID.19130636
This is Fleming’s only Met broadcast outing as Arabella. Eschenbach was the fly in the ointment when I saw the production prior to the broadcast, and so he remains. Because of the English translation used prior to the new production, Sirius listeners are regularly denied the glories of Steber under Kempe in the premiere season of 1955, and Della Casa from 1957-1965. Della Casa has studio and stage Arabellas in German from other sources, but Kempe is a special Straussian, and Steber is in particularly stunning voice with London from the premiere year. 09/24/2012 – I thought Eschenbach was the real fly in the ointment when this revival came around. Fleming is in very beautiful voice, but the performance as a whole lacks magic. Arabella takes special handling and this doesn’t really get it. 03/27/2012 – I saw an earlier performance in the run, and while OK, Fleming did not have a great deal of personality. The singing was excellent. I prefer Steber or Della Casa. 8/2/2011 – For me, Eschenbach is a bit of the fly in the ointment, but this is still a solid Arabella cast. This does give me a chance to make a plea for the Met premiere broadcast of Arabella (in English — part of the delay I am sure) with Steber, Guden, London, under Rudolf Kempe. What a magnificent performance from all concerned
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 03/30/2019
Jordan; Goerke, Westbroek, Barton, Skelton, Grimsley, Groissböck
Live in HD SID.19130638
In what is expected to be a Wagnerian event for the ages, soprano Christine Goerke, in her MET role debut, plays Brünnhilde, Wotan’s willful warrior daughter, who loses her immortality in opera’s most famous act of filial defiance. Tenor Stuart Skelton and soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek play the incestuous twins Siegmund and Sieglinde. Greer Grimsley sings Wotan. Philippe Jordan conducts.
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
MOD Audio SID.19130639
This is an absolute MUST. Mercifully it’s on Met Player (at least for North America). Bohm and Nilsson are ablaze. I saw two performance this first season of the Rennert/Heinrich production and as much as I loved the Solti recording, and later Nilsson with Solti and CSO at Carnegie Hall, Bohm and Nilsson burned ever so brightly, and the conductor threw in a concert Don Juan before the Salome to warm the orchestra up. I added Ernst Wiemann who as First Nazarene makes his presence known, and he was part of excellent Met singers in secondary parts. The supporting cast is very strongly cast (the five Jews and the Nazarenes Ernst Wiemann and the recently deceased Calvin Marsh are very distinctive. One of the great performances captured, with Nilsson in her only broadcast Met Salome, and it’s a humdinger. Liebl and Dalis both in the new Rennert production and their vivid singing contribute strongly, but in the end it’s a Birgit and Karl show.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO : Mozart
Original Air Date: 04/03/2019
Koenigs; Fang, van den Heever, DiDonato, Murrihy, Polenzani, Van Horn
Media: Live Broadcast SID.19140000 Tags: LIVE; 2019, Mozart
TOSCA : Puccini
Original Air Date: 04/06/2019
Rizzi; Rowley, Calleja, Koch, Cokorinos
RUSALKA:Dvorák
Original Air Date: 12/11/1993
Fiore; Benacková, Heppner, Martin, Toczyska, Koptchak
MOD Audio SID.19150101
This is from the first Met season for Rusalka and Benackova is a worthy heroine. For the broadcast a young Ben Heppner is the Prince replacing Neil Rosenshein. Zajick did the Jezibaba premiere but ceded the broadcast to Toczyska who is a very fine artist. This is quite a wonderful performance with Benackova, Heppner, and Koptchak especially strong. This premiere Met season of it, the ensemble is of high quality. This is a performance that belongs in MOoD. This is its only broadcast until Fleming’s 2009 run where three performances were on Sirius, and one of them was in the matinee series on the Met International network. Benackova was the first broadcast Rusalka at the Met, and this performance captures her very well. Heppner early in his Met career is on fine form as is the lesser known Koptchak as the Water Sprite. Martin is a bit tested as the Foreign Princess– a very difficult part, no one makes it sound easy. Still, a lovely opera in a fine performance, and this is well deserving being added to the Met Player repertory besides its visibility on Sirius.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/26/1955
Cleva; Albanese, Conley, Fenn, Guarrera, Moscona
SID.19150102
Albanese broadcasts her Mimi four times in the 50s, and her tenor partners are Tucker, DiStefano, Conley, and Bergonzi. The DiStefano and Bergonzi performances are available in MOoD. The Bergonzi performance has also been put out on historic Sony CD. I find her Tosca and Traviata work better than her Mimi.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.19150103
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.19150104
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.
OTELLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren, Franke
MOD Audio SID.19150105
This is a splendid performance, and should also note the number of fine Otellos which have not been on Sirius, including but not limited to the the 3 1940s Otellos with Stella Roman, Tebaldi’s two Desdemonas from 1955 and 1958 (the 1955 is uncommon on the private market, and the 1958 never seen, even the 1958 from La Scala with the same trio– Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Warren is not that common and the 1963 Tucci, McCracken , Merrill with Solti have all been missed by Sirius. Really too many omissions for relatively recent performances. Also the Bohm (his only Verdi at the Met) from April 1972
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 03/14/1981
Rescigno; Pavarotti, Blegen, Bruscantini, Ellis
SID.19150106
This cast is represented (at least Blegen and Pavarotti) as far back as 1974 AND 1978 for on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) as is this one in its video incarnation. Ellis is not what I want in Belcore and Bruscantini is an OK Dulcamara, but I was raised on Corena, and until Maestri started singing these roles we really did not have dependable buffo basses for almost 30 years. The 1978 performance documents Pavarotti’s only broadcast L’Elisir with Corena, but my preferred Corena broadcast is 1972 which features four natives at the top of their form: Scotto, Bergonzi, Sereni, and Corena. That performance is available on MOoD as well. L’Elisir is programmed on Sirius as frequently as Boheme. It’s a more fragile piece and along with Don Pasquale need to be rotated more sparingly.
NORMA:Bellini
Original Air Date: 03/17/1979
Maag; Verrett, Obraztsova, Cossutta, Plishka
SID.19150107
Verrett was a very fine Norma, but this broadcast marks her first in house Met Norma returning after indisposition on the opening night; Marisa Galvany made an unscheduled debut and a highly successful one. Obraztsova is not my idea of Adalgisa and doesn’t make a particularly good match. Verrett’s first Norma was with the Met on tour in Boston and a fine one it was; she also has a very successful broadcast from San Francisco which has appeared at times on private records. Cossutta had made his debut as Pollione on the 1973 Norma broadcast with Caballe and Cossotto (also available on MOoD. This 1979 Norma run marks the end of Cossutta’s Met career
NABUCCO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/03/1960
Schippers; MacNeil, Rysanek, Siepi, Fernandi
MOD Audio SID.19150208
MacNeil and Siepi are both excellent in the Met’s first Nabucco production. Rysanek gives her all, but really not the right match of voice and role for her. One does not hear the lead male roles sung like this anymore. This performance has also been reissued in the Met’s Verdi bicentennial CD box. In fact, this broadcast from a single season was Nabucco’s only presence in the Met repertoire until early 2000.
HAMLET:Thomas
Original Air Date: 03/27/2010
Langrée; Keenlyside, Petersen, Larmore, Morris, Spence
MOD Video SID.19150209
This is the only Met broadcast of the Thomas work. Keenlyside has a commercial DVD in the same production with Dessay from Barcelona 2004. Petersen was a late substitute for Dessay for the whole run. Larmoreis especially vivid as Gertrude, part of her movement into dramatic mezzo/soprano parts.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 01/23/1999
Runnicles; Hampson, Graham, Evans, Robertson
MOD Audio SID.19150210
I’m sorry I didn’t attend this revival with the title role moving to baritone hands (in Massenet’s own transposition) (still too high for Domingo?), but this broadcast catches Susan Graham in one of her very best afternoons. This is the baritone version Massenet wrote for Battistini. I didn’t see it in the theatre and just over the airwaves, it didn’t work for me. It however catches Susan Graham in particularly splendid voice. This is a novelty for if there were ever a tenor opera it is Werther, but the composer did arrange for baritone for Battistini. Hampson is very earnest, but I want the tenor colorations. This is one of Graham’s best Met outings.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/24/1984
Levine; Price, Giacomini, Nucci, Giaiotti, Jones, Fissore
SID.19150211
This is a 3 performance group intended to capture the Price Leonora on video ; fall performances had featured mostly Bumbry (with a few to Amara) partnering Carreras. This is a solid performance but I prefer Price a decade earlier with Bergonzi in 1972; her supporting cast are full-throated Italians (Paskalis is Greek, but Bergonzi and Siepi are Verdians to their fingertips and that is much the best of the 1970s. Giacomini in this 1984 performance gets some rare visibility, and deservedly so.
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Original Air Date: 02/20/1993
Thielemann; Liang, Tomowa-Sintow, Rootering, Grant Murphy, Schulte
SID.19150212
Thielemann conducts a lovely performance with Tomowa-Sintow in her Met broadcast farewell. Liang was a two performance replacement for Mentzer and whose only other Met appearance is part of the First Emperor run. Most notable for Thielemann’s conducting and Tomowa-Sintow’s Marschallin — her Met farewell is a week later.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Original Air Date: 04/09/2019
Meister; Yu, Phillips, Malfi, Breslik, Mattei, Plachetka, Sim, Belosselskiy
SID.19150214
LA GIOCONDA:Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 03/31/1962
Cleva; Farrell, Corelli, Merrill, Rankin, Tozzi
SID.19150315
Here is why I love the current Sirius service for Met repertory : The fall performances went unbroadcast. This 19700/71 Hoffmann was divided between a fall group with Grist, Elias, and Lorengar in the three ladies and the spring offering was Boky, Crespin, and Amara. The excellent Gedda and Bacquier were in both parts of the revival. I saw one of the fall performances and Grist and Lorengar were excellent. The broadcast does not come until spring, and much as Ilove Crespin as an artist, her Giulietta while visually dazzling was one rocky ride on the Venetian canal. Amara sang a solid Antonia, but her tone never had the luster of a Lorengar. Boky I found similarly lacking compared to Grist. Baudo is no Julius Rudel (among the best conductors I’ve ever heard for Hoffmann) or Chailly, let alone Monteux who originated the production in 1955. What should be mentioned is the strong supporting cast including von Stade as Nicklausse , Velis in the 4 comic tenor parts, and Paul Franke as an inimitable Spalanzani.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Original Air Date: 03/10/1962
Morel; Meyer, Amara, Rothenberger
SID.19150316
This is Meyer’s broadcast debut (she appears the following season in the Met’s first round of Ariadnes. I like my Orfeo with more profile, though I do prefer it with a mezzo instead of a countertenor. Kolodin’s contemporary review is mild indeed. *** I’m not sure what occasions this unearthing. I like Orfeo, and I admire Jean Morel, but Meyer’s voice is not one that makes a particularly interesting effect on the radio. Rothenberger is a far sight better than Murphy was on the recent Live in HD. *** This might in fact be new to Sirius. Stevens in 1955 and 1958 performances has been on the air as has Bumbry’s from 1971. What is missing is one of the grand Orfeos from 940 with Thorborg and Novotna under Leinsdorf.
ARIADNE AUF NAXOS:Strauss
Original Air Date: 01/05/1985
Davis; Norman, Cochran, Rolandi, Ewing, Weller, Duesing
SID.19150317
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.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.19150319
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/24/1968
Klobucar; Nilsson, Stewart, Rysanek, Vickers, Ludwig, Ridderbusch
MOD Audio SID.19150320
This performance has been issued on Sony Historic CD, and certainly has the cream of the crop of contemporary Wagnerians. It’s also available on MOoD. Highly recommended.
OTELLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren, Franke
MOD Audio SID.19150321
This is a splendid performance, and should also note the number of fine Otellos which have not been on Sirius, including but not limited to the the 3 1940s Otellos with Stella Roman, Tebaldi’s two Desdemonas from 1955 and 1958 (the 1955 is uncommon on the private market, and the 1958 never seen, even the 1958 from La Scala with the same trio– Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Warren is not that common and the 1963 Tucci, McCracken , Merrill with Solti have all been missed by Sirius. Really too many omissions for relatively recent performances. Also the Bohm (his only Verdi at the Met) from April 1972
NABUCCO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/03/1960
Schippers; MacNeil, Rysanek, Siepi, Fernandi
MOD Audio SID.19150424
MacNeil and Siepi are both excellent in the Met’s first Nabucco production. Rysanek gives her all, but really not the right match of voice and role for her. One does not hear the lead male roles sung like this anymore. This performance has also been reissued in the Met’s Verdi bicentennial CD box. In fact, this broadcast from a single season was Nabucco’s only presence in the Met repertoire until early 2000.
WERTHER:Massenet
Original Air Date: 01/23/1999
Runnicles; Hampson, Graham, Evans, Robertson
MOD Audio SID.19150426
I’m sorry I didn’t attend this revival with the title role moving to baritone hands (in Massenet’s own transposition) (still too high for Domingo?), but this broadcast catches Susan Graham in one of her very best afternoons. This is the baritone version Massenet wrote for Battistini. I didn’t see it in the theatre and just over the airwaves, it didn’t work for me. It however catches Susan Graham in particularly splendid voice. This is a novelty for if there were ever a tenor opera it is Werther, but the composer did arrange for baritone for Battistini. Hampson is very earnest, but I want the tenor colorations. This is one of Graham’s best Met outings.
OTELLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/08/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren, Franke
MOD Audio SID.19150532
This is a splendid performance, and should also note the number of fine Otellos which have not been on Sirius, including but not limited to the the 3 1940s Otellos with Stella Roman, Tebaldi’s two Desdemonas from 1955 and 1958 (the 1955 is uncommon on the private market, and the 1958 never seen, even the 1958 from La Scala with the same trio– Tebaldi, Del Monaco, Warren is not that common and the 1963 Tucci, McCracken , Merrill with Solti have all been missed by Sirius. Really too many omissions for relatively recent performances. Also the Bohm (his only Verdi at the Met) from April 1972