2019 Summer HD Festival

In this 11th year, over ten nights performances from the Met’s Live in HD series will be shown starting with a screening of FUNNY FACE in a special co-presentation with Film at Lincoln Center.   Screenings run from August 23 through September 2.  There will be 3000 seats in the Plaza in front of the Opera House with an additional standing room area. Cancellations due to thunder/lighting or high wind will not be rescheduled. 

Aug
23
Fri
2019
FALSTAFF
Aug 23 @ 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM


FALSTAFF:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/03/1996
Levine; Plishka, Daniels, Quilico, Horne, Bonney, Groves
MOD Audio SID.19340532
Levine, Plishka, Bonney, and Horne are all in the 1992 revival which is on MOoD, but with Freni for Daniels, and Bruno Pola for Quilico. My experience with almost all of the Falstaff casting in the Levine era is OK, but not really an ensemble. We still keep having the Bernstein performance overlooked (LB’s only other Met broadcast beside Cavalleria) from 1964. The bad luck continues with Rosenstock’s conducting from 1965 and Amaducci’s conducting fom 1967. The Dohnanyi performance from 1972 features Gobbi in one of HIS two Met broadcasts (the other is Otello, no Scarpia on the Met airwaves alas) with Tebaldi, Resnik, Paskalis in sterling support. This should be in MOoD.

Aug
26
Mon
2019
FALSTAFF
Aug 26 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


FALSTAFF:Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/03/1996
Levine; Plishka, Daniels, Quilico, Horne, Bonney, Groves
MOD Audio SID.19350101
Levine, Plishka, Bonney, and Horne are all in the 1992 revival which is on MOoD, but with Freni for Daniels, and Bruno Pola for Quilico. My experience with almost all of the Falstaff casting in the Levine era is OK, but not really an ensemble. We still keep having the Bernstein performance overlooked (LB’s only other Met broadcast beside Cavalleria) from 1964. The bad luck continues with Rosenstock’s conducting from 1965 and Amaducci’s conducting fom 1967. The Dohnanyi performance from 1972 features Gobbi in one of HIS two Met broadcasts (the other is Otello, no Scarpia on the Met airwaves alas) with Tebaldi, Resnik, Paskalis in sterling support. This should be in MOoD.

Oct
1
Tue
2019
THE MERRY WIDOW
Oct 1 @ 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM


THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Davis; von Stade, Domingo, Pulley, Groves
Original Air Date: 03/04/2000

SID.19400210
This is the first season with von Stade. She broadcasts again the following season with Hagegard as her Danilo. This Tim Albery production is no more successful than this year’s new production. Merry Widow has better melodies than Lulu, but not more nourishing.

Oct
4
Fri
2019
THE MERRY WIDOW
Oct 4 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Davis; von Stade, Domingo, Pulley, Groves
Original Air Date: 03/04/2000

SID.19400428
This is the first season with von Stade. She broadcasts again the following season with Hagegard as her Danilo. This Tim Albery production is no more successful than this year’s new production. Merry Widow has better melodies than Lulu, but not more nourishing.

Oct
6
Sun
2019
THE MERRY WIDOW
Oct 6 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Davis; von Stade, Domingo, Pulley, Groves
Original Air Date: 03/04/2000

SID.19400641
This is the first season with von Stade. She broadcasts again the following season with Hagegard as her Danilo. This Tim Albery production is no more successful than this year’s new production. Merry Widow has better melodies than Lulu, but not more nourishing.

Nov
27
Wed
2019
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS
Nov 27 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM

Stravinsky
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
MOD Audio
SID.19480316
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.

Nov
30
Sat
2019
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS
Nov 30 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM

Stravinsky
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
MOD Audio
SID.19480636
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.

THE RAKE’S PROGRESS
Nov 30 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM

Stravinsky
Levine; Upshaw, Blythe, Groves, Ramey
Original Air Date: 04/19/2003
MOD Audio
SID.19480638
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.

Jan
13
Mon
2020
THE FIRST EMPEROR
Jan 13 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


THE FIRST EMPEROR:Dun
Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20030101
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to. I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).

Jan
22
Wed
2020
THE FIRST EMPEROR
Jan 22 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


THE FIRST EMPEROR:Dun
Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20040316
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to. I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).

Jan
25
Sat
2020
THE FIRST EMPEROR
Jan 25 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


THE FIRST EMPEROR:Dun
Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20040636
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to. I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).

Jan
26
Sun
2020
THE FIRST EMPEROR
Jan 26 @ 9:00 PM – 11:55 PM


THE FIRST EMPEROR:Dun
Dun; Domingo, Futral, Groves, Tian, DeYoung
Original Air Date: 01/13/2007
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20040749
This is Domingo’s vehicle and the broadcast and HD performance from its premiere season. Sony issued a commercial DVD. Better to watch than listen to. I enjoyed seeing the production, and while it’s not on my weekly rotation, it held my interest more than Glass’ The Voyage. The simultaneous broadcast/HD moviecast is available on commercial DVD and MOoD (Metropolitan Opera on Demand).

Feb
19
Wed
2020
THE MERRY WIDOW
Feb 19 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Fisch; von Stade, Hagegård, Welch-Babidge, Groves
Original Air Date: 12/23/2000

SID.20080316
This is the second year of the production originally mounted for Von Stade with Domingo. The production is by Tim Albery who was also responsible for Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Britten centenary. It’s not often that anything in English translation is on Sirius, but this is. Now if only they could have some of much worthier English translation evenings like Arabella and Cosi fan tutte with Steber and some of the great Boris Godunovs of the 1950s and 60s.

Feb
21
Fri
2020
THE MERRY WIDOW
Feb 21 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Fisch; von Stade, Hagegård, Welch-Babidge, Groves
Original Air Date: 12/23/2000

SID.20080529
This is the second year of the production originally mounted for Von Stade with Domingo. The production is by Tim Albery who was also responsible for Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Britten centenary. It’s not often that anything in English translation is on Sirius, but this is. Now if only they could have some of much worthier English translation evenings like Arabella and Cosi fan tutte with Steber and some of the great Boris Godunovs of the 1950s and 60s.

Feb
22
Sat
2020
THE MERRY WIDOW
Feb 22 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM


THE MERRY WIDOW:Lehár
Fisch; von Stade, Hagegård, Welch-Babidge, Groves
Original Air Date: 12/23/2000

SID.20080638
This is the second year of the production originally mounted for Von Stade with Domingo. The production is by Tim Albery who was also responsible for Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Britten centenary. It’s not often that anything in English translation is on Sirius, but this is. Now if only they could have some of much worthier English translation evenings like Arabella and Cosi fan tutte with Steber and some of the great Boris Godunovs of the 1950s and 60s.

Mar
17
Tue
2020
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Mar 17 @ 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM


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.

Mar
19
Thu
2020
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Mar 19 @ 9:00 PM – 11:55 PM


COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Summers; Diener, Groves, Graham, Gilfry, Upshaw, Pertusi
Original Air Date: 02/24/2001

SID.20120428
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.

Mar
22
Sun
2020
COSÌ FAN TUTTE
Mar 22 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Summers; Diener, Groves, Graham, Gilfry, Upshaw, Pertusi
Original Air Date: 02/24/2001

SID.20120744
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.