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.
LA GIOCONDA:Ponchielli
Original Air Date: 03/16/1946
Cooper; Milanov, Tucker, Warren, Stevens, Vaghi
SID.19340638
The Met doesn’t reach back into the 1940s often, but La Gioconda is a good opera to do that. This is from Tucker’s debut broadcast (his house debut is in the same role the previous season). Milanov, Tucker, and Warren really show the type of voices necessary for this work. The MOoD from 1953 substitutes Baum for Tucker, but you pick up Barbieri and Siepi. A major Gioconda omission from rebroadcast is the 1959 the only other Gioconda broadcast with Milanov and Tucker together. It also features Merrill and Siepi which is about as potent a male lineup as can be imagined. Sirius, Met, how about a look at 1959, and the addition of this 1946 performance to MOoD.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
MOD Audio SID.19390208
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. Singher came in 1943 to the Met and makes his farewell eight months after this Samson broadcast doing the two performances of the four Hoffmann villains. He’s an important part of the Met’s French wing with both Pelleas and Golaud in two different revivals. He went on to be a major teacher at the Curtis Institute, with James King his most notable student. This performance is available on MOoD, and good to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Original Air Date: 04/12/1958
Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
MOD Audio SID.19390427
Del Monaco never did a studio version of Samson so this performance is welcome. Singher came in 1943 to the Met and makes his farewell eight months after this Samson broadcast doing the two performances of the four Hoffmann villains. He’s an important part of the Met’s French wing with both Pelleas and Golaud in two different revivals. He went on to be a major teacher at the Curtis Institute, with James King his most notable student. This performance is available on MOoD, and good to have it since Del Monaco never did a studio version
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy; Piazza, Kullman, Munsel, Tucker, Stevens, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/20/1951
MOD Audio
SID.19400214
This is the broadcast of arguably the biggest hit of Bing’s opening season. Welitsch, who had done the premiere gives way to Piazza, for whom this is her sole broadcast and her only role at the Met, though she has a good long run after the broadcast and a Met tour for a total of 14 performances. Piazza would turn up on early 1950s TV show where an attractive (not so much to me) but generic soprano was called for. Tucker is a sonorous Alfred he almost turns the part into a plum. There are some enjoyable moments, and others that leave me cold. Sirius leaves Gilford off the listing, but he has some of the funniest bits.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy; Piazza, Kullman, Munsel, Tucker, Stevens, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/20/1951
MOD Audio
SID.19400318
This is the broadcast of arguably the biggest hit of Bing’s opening season. Welitsch, who had done the premiere gives way to Piazza, for whom this is her sole broadcast and her only role at the Met, though she has a good long run after the broadcast and a Met tour for a total of 14 performances. Piazza would turn up on early 1950s TV show where an attractive (not so much to me) but generic soprano was called for. Tucker is a sonorous Alfred he almost turns the part into a plum. There are some enjoyable moments, and others that leave me cold. Sirius leaves Gilford off the listing, but he has some of the funniest bits.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy; Piazza, Kullman, Munsel, Tucker, Stevens, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/20/1951
MOD Audio
SID.19400744
This is the broadcast of arguably the biggest hit of Bing’s opening season. Welitsch, who had done the premiere gives way to Piazza, for whom this is her sole broadcast and her only role at the Met, though she has a good long run after the broadcast and a Met tour for a total of 14 performances. Piazza would turn up on early 1950s TV show where an attractive (not so much to me) but generic soprano was called for. Tucker is a sonorous Alfred he almost turns the part into a plum. There are some enjoyable moments, and others that leave me cold. Sirius leaves Gilford off the listing, but he has some of the funniest bits.
Saint-Saëns
Cooper; Vinay, Stevens, Merrill
Original Air Date: 11/26/1949
SID.20090213
I like Samson, but not quite as much as Sirius. Some listeners don’t cotton to Vinay, but I find him OK. This is Merrill’s first Met High Priest, and if not Gabriel Bacquier or Martial Singher, he has some major vocal trumps to play. I find Stevens a bit lacking on tonal voluptuousness for the part. Visually of course she had a lot to offer.
Saint-Saëns
Cooper; Vinay, Stevens, Merrill
Original Air Date: 11/26/1949
SID.20090530
I like Samson, but not quite as much as Sirius. Some listeners don’t cotton to Vinay, but I find him OK. This is Merrill’s first Met High Priest, and if not Gabriel Bacquier or Martial Singher, he has some major vocal trumps to play. I find Stevens a bit lacking on tonal voluptuousness for the part. Visually of course she had a lot to offer.
Saint-Saëns
Cooper; Vinay, Stevens, Merrill
Original Air Date: 11/26/1949
SID.20090746
I like Samson, but not quite as much as Sirius. Some listeners don’t cotton to Vinay, but I find him OK. This is Merrill’s first Met High Priest, and if not Gabriel Bacquier or Martial Singher, he has some major vocal trumps to play. I find Stevens a bit lacking on tonal voluptuousness for the part. Visually of course she had a lot to offer.
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MIGNON:Thomas
Pelletier; Stevens, Melton, Benzell, Pinza
Original Air Date: 01/27/1945
MOD Audio
SID.20130318
RWW: There are some great tunes in Mignon but I find the opera doesn’t hold up well — I saw it staged in Dallas with Horne (1974), and it was a LONG evening. Pinza is very fine here. Mignon’s last broadcast appearance is three years later with Marilyn Cotlow as Philine which is more than 6 decades ago. That Mignon farewell has not been on Sirius.
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MIGNON:Thomas
Pelletier; Stevens, Melton, Benzell, Pinza
Original Air Date: 01/27/1945
MOD Audio
SID.20130537
RWW: There are some great tunes in Mignon but I find the opera doesn’t hold up well — I saw it staged in Dallas with Horne (1974), and it was a LONG evening. Pinza is very fine here. Mignon’s last broadcast appearance is three years later with Marilyn Cotlow as Philine which is more than 6 decades ago. That Mignon farewell has not been on Sirius.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Rudolf; Stevens, Amara, Cundari
Original Air Date: 01/18/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20160318
The strongest thing about this performance is Rudolf’s conducting. Stevens was definitely a star Orfeo, but she’s never an audio favorite of mine. A very great artist outstanding advocate for American artists , and the role of the arts in general. She had quite a following, but her audios alone do not make a career. She is still with us, and may she have many more years. For me this is much too late for Stevens (She retires in 1960). I did check Paul Jackson’s authoritative volume on Met broadcasts– and he’s at his best in the 40s and 50s, but has nothing to say about this performance. This performance has been on before and is on MOoD.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Rudolf; Stevens, Amara, Cundari
Original Air Date: 01/18/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20160536
The strongest thing about this performance is Rudolf’s conducting. Stevens was definitely a star Orfeo, but she’s never an audio favorite of mine. A very great artist outstanding advocate for American artists , and the role of the arts in general. She had quite a following, but her audios alone do not make a career. She is still with us, and may she have many more years. For me this is much too late for Stevens (She retires in 1960). I did check Paul Jackson’s authoritative volume on Met broadcasts– and he’s at his best in the 40s and 50s, but has nothing to say about this performance. This performance has been on before and is on MOoD.
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Rudolf; Stevens, Amara, Cundari
Original Air Date: 01/18/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20170101
The strongest thing about this performance is Rudolf’s conducting. Stevens was definitely a star Orfeo, but she’s never an audio favorite of mine. A very great artist outstanding advocate for American artists , and the role of the arts in general. She had quite a following, but her audios alone do not make a career. She is still with us, and may she have many more years. For me this is much too late for Stevens (She retires in 1960). I did check Paul Jackson’s authoritative volume on Met broadcasts– and he’s at his best in the 40s and 50s, but has nothing to say about this performance. This performance has been on before and is on MOoD.