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. 

Sep
3
Tue
2019
DIE WALKÜRE
Sep 3 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
MOD Audio SID.19360209
The two real vocal standouts are Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London, Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.

DIE WALKÜRE
Sep 3 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM


DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
MOD Audio SID.19360210
The two real vocal standouts are Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London, Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.

Sep
5
Thu
2019
DIE WALKÜRE
Sep 5 @ 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM


DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
MOD Audio SID.19360425
The two real vocal standouts are Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London, Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.

DIE WALKÜRE
Sep 5 @ 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM


DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
MOD Audio SID.19360426
The two real vocal standouts are Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London, Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.

Sep
7
Sat
2019
DIE WALKÜRE
Sep 7 @ 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM


DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
MOD Audio SID.19360641
The two real vocal standouts are Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London, Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.

DIE WALKÜRE
Sep 7 @ 9:00 PM – 11:55 PM


DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Original Air Date: 12/23/1961
Leinsdorf; Nilsson, Edelmann, Kuchta, Vickers, Dalis, Wiemann
MOD Audio SID.19360642
The two real vocal standouts are Nilsson and Vickers, who would put down in London a few months later a marvelous studio version with George London, Rita Gorr, and Gre Brouwenstijn under Leinsdorf; the Valkyries are a particularly strong group, among the best ever. A positive word on Ernst Wiemann, a German Giaiotti : a strong voice with a solid technique and well schooled in the German repertoire. Dalis is an incisive Fricka.

Sep
18
Wed
2019
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR
Sep 18 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Original Air Date: 04/19/1969
Cleva; Tebaldi, Corelli, Dalis, Colzani
SID.19380316
Tebaldi loved the part of Adriana, but this broadcast finds her in rather frayed voice (after more than 30 Giocondas the previous two seasons). Corelli, Dalis, and Colzani are strong support.

Sep
20
Fri
2019
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR
Sep 20 @ 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM


ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Original Air Date: 04/19/1969
Cleva; Tebaldi, Corelli, Dalis, Colzani
SID.19380532
Tebaldi loved the part of Adriana, but this broadcast finds her in rather frayed voice (after more than 30 Giocondas the previous two seasons). Corelli, Dalis, and Colzani are strong support.

Sep
23
Mon
2019
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR
Sep 23 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Original Air Date: 04/19/1969
Cleva; Tebaldi, Corelli, Dalis, Colzani
SID.19390101
Tebaldi loved the part of Adriana, but this broadcast finds her in rather frayed voice (after more than 30 Giocondas the previous two seasons). Corelli, Dalis, and Colzani are strong support.

Oct
9
Wed
2019
SALOME
Oct 9 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, Stolze, Dalis, Stewart, MacWherter
Original Air Date: 03/18/1972

SID.19410214
Rysanek’s first Salomes at the Met came after the groundbreaking new production for Nilsson eight years earlier. Longtime Metgoers were still talking about Welitsch from the late 1940s. The best Met Salomes are Welitsch, Nilsson, Bumbry, Marton, and Mattila (first season). Behrens (who has a great studio performance with Karajan). Rysanek was significantly better five years later when Leinsdorf took the reins with Norman Bailey, Astrid Varnay and Ragnar Ulfung; the 1977 performance is available on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD).

Oct
12
Sat
2019
SALOME
Oct 12 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, Stolze, Dalis, Stewart, MacWherter
Original Air Date: 03/18/1972

SID.19410531
Rysanek’s first Salomes at the Met came after the groundbreaking new production for Nilsson eight years earlier. Longtime Metgoers were still talking about Welitsch from the late 1940s. The best Met Salomes are Welitsch, Nilsson, Bumbry, Marton, and Mattila (first season). Behrens (who has a great studio performance with Karajan). Rysanek was significantly better five years later when Leinsdorf took the reins with Norman Bailey, Astrid Varnay and Ragnar Ulfung; the 1977 performance is available on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD).

SALOME
Oct 12 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM


SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, Stolze, Dalis, Stewart, MacWherter
Original Air Date: 03/18/1972

SID.19410533
Rysanek’s first Salomes at the Met came after the groundbreaking new production for Nilsson eight years earlier. Longtime Metgoers were still talking about Welitsch from the late 1940s. The best Met Salomes are Welitsch, Nilsson, Bumbry, Marton, and Mattila (first season). Behrens (who has a great studio performance with Karajan). Rysanek was significantly better five years later when Leinsdorf took the reins with Norman Bailey, Astrid Varnay and Ragnar Ulfung; the 1977 performance is available on Met Opera on Demand (MOoD).

Dec
16
Mon
2019
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
Dec 16 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM


TRISTAN UND ISOLDE:Wagner
Leindsorf; Thomas, Nilsson, Dalis, Tozzi, Doole
Original Air Date: 12/18/1971
MOD Audio
SID.19510103
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.

Dec
18
Wed
2019
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
Dec 18 @ 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM


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.

Dec
20
Fri
2019
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE
Dec 20 @ 9:00 PM – 11:55 PM


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.

Feb
17
Mon
2020
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
Feb 17 @ 3:00 PM – 6:00 PM


DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, King, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
Original Air Date: 12/17/1966
MOD Audio
SID.20080105
This is the Met broadcast premiere of one of Strauss’ greatest works. Hearing the performance almost five decades later it still holds up as one of the great ensemble and individual performance efforts in Met history. All of the singers are excellent, and for radio only, the voice that makes the best effect is Walter Berry. His work may be less well known to newer opera-goers, but he is favorite Barak on disc or in the theatre. FiDi was by all accounts quite memorable in the theatre. This performance is now on the Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) series as well as part of the Met at Lincoln Center 50th anniversary CD box.

Feb
19
Wed
2020
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
Feb 19 @ 9:00 PM – 12:00 AM


DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, King, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
Original Air Date: 12/17/1966
MOD Audio
SID.20080321
This is the Met broadcast premiere of one of Strauss’ greatest works. Hearing the performance almost five decades later it still holds up as one of the great ensemble and individual performance efforts in Met history. All of the singers are excellent, and for radio only, the voice that makes the best effect is Walter Berry. His work may be less well known to newer opera-goers, but he is favorite Barak on disc or in the theatre. FiDi was by all accounts quite memorable in the theatre. This performance is now on the Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) series as well as part of the Met at Lincoln Center 50th anniversary CD box.

Feb
22
Sat
2020
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
Feb 22 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, King, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
Original Air Date: 12/17/1966
MOD Audio
SID.20080637
This is the Met broadcast premiere of one of Strauss’ greatest works. Hearing the performance almost five decades later it still holds up as one of the great ensemble and individual performance efforts in Met history. All of the singers are excellent, and for radio only, the voice that makes the best effect is Walter Berry. His work may be less well known to newer opera-goers, but he is favorite Barak on disc or in the theatre. FiDi was by all accounts quite memorable in the theatre. This performance is now on the Met Opera on Demand (MOoD) series as well as part of the Met at Lincoln Center 50th anniversary CD box.

Mar
17
Tue
2020
DON CARLO
Mar 17 @ 9:00 PM – 11:55 PM


DON CARLO:Verdi
Adler; Corelli, Rysanek, Herlea, Dalis, Tozzi, Uhde
Original Air Date: 03/07/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20120214
This performance is in the Sony Historical CD series. Corelli is the centerpiece, but he despite being in thrilling voice, is a bit of a mess. Rysanek has her moments, some very good, some not so good. Herlea is a successful debutant as Rodrigo, and Dalis a distinctive Eboli. The great Met Ebolis are shortly to arrive with Bumbry, Cossotto, Verrett and Zajick. This performance is heavily cut and Tozzi shows signs that his voice is no longer in prime condition, but one of the most beautiful voices ever in that prime.

Mar
19
Thu
2020
DON CARLO
Mar 19 @ 6:00 AM – 9:00 AM


DON CARLO:Verdi
Adler; Corelli, Rysanek, Herlea, Dalis, Tozzi, Uhde
Original Air Date: 03/07/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20120423
This performance is in the Sony Historical CD series. Corelli is the centerpiece, but he despite being in thrilling voice, is a bit of a mess. Rysanek has her moments, some very good, some not so good. Herlea is a successful debutant as Rodrigo, and Dalis a distinctive Eboli. The great Met Ebolis are shortly to arrive with Bumbry, Cossotto, Verrett and Zajick. This performance is heavily cut and Tozzi shows signs that his voice is no longer in prime condition, but one of the most beautiful voices ever in that prime.

Mar
22
Sun
2020
DON CARLO
Mar 22 @ 12:00 PM – 3:00 PM


DON CARLO:Verdi
Adler; Corelli, Rysanek, Herlea, Dalis, Tozzi, Uhde
Original Air Date: 03/07/1964
MOD Audio
SID.20120746
This performance is in the Sony Historical CD series. Corelli is the centerpiece, but he despite being in thrilling voice, is a bit of a mess. Rysanek has her moments, some very good, some not so good. Herlea is a successful debutant as Rodrigo, and Dalis a distinctive Eboli. The great Met Ebolis are shortly to arrive with Bumbry, Cossotto, Verrett and Zajick. This performance is heavily cut and Tozzi shows signs that his voice is no longer in prime condition, but one of the most beautiful voices ever in that prime.

Apr
14
Tue
2020
SALOME
Apr 14 @ 6:00 PM – 6:00 PM


SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
MOD Audio
SID.20160214
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.

Apr
16
Thu
2020
SALOME
Apr 16 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
MOD Audio
SID.20160425
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.

Apr
19
Sun
2020
SALOME
Apr 19 @ 9:00 PM – 11:55 PM


SALOME:Strauss
Böhm; Nilsson, Liebl, Dalis, Cassel, Shirley
Original Air Date: 03/13/1965
MOD Audio
SID.20160756
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.

Apr
21
Tue
2020
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
Apr 21 @ 12:00 AM – 3:00 AM


DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, Nagy, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
Original Air Date: 01/16/1971

SID.20170209
This is the third of Bohm’s four broadcasts of the legendary 1966 production which premiered in the opening weeks of Lincoln Center. Nagy is the first major change in the ensemble, and had been the Apparition in the premiere — James King was the regular Emperor. Nagy more than holds up his end, and is fully up to the vocal challenges. The ensemble is still a marvel a half century later, even if Bohm managed to excise more pages of the score with each successive revival; not a completist, but absolutely a master Straussian. If one is looking for MOoD coverage of Frau, the only Bohm performance has two major cast changes from the original Frau 1966 “ensemble”, Dunn as Nurse, and Schroder-Feinen as Dyer’s Wife. It would be very nice to have another Bohm performance in MOoD, which covers those interpretations, preferably the first broadcast, which has the fewest cuts.

Apr
23
Thu
2020
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN
Apr 23 @ 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM


DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN:Strauss
Böhm; Rysanek, Nagy, Ludwig, Berry, Dalis
Original Air Date: 01/16/1971

SID.20170427
This is the third of Bohm’s four broadcasts of the legendary 1966 production which premiered in the opening weeks of Lincoln Center. Nagy is the first major change in the ensemble, and had been the Apparition in the premiere — James King was the regular Emperor. Nagy more than holds up his end, and is fully up to the vocal challenges. The ensemble is still a marvel a half century later, even if Bohm managed to excise more pages of the score with each successive revival; not a completist, but absolutely a master Straussian. If one is looking for MOoD coverage of Frau, the only Bohm performance has two major cast changes from the original Frau 1966 “ensemble”, Dunn as Nurse, and Schroder-Feinen as Dyer’s Wife. It would be very nice to have another Bohm performance in MOoD, which covers those interpretations, preferably the first broadcast, which has the fewest cuts.