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.
RODELINDA:Handel
Original Air Date: 05/06/2006
Summers; Fleming, Scholl, van Rensburg, Blythe, Dumaux, Relyea
MOD Video SID.19350105
This performance in the second season of the production and Scholl’s first appearance at the Met. There was a third broadcast which includes an HD moviecast of Rodelinda with Fleming and Scholl under Bicket (whom I prefer to Summers) but the intervening 4 years do not benefit either Fleming or Scholl. This video is available also in MOoD so you can compare for yourself. I like Scholl much more than David Daniels so this is my preferred Rodelinda.
DAS RHEINGOLD:Wagner
Original Air Date: 10/09/2010
Levine; Terfel, Croft, Owens, Blythe
Live in HD SID.19359991
RWW Review: My qualifications on Monday’s performance centered on the Giants, the Alberich, Wotan and the Loge, all OK, but not stellar. I thought all were much better this afternoon. I can’t explain the booing of Croft, but maybe he understood broadcast mics were there and was intent on best possible tone. His performance was one of the best vocal Loges I’ve ever heard today. Eric Owens’ voice sounded better and the Giants MUCH better. As for Terfel, I though his miking was a little muffled (only one of the singers) at times, but clearly this is was in the best voice of the performances I’ve heard (Opening Night-Sirius only for me), Monday, and today. Adam Diegel (Froh) and Dwayne Croft (Donner) even better today, and the split second hammerblow that was just a half second off on Monday was perfect today. There were lots of close-ups today, but also lots of framed scenes of two or more characters interacting.
My only real cavil about today was that the lighting for the NIbelheim scene was mostly washed out. In the theatre, it has a coppery ambience; the first and third scenes came off very well in the house. The final scene seemed even better today, and credit to LePage for timing the final moments to keep applause mostly out until the music has done.
I would be remiss if I did not congratulate Levine on a tremendous performance, and Diegel and Blythe helped him on to the stage for bows at the end. I would call this the Legato Rheingold, not a clinker in the cast. The Met Orchestra is one of the elements that distinguishes their live broadcasts so much. LePage honored the text — there’s a RIng, there’s Rhinegold, a serpent (that came off better in the theatre than on the HD transmission), and a toad (even though it looked more like a bullfrog), and a rainbow bridge.
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS:Stravinsky
Original Air Date: 01/17/1998
Levine; Hadley, Upshaw, Ramey, Blythe
SID.19350316
This is a solid cast, but I find the Stravinsky work rather cold. We are not finished with the first quarter of 2016 and already we are on our second Rake’s Progress rotation for the year (different cast and performance) Is there a Stravinsky anniversary I’ve missed?
RODELINDA:Handel
Original Air Date: 05/06/2006
Summers; Fleming, Scholl, van Rensburg, Blythe, Dumaux, Relyea
MOD Video SID.19350321
This performance in the second season of the production and Scholl’s first appearance at the Met. There was a third broadcast which includes an HD moviecast of Rodelinda with Fleming and Scholl under Bicket (whom I prefer to Summers) but the intervening 4 years do not benefit either Fleming or Scholl. This video is available also in MOoD so you can compare for yourself. I like Scholl much more than David Daniels so this is my preferred Rodelinda.
CENDRILLON:Massenet
Original Air Date: 04/28/2018
de Billy; DiDonato, Coote, Kim, Blythe, Naouri
Live in HD SID.19359994
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS:Stravinsky
Original Air Date: 01/17/1998
Levine; Hadley, Upshaw, Ramey, Blythe
SID.19350532
This is a solid cast, but I find the Stravinsky work rather cold. We are not finished with the first quarter of 2016 and already we are on our second Rake’s Progress rotation for the year (different cast and performance) Is there a Stravinsky anniversary I’ve missed?
RODELINDA:Handel
Original Air Date: 05/06/2006
Summers; Fleming, Scholl, van Rensburg, Blythe, Dumaux, Relyea
MOD Video SID.19350638
This performance in the second season of the production and Scholl’s first appearance at the Met. There was a third broadcast which includes an HD moviecast of Rodelinda with Fleming and Scholl under Bicket (whom I prefer to Summers) but the intervening 4 years do not benefit either Fleming or Scholl. This video is available also in MOoD so you can compare for yourself. I like Scholl much more than David Daniels so this is my preferred Rodelinda.
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 03/02/2019
Mazzola; Yende, Blythe, Camarena, Corbelli, Muraro
Live in HD SID.19359996
Tenor Javier Camarena and soprano Pretty Yende team up for a feast of bel canto vocal fireworks—including the show-stopping tenor aria “Ah! Mes amis … Pour mon âme,” with its nine high Cs. Alessandro Corbelli and Maurizio Muraro trade off as the comic Sergeant Sulpice, with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. And in an exciting piece of casting, stage and screen icon Kathleen Turner makes her Met debut in the speaking role of the Duchess of Krakenthorp. Enrique Mazzola conducts. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; and the Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS:Stravinsky
Original Air Date: 01/17/1998
Levine; Hadley, Upshaw, Ramey, Blythe
SID.19360101
RP had its American premiere on the Texaco Met broadcasts, and Fritz Reiner led the premiere in 1952-53, but Erede did the two performance revival the following year. It then is out of the Met repertory for 46 seasons until the 1997-1998 season when it came in for nine performances in a new Jonathan Miller production. All the singers in this broadcast were well reviewed, so if RP is your cup of tea… MIller’s production is chillier than anything in the Stravinsky score. A five performance revival in 2003 was its last time out at the Met, with Ramey, Blythe, and Levine repeating. This is a solid cast, but the Stravinsky work can seem rather cold. This is a nice memento of Jerry Hadley in one of his best roles.
GIULIO CESARE:Handel
Original Air Date: 04/17/1999
Nelson; Larmore, McNair, Daniels, Blythe, Asawa
MOD Audio SID.19380213
This is the first Met broadcast of Cesare as the 1988 production with Troyanos and Battle was not broadcast (a special shame because of Troyanos’ way with Handel) This was an early success for both Blythe and Daniels, but this is still not my work — too many countertenors and too few ensembles. Brian Asawa recently passed away, and was one of the major groundbreaking countertenors.
GIULIO CESARE:Handel
Original Air Date: 04/17/1999
Nelson; Larmore, McNair, Daniels, Blythe, Asawa
MOD Audio SID.19380529
This is the first Met broadcast of Cesare as the 1988 production with Troyanos and Battle was not broadcast (a special shame because of Troyanos’ way with Handel) This was an early success for both Blythe and Daniels, but this is still not my work — too many countertenors and too few ensembles. Brian Asawa recently passed away, and was one of the major groundbreaking countertenors.
GIULIO CESARE:Handel
Original Air Date: 04/17/1999
Nelson; Larmore, McNair, Daniels, Blythe, Asawa
MOD Audio SID.19380743
This is the first Met broadcast of Cesare as the 1988 production with Troyanos and Battle was not broadcast (a special shame because of Troyanos’ way with Handel) This was an early success for both Blythe and Daniels, but this is still not my work — too many countertenors and too few ensembles. Brian Asawa recently passed away, and was one of the major groundbreaking countertenors.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
MOD Audio
SID.19420104
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again).
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
MOD Audio
SID.19420321
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again).
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
MOD Audio
SID.19420640
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again).
HÄNSEL UND GRETEL:Humperdinck
Mackerras; Larmore, Upshaw, Forst, Blythe, Josephson
Original Air Date: 12/29/2001
MOD Audio
SID.19440102
This performance is indeed in German and yet is performed by a 100% Anglophone cast. Irony indeed. Mackerras is the most distinctive contributor to a work whose orchestral passages are among its most interesting. Also worth noting is there is a separate listing in MOoD for the English language versions and the German version. But though the language was German it was the same production as premiered in English in 1967-1968 by O’Hearn and Merrill and concluded with these performances in 2001-2. Hansel returned in a new also English language production by Richard Jones in 2007-2008.
HÄNSEL UND GRETEL:Humperdinck
Mackerras; Larmore, Upshaw, Forst, Blythe, Josephson
Original Air Date: 12/29/2001
MOD Audio
SID.19440318
This performance is indeed in German and yet is performed by a 100% Anglophone cast. Irony indeed. Mackerras is the most distinctive contributor to a work whose orchestral passages are among its most interesting. Also worth noting is there is a separate listing in MOoD for the English language versions and the German version. But though the language was German it was the same production as premiered in English in 1967-1968 by O’Hearn and Merrill and concluded with these performances in 2001-2. Hansel returned in a new also English language production by Richard Jones in 2007-2008.
HÄNSEL UND GRETEL:Humperdinck
Mackerras; Larmore, Upshaw, Forst, Blythe, Josephson
Original Air Date: 12/29/2001
MOD Audio
SID.19440636
This performance is indeed in German and yet is performed by a 100% Anglophone cast. Irony indeed. Mackerras is the most distinctive contributor to a work whose orchestral passages are among its most interesting. Also worth noting is there is a separate listing in MOoD for the English language versions and the German version. But though the language was German it was the same production as premiered in English in 1967-1968 by O’Hearn and Merrill and concluded with these performances in 2001-2. Hansel returned in a new also English language production by Richard Jones in 2007-2008.
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.
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.
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.
RODELINDA:Handel
Bicket; Fleming, Daniels, van Rensburg, Blythe, Mehta, Relyea
Original Air Date: 01/01/2005
MOD Audio
SID.19490321
Fleming is the star in all three seasons of Rodelinda at the Met, and the first two broadcasts from 2005 (this one) and 2006 have a major shift with Bicket handing over to Patrick Summers, and the lead countertenor role from David Daniels to Andreas Scholl. The telecast/moviecast is on Decca DVD and in MOoD comes five years later in 2011 and returns Bicket to the podium, but for my money finds Scholl in considerably diminished form compared to his excellent effort in 2006. I’m not a big fan of Handel, and while several of the individual arias are notable, the absence of ensembles (except for the glorious duet for Blythe with the lead countertenor) and the ABA aria style make for a long afternoon or evening of listening or watching. The comings and goings of Rodelinda at the Met are well documented in MOoD, and this first broadcast is a good place to start.
RODELINDA:Handel
Bicket; Fleming, Daniels, van Rensburg, Blythe, Mehta, Relyea
Original Air Date: 01/01/2005
MOD Audio
SID.19490532
Fleming is the star in all three seasons of Rodelinda at the Met, and the first two broadcasts from 2005 (this one) and 2006 have a major shift with Bicket handing over to Patrick Summers, and the lead countertenor role from David Daniels to Andreas Scholl. The telecast/moviecast is on Decca DVD and in MOoD comes five years later in 2011 and returns Bicket to the podium, but for my money finds Scholl in considerably diminished form compared to his excellent effort in 2006. I’m not a big fan of Handel, and while several of the individual arias are notable, the absence of ensembles (except for the glorious duet for Blythe with the lead countertenor) and the ABA aria style make for a long afternoon or evening of listening or watching. The comings and goings of Rodelinda at the Met are well documented in MOoD, and this first broadcast is a good place to start.
RODELINDA:Handel
Bicket; Fleming, Daniels, van Rensburg, Blythe, Mehta, Relyea
Original Air Date: 01/01/2005
MOD Audio
SID.19490744
Fleming is the star in all three seasons of Rodelinda at the Met, and the first two broadcasts from 2005 (this one) and 2006 have a major shift with Bicket handing over to Patrick Summers, and the lead countertenor role from David Daniels to Andreas Scholl. The telecast/moviecast is on Decca DVD and in MOoD comes five years later in 2011 and returns Bicket to the podium, but for my money finds Scholl in considerably diminished form compared to his excellent effort in 2006. I’m not a big fan of Handel, and while several of the individual arias are notable, the absence of ensembles (except for the glorious duet for Blythe with the lead countertenor) and the ABA aria style make for a long afternoon or evening of listening or watching. The comings and goings of Rodelinda at the Met are well documented in MOoD, and this first broadcast is a good place to start.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Levine; Voigt, Westbroek, Blythe, Kaufmann, Terfel, Konig
Original Air Date: 05/14/2011 Live in HD
SID.20130323
Brünnhilde…………..Deborah Voigt
Siegmund…………….Jonas Kaufmann
Sieglinde……………Eva-Maria Westbroek
Wotan……………….Bryn Terfel
Fricka………………Stephanie Blythe
Hunding……………..Hans-Peter König
Gerhilde…………….Kelly Cae Hogan
Grimgerde……………Mary Ann McCormick
Helmwige…………….Molly Fillmore
Ortlinde…………….Wendy Bryn Harmer
Rossweisse…………..Lindsay Ammann
Schwertleite…………Mary Phillips
Siegrune…………….Eve Gigliotti
Waltraute……………Marjorie Elinor Dix
Conductor……………James Levine
Production…………..Robert Lepage
Associate Director……Neilson Vignola
Set Designer…………Carl Fillion
Costume Designer……..François St-Aubin
Lighting Designer…….Etienne Boucher
Video Image Artist……Boris Firquet
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS / LE ROSSIGNOL / OEDIPUS REX:Stravinsky
Gergiev; Trifonova, Banks, Zifchak / Forbis, Blythe, Nikitin
Original Air Date: 02/21/2004
SID.20150318
The Stravinsky evening as originally done by Levine with Hockney designs and Dexter direction was not as big a hit as the French evening, Parade, from Dexter and Hockney, but I prefer this to Rake’s Progress. Gergiev has a distinctive take on Stravinsky and always worth a listen in the Russian repertoire.
LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS / LE ROSSIGNOL / OEDIPUS REX:Stravinsky
Gergiev; Trifonova, Banks, Zifchak / Forbis, Blythe, Nikitin
Original Air Date: 02/21/2004
SID.20150536
The Stravinsky evening as originally done by Levine with Hockney designs and Dexter direction was not as big a hit as the French evening, Parade, from Dexter and Hockney, but I prefer this to Rake’s Progress. Gergiev has a distinctive take on Stravinsky and always worth a listen in the Russian repertoire.
LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS / LE ROSSIGNOL / OEDIPUS REX:Stravinsky
Gergiev; Trifonova, Banks, Zifchak / Forbis, Blythe, Nikitin
Original Air Date: 02/21/2004
SID.20160101
The Stravinsky evening as originally done by Levine with Hockney designs and Dexter direction was not as big a hit as the French evening, Parade, from Dexter and Hockney, but I prefer this to Rake’s Progress. Gergiev has a distinctive take on Stravinsky and always worth a listen in the Russian repertoire.
RODELINDA:Handel
Summers; Fleming, Scholl, van Rensburg, Blythe, Dumaux, Relyea
Original Air Date: 05/06/2006
MOD Video
SID.20160102
This performance in the second season of the production and Scholl’s first appearance at the Met. There was a third broadcast which includes an HD moviecast of Rodelinda with Fleming and Scholl under Bicket (whom I prefer to Summers) but the intervening 4 years do not benefit either Fleming or Scholl. This video is available also in MOoD so you can compare for yourself. I like Scholl much more than David Daniels so this is my preferred Rodelinda.