2019 Summer HD Festival

FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 01/04/1958
Morel; Gedda, Güden, Hines, Merrill, Roggero
MOD Audio SID.19360211
Gedda (in his first season and his first broadcast) is extremely fine. This performance is also available on MOoD. The other bulwark is Robert Merrill’s Valentin. Guden and Hines are OK, but certainly not the first interpreter you would want to hear. Gedda and Merrill are top drawer, better stlll are several Marguerites to Guden, and Hines while earnest is far from Siepi’s league. Siepi has not one but TWO broadcast Fausts from the Met with Bjorling– 1950 and 1959 and these are long overdue for retransmission and listing in MOoD. Siepi has six broadcast Mephistopheles, only two of which have been on Sirius, the 1955 with Peerce and De Los Angeles and Merrill (also on MOoD) and 1964 with Morell and Moffo. This has been on before and Gedda and Merrill certainly are very fine in their parts, but the continue avoidance of the TWO Bjoerling (1950 and 1959 my preference is for 1959) broadcasts is a big gap in the Met broadcast legacy on Sirius. Where is the 1949 with Kirsten and DiStefano. The Morel is also on Met Player.

FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 01/04/1958
Morel; Gedda, Güden, Hines, Merrill, Roggero
MOD Audio SID.19360427
Gedda (in his first season and his first broadcast) is extremely fine. This performance is also available on MOoD. The other bulwark is Robert Merrill’s Valentin. Guden and Hines are OK, but certainly not the first interpreter you would want to hear. Gedda and Merrill are top drawer, better stlll are several Marguerites to Guden, and Hines while earnest is far from Siepi’s league. Siepi has not one but TWO broadcast Fausts from the Met with Bjorling– 1950 and 1959 and these are long overdue for retransmission and listing in MOoD. Siepi has six broadcast Mephistopheles, only two of which have been on Sirius, the 1955 with Peerce and De Los Angeles and Merrill (also on MOoD) and 1964 with Morell and Moffo. This has been on before and Gedda and Merrill certainly are very fine in their parts, but the continue avoidance of the TWO Bjoerling (1950 and 1959 my preference is for 1959) broadcasts is a big gap in the Met broadcast legacy on Sirius. Where is the 1949 with Kirsten and DiStefano. The Morel is also on Met Player.

FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 01/04/1958
Morel; Gedda, Güden, Hines, Merrill, Roggero
MOD Audio SID.19360637
Gedda (in his first season and his first broadcast) is extremely fine. This performance is also available on MOoD. The other bulwark is Robert Merrill’s Valentin. Guden and Hines are OK, but certainly not the first interpreter you would want to hear. Gedda and Merrill are top drawer, better stlll are several Marguerites to Guden, and Hines while earnest is far from Siepi’s league. Siepi has not one but TWO broadcast Fausts from the Met with Bjorling– 1950 and 1959 and these are long overdue for retransmission and listing in MOoD. Siepi has six broadcast Mephistopheles, only two of which have been on Sirius, the 1955 with Peerce and De Los Angeles and Merrill (also on MOoD) and 1964 with Morell and Moffo. This has been on before and Gedda and Merrill certainly are very fine in their parts, but the continue avoidance of the TWO Bjoerling (1950 and 1959 my preference is for 1959) broadcasts is a big gap in the Met broadcast legacy on Sirius. Where is the 1949 with Kirsten and DiStefano. The Morel is also on Met Player.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/06/1986
Domingo; Kraus, Gasdia, Plishka, Harris, Schexnayder
MOD Audio SID.19370104
This broadcast documents Gasdia’s only season at the Met. The run, Kraus’ only times in Romeo at the Met, also featured six performances with Soviero, whom I would have preferred in the broadcast.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/06/1986
Domingo; Kraus, Gasdia, Plishka, Harris, Schexnayder
MOD Audio SID.19370320
This broadcast documents Gasdia’s only season at the Met. The run, Kraus’ only times in Romeo at the Met, also featured six performances with Soviero, whom I would have preferred in the broadcast.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/06/1986
Domingo; Kraus, Gasdia, Plishka, Harris, Schexnayder
MOD Audio SID.19370530
This broadcast documents Gasdia’s only season at the Met. The run, Kraus’ only times in Romeo at the Met, also featured six performances with Soviero, whom I would have preferred in the broadcast.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Original Air Date: 12/06/1986
Domingo; Kraus, Gasdia, Plishka, Harris, Schexnayder
MOD Audio SID.19370749
This broadcast documents Gasdia’s only season at the Met. The run, Kraus’ only times in Romeo at the Met, also featured six performances with Soviero, whom I would have preferred in the broadcast.

FAUST:Gounod
Rich; Domingo, Zylis-Gara, Tozzi, Sereni, von Stade
Original Air Date: 02/26/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400209
This over-programmed Faust is on again, but there are so many better Fausts on the shelf. Domingo is better than expected in one of his early broadcasts, but Tozzi, a Met stalwart, is in poor form. Mercifully, the rotation has slowed down on this performance. There are a number of excellent Fausts, 2 with Bjorling (and Siepi) which Sirius has never played, and there are several much better Fausts in the Sirius rotation. This one does not deserve such airplay. Nicolai Gedda is third in all-time performances (42) as Faust surpassed only by Jean de Reszke at 71 and Giovanni Martinelli at 56, and yet is represented by only one Faust broadcast in MOoD and Sirius reports replay of the 1972, but neither his 1966 or 1969 with interesting casts have been heard on either. Gedda was a Met star tenor for two decades, and we mostly hear him in Vanessa (where he is remarkable), but he was the leading Faust in the world with the passing of Bjorling his Swedish countryman.

FAUST:Gounod
Rich; Domingo, Zylis-Gara, Tozzi, Sereni, von Stade
Original Air Date: 02/26/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400424
This over-programmed Faust is on again, but there are so many better Fausts on the shelf. Domingo is better than expected in one of his early broadcasts, but Tozzi, a Met stalwart, is in poor form. Mercifully, the rotation has slowed down on this performance. There are a number of excellent Fausts, 2 with Bjorling (and Siepi) which Sirius has never played, and there are several much better Fausts in the Sirius rotation. This one does not deserve such airplay. Nicolai Gedda is third in all-time performances (42) as Faust surpassed only by Jean de Reszke at 71 and Giovanni Martinelli at 56, and yet is represented by only one Faust broadcast in MOoD and Sirius reports replay of the 1972, but neither his 1966 or 1969 with interesting casts have been heard on either. Gedda was a Met star tenor for two decades, and we mostly hear him in Vanessa (where he is remarkable), but he was the leading Faust in the world with the passing of Bjorling his Swedish countryman.

FAUST:Gounod
Rich; Domingo, Zylis-Gara, Tozzi, Sereni, von Stade
Original Air Date: 02/26/1972
MOD Audio
SID.19400639
This over-programmed Faust is on again, but there are so many better Fausts on the shelf. Domingo is better than expected in one of his early broadcasts, but Tozzi, a Met stalwart, is in poor form. Mercifully, the rotation has slowed down on this performance. There are a number of excellent Fausts, 2 with Bjorling (and Siepi) which Sirius has never played, and there are several much better Fausts in the Sirius rotation. This one does not deserve such airplay. Nicolai Gedda is third in all-time performances (42) as Faust surpassed only by Jean de Reszke at 71 and Giovanni Martinelli at 56, and yet is represented by only one Faust broadcast in MOoD and Sirius reports replay of the 1972, but neither his 1966 or 1969 with interesting casts have been heard on either. Gedda was a Met star tenor for two decades, and we mostly hear him in Vanessa (where he is remarkable), but he was the leading Faust in the world with the passing of Bjorling his Swedish countryman.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Molinari-Pradelli; Gedda, Freni, Macurdy, Baldwin, Reardon
Original Air Date: 04/13/1968

SID.19440209
Molinari-Pradelli is an improvement on Domingo in the pit, but others are still much better. Gedda and Freni are not ideal, but it’s a wonderful memory of her youthful singing at the Met, and she is more alive on the broadcast than in the studio (and many performances) with Corelli.

FAUST:Gounod
Beecham; Jobin, Albanese, Pinza, Thomas, Browning
Original Air Date: 01/30/1943

SID.19440211
J Woolf: Pinza is, of course, magnificent and Jobin matches him for much of the time – though not all of the time, which is where Kullman scored over him. Albanese is a character actress of real repute though the voice itself is inclined to take on a slightly mezzo-ish depth. Never mind, she has the dramatic instincts in place. The smaller roles are well taken and that leaves Beecham. Well, he was never rocket propelled in this work and generally encouraged leisurely tempi. Though as he would doubtless be the first to point out, the average ear confuses speed and rhythm – and Beecham’s rhythmic underpinning here is sure, his conception of the work as a whole splendidly realised. Right from the start one can admire his direction of the Act I introduction – so flexible and winning. The Chorus comes in – somewhat distant but adequate for a private recording of this kind. Jobin is first – ringing and declamatory, superb rhythm and articulation of phrases, subtle highlighting of lyric peaks and troughs. Then Pinza, simply wonderful with great depth of tone across his range – characterisation without exaggeration. I wouldn’t make too much of Singher’s problems but he is unsteady in O toi in Act II (and going up in the Invocation). In fact so is another voice – the prompter, I assume, who can be clearly heard – and crikey is he a busy man. Beecham sounds to be enjoying the grand seignorial swagger behind Pinza in the Rondo – though, a warning to those who are expecting the moon; the sound is a bit crude along the way. The Met strings sound on good, spruce Gallic form in Nous nous retrouverons, mes amis and indeed they cultivate a bright and crisp impression all round; the Chorus too sounds well trained for the occasion. As for Jobin’s Salut! Demeure chaste et pure it’s not so bad – it’s not virile in the way Kullman is but more soft grained and intimate; less effusively romantic. No, I don’t think Albanese sounds youthful enough in the Chanson du Roi de Thulé but she shows signs of her impersonation to come later on; careful and clever singing and acting, as well as tonally frequently resplendent on her own terms. Let’s finish with Thelma Votipka and Lucielle Browning who tend to be edged out of discussions given the excellence of the principals. Browning is consistently good and Votipka shows in her Act III Que vois-je, Signeur Dieu! just how strong a cast this was – witty and perfectly characterised.
Read more: www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Feb04/Gounod_Faust_Beecham.htm#ixzz63cACqnby

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Molinari-Pradelli; Gedda, Freni, Macurdy, Baldwin, Reardon
Original Air Date: 04/13/1968

SID.19440425
Molinari-Pradelli is an improvement on Domingo in the pit, but others are still much better. Gedda and Freni are not ideal, but it’s a wonderful memory of her youthful singing at the Met, and she is more alive on the broadcast than in the studio (and many performances) with Corelli.

FAUST:Gounod
Beecham; Jobin, Albanese, Pinza, Thomas, Browning
Original Air Date: 01/30/1943
SID.19440427
J Woolf: Pinza is, of course, magnificent and Jobin matches him for much of the time – though not all of the time, which is where Kullman scored over him. Albanese is a character actress of real repute though the voice itself is inclined to take on a slightly mezzo-ish depth. Never mind, she has the dramatic instincts in place. The smaller roles are well taken and that leaves Beecham. Well, he was never rocket propelled in this work and generally encouraged leisurely tempi. Though as he would doubtless be the first to point out, the average ear confuses speed and rhythm – and Beecham’s rhythmic underpinning here is sure, his conception of the work as a whole splendidly realised. Right from the start one can admire his direction of the Act I introduction – so flexible and winning. The Chorus comes in – somewhat distant but adequate for a private recording of this kind. Jobin is first – ringing and declamatory, superb rhythm and articulation of phrases, subtle highlighting of lyric peaks and troughs. Then Pinza, simply wonderful with great depth of tone across his range – characterisation without exaggeration. I wouldn’t make too much of Singher’s problems but he is unsteady in O toi in Act II (and going up in the Invocation). In fact so is another voice – the prompter, I assume, who can be clearly heard – and crikey is he a busy man. Beecham sounds to be enjoying the grand seignorial swagger behind Pinza in the Rondo – though, a warning to those who are expecting the moon; the sound is a bit crude along the way. The Met strings sound on good, spruce Gallic form in Nous nous retrouverons, mes amis and indeed they cultivate a bright and crisp impression all round; the Chorus too sounds well trained for the occasion. As for Jobin’s Salut! Demeure chaste et pure it’s not so bad – it’s not virile in the way Kullman is but more soft grained and intimate; less effusively romantic. No, I don’t think Albanese sounds youthful enough in the Chanson du Roi de Thulé but she shows signs of her impersonation to come later on; careful and clever singing and acting, as well as tonally frequently resplendent on her own terms. Let’s finish with Thelma Votipka and Lucielle Browning who tend to be edged out of discussions given the excellence of the principals. Browning is consistently good and Votipka shows in her Act III Que vois-je, Signeur Dieu! just how strong a cast this was – witty and perfectly characterised.
Read more: www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Feb04/Gounod_Faust_Beecham.htm#ixzz63cACqnby

FAUST:Gounod
Beecham; Jobin, Albanese, Pinza, Thomas, Browning
Original Air Date: 01/30/1943
SID.19440637
J Woolf: Pinza is, of course, magnificent and Jobin matches him for much of the time – though not all of the time, which is where Kullman scored over him. Albanese is a character actress of real repute though the voice itself is inclined to take on a slightly mezzo-ish depth. Never mind, she has the dramatic instincts in place. The smaller roles are well taken and that leaves Beecham. Well, he was never rocket propelled in this work and generally encouraged leisurely tempi. Though as he would doubtless be the first to point out, the average ear confuses speed and rhythm – and Beecham’s rhythmic underpinning here is sure, his conception of the work as a whole splendidly realised. Right from the start one can admire his direction of the Act I introduction – so flexible and winning. The Chorus comes in – somewhat distant but adequate for a private recording of this kind. Jobin is first – ringing and declamatory, superb rhythm and articulation of phrases, subtle highlighting of lyric peaks and troughs. Then Pinza, simply wonderful with great depth of tone across his range – characterisation without exaggeration. I wouldn’t make too much of Singher’s problems but he is unsteady in O toi in Act II (and going up in the Invocation). In fact so is another voice – the prompter, I assume, who can be clearly heard – and crikey is he a busy man. Beecham sounds to be enjoying the grand seignorial swagger behind Pinza in the Rondo – though, a warning to those who are expecting the moon; the sound is a bit crude along the way. The Met strings sound on good, spruce Gallic form in Nous nous retrouverons, mes amis and indeed they cultivate a bright and crisp impression all round; the Chorus too sounds well trained for the occasion. As for Jobin’s Salut! Demeure chaste et pure it’s not so bad – it’s not virile in the way Kullman is but more soft grained and intimate; less effusively romantic. No, I don’t think Albanese sounds youthful enough in the Chanson du Roi de Thulé but she shows signs of her impersonation to come later on; careful and clever singing and acting, as well as tonally frequently resplendent on her own terms. Let’s finish with Thelma Votipka and Lucielle Browning who tend to be edged out of discussions given the excellence of the principals. Browning is consistently good and Votipka shows in her Act III Que vois-je, Signeur Dieu! just how strong a cast this was – witty and perfectly characterised.
Read more: www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Feb04/Gounod_Faust_Beecham.htm#ixzz63cACqnby

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Molinari-Pradelli; Gedda, Freni, Macurdy, Baldwin, Reardon
Original Air Date: 04/13/1968

SID.19440641
Molinari-Pradelli is an improvement on Domingo in the pit, but others are still much better. Gedda and Freni are not ideal, but it’s a wonderful memory of her youthful singing at the Met, and she is more alive on the broadcast than in the studio (and many performances) with Corelli.

FAUST:Gounod
Beecham; Jobin, Albanese, Pinza, Thomas, Browning
Original Air Date: 01/30/1943

SID.19450101
J Woolf: Pinza is, of course, magnificent and Jobin matches him for much of the time – though not all of the time, which is where Kullman scored over him. Albanese is a character actress of real repute though the voice itself is inclined to take on a slightly mezzo-ish depth. Never mind, she has the dramatic instincts in place. The smaller roles are well taken and that leaves Beecham. Well, he was never rocket propelled in this work and generally encouraged leisurely tempi. Though as he would doubtless be the first to point out, the average ear confuses speed and rhythm – and Beecham’s rhythmic underpinning here is sure, his conception of the work as a whole splendidly realised. Right from the start one can admire his direction of the Act I introduction – so flexible and winning. The Chorus comes in – somewhat distant but adequate for a private recording of this kind. Jobin is first – ringing and declamatory, superb rhythm and articulation of phrases, subtle highlighting of lyric peaks and troughs. Then Pinza, simply wonderful with great depth of tone across his range – characterisation without exaggeration. I wouldn’t make too much of Singher’s problems but he is unsteady in O toi in Act II (and going up in the Invocation). In fact so is another voice – the prompter, I assume, who can be clearly heard – and crikey is he a busy man. Beecham sounds to be enjoying the grand seignorial swagger behind Pinza in the Rondo – though, a warning to those who are expecting the moon; the sound is a bit crude along the way. The Met strings sound on good, spruce Gallic form in Nous nous retrouverons, mes amis and indeed they cultivate a bright and crisp impression all round; the Chorus too sounds well trained for the occasion. As for Jobin’s Salut! Demeure chaste et pure it’s not so bad – it’s not virile in the way Kullman is but more soft grained and intimate; less effusively romantic. No, I don’t think Albanese sounds youthful enough in the Chanson du Roi de Thulé but she shows signs of her impersonation to come later on; careful and clever singing and acting, as well as tonally frequently resplendent on her own terms. Let’s finish with Thelma Votipka and Lucielle Browning who tend to be edged out of discussions given the excellence of the principals. Browning is consistently good and Votipka shows in her Act III Que vois-je, Signeur Dieu! just how strong a cast this was – witty and perfectly characterised.

Gounod
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.19480107
Nezet-Seguin’s conducting was one of the best things he’s done at the Met, and both Kaufmann and Pape were excellent if not exactly erasing aural memories of Bjorling and Siepi (1950 and 1959). The two blots for me were Poplavskaya as Marguerite and the misconceived production by Des McAnuff which will not disturb listening.

Gounod
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.19480319
Nezet-Seguin’s conducting was one of the best things he’s done at the Met, and both Kaufmann and Pape were excellent if not exactly erasing aural memories of Bjorling and Siepi (1950 and 1959). The two blots for me were Poplavskaya as Marguerite and the misconceived production by Des McAnuff which will not disturb listening.

Gounod
Nézet-Séguin; Kaufmann, Poplavskaya, Pape, Braun, Losier
Original Air Date: 12/10/2011
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.19480637
Nezet-Seguin’s conducting was one of the best things he’s done at the Met, and both Kaufmann and Pape were excellent if not exactly erasing aural memories of Bjorling and Siepi (1950 and 1959). The two blots for me were Poplavskaya as Marguerite and the misconceived production by Des McAnuff which will not disturb listening.

FAUST:Gounod
Rudel; Leech, Fleming, Ramey, Croft, Bunnell
Original Air Date: 04/05/1997
MOD Audio
SID.20040210
This is a fine performance with all performers at full throttle. Rudel has conducted his share of Fausts (many more at the NYCO than the Met), and I reacted most positively to the last time it was on. Fleming is in especially fine form. It’s one of her best roles –her best predecessor as Marguerite was Freni, who only did the part with the Met in the fall of 1966 and thus never broadcast it. Mention should be made of two other fine Marguerites Diania Soviero whose 1991 broacast has been picked up by Sirius and Pilar Lorengar’s 1969 broadcast with Gedda, Siepi, and Merrill under Silvio Varviso which has not been on Sirius and certainly deserves coverage.

FAUST:Gounod
Rudel; Leech, Fleming, Ramey, Croft, Bunnell
Original Air Date: 04/05/1997
MOD Audio
SID.20040426
This is a fine performance with all performers at full throttle. Rudel has conducted his share of Fausts (many more at the NYCO than the Met), and I reacted most positively to the last time it was on. Fleming is in especially fine form. It’s one of her best roles –her best predecessor as Marguerite was Freni, who only did the part with the Met in the fall of 1966 and thus never broadcast it. Mention should be made of two other fine Marguerites Diania Soviero whose 1991 broacast has been picked up by Sirius and Pilar Lorengar’s 1969 broadcast with Gedda, Siepi, and Merrill under Silvio Varviso which has not been on Sirius and certainly deserves coverage.

FAUST:Gounod
Rudel; Leech, Fleming, Ramey, Croft, Bunnell
Original Air Date: 04/05/1997
MOD Audio
SID.20040642
This is a fine performance with all performers at full throttle. Rudel has conducted his share of Fausts (many more at the NYCO than the Met), and I reacted most positively to the last time it was on. Fleming is in especially fine form. It’s one of her best roles –her best predecessor as Marguerite was Freni, who only did the part with the Met in the fall of 1966 and thus never broadcast it. Mention should be made of two other fine Marguerites Diania Soviero whose 1991 broacast has been picked up by Sirius and Pilar Lorengar’s 1969 broadcast with Gedda, Siepi, and Merrill under Silvio Varviso which has not been on Sirius and certainly deserves coverage.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Cooper; Sayão, Bjorling,, Brownlee, Moscona
Original Air Date: 02/01/1947
MOD Audio
SID.20050104
One of the greatest performances to ever emanate from the Met stage. Available on Met Player, SonyCD, and despite the AM sound, Bjorling sings his second and last Met Romeo for the broadcast airwaves. Sayao with somewhat more limited vocal artillery is still every bit his equal artistically, and this performance comes pretty close to universal. If you haven’t heard it in some time, take a listen.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Cooper; Sayão, Bjorling,, Brownlee, Moscona
Original Air Date: 02/01/1947
MOD Audio
SID.20050423
One of the greatest performances to ever emanate from the Met stage. Available on Met Player, SonyCD, and despite the AM sound, Bjorling sings his second and last Met Romeo for the broadcast airwaves. Sayao with somewhat more limited vocal artillery is still every bit his equal artistically, and this performance comes pretty close to universal. If you haven’t heard it in some time, take a listen.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Molinari-Pradelli; Gedda, Freni, Macurdy, Baldwin, Reardon
Original Air Date: 04/13/1968
MOD Audio
SID.20080102
Molinari-Pradelli is an improvement on Domingo in the pit, but others are still much better. Gedda and Freni are not ideal, but it’s a wonderful memory of her youthful singing at the Met, and she is more alive on the broadcast than in the studio (and many performances) with Corelli.

ROMÉO ET JULIETTE:Gounod
Molinari-Pradelli; Gedda, Freni, Macurdy, Baldwin, Reardon
Original Air Date: 04/13/1968
MOD Audio
SID.20080318
Molinari-Pradelli is an improvement on Domingo in the pit, but others are still much better. Gedda and Freni are not ideal, but it’s a wonderful memory of her youthful singing at the Met, and she is more alive on the broadcast than in the studio (and many performances) with Corelli.