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.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19370105
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
LA FILLE DU RÉGIMENT:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 01/06/1973
Bonynge; Sutherland, Pavarotti, Resnik, Corena
MOD Audio SID.19370315
Pavarotti may be a bit tight on the high Cs, but his voice is still remarkable, and this is the only broadcast with the Met premiere roster. Resnik and Corena are preferable to their competition. Sutherland is particularly treasurable. This performance is also available on MOoD *** From 1954 until 1976 Fernando Corena was the only Dr. Bartolo to appear on the Met airwaves. Of all Corena’s distinctive characterizations, none rank higher than Bartolo. It would be worthwhile for the Met to unearth its experimental taping (with NHK of Japan)from November 1968 so people could get a taste of his visuals as well. The byplay of Corena with Horne, as well as familiar bass clef tandem, Tozzi are a special delight. Cesare Siepi made his only Met appearances with Levine the following week ending his Met career succeeding Tozzi. *** Pavarotti appears in a broadcast after his initial success with Sutherland. The Cs are already a bit chancy, but this is still a lot of thoroughbreds having a great time. It is also available in MOoD. *** The Met got a little late to Pavarotti (several years after Covent Garden) in Fille and the C’s are more than a little nervous. Still, this is a fun outing if not as well turned out as the studio recording. *** This is from the second season of FIlle, and Pavarotti’s only broadcast of Tonio. Lots of high spirits.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19370321
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
Donizetti
Original Air Date: 01/06/1973
Bonynge; Sutherland, Pavarotti, Resnik, Corena
MOD Audio SID.19370531
Pavarotti may be a bit tight on the high Cs, but his voice is still remarkable, and this is the only broadcast with the Met premiere roster. Resnik and Corena are preferable to their competition. Sutherland is particularly treasurable. This performance is also available on MOoD From 1954 until 1976 Fernando Corena was the only Dr. Bartolo to appear on the Met airwaves. Of all Corena’s distinctive characterizations, none rank higher than Bartolo. It would be worthwhile for the Met to unearth its experimental taping (with NHK of Japan)from November 1968 so people could get a taste of his visuals as well. The byplay of Corena with Horne, as well as familiar bass clef tandem, Tozzi are a special delight. Cesare Siepi made his only Met appearances with Levine the following week ending his Met career succeeding Tozzi. Pavarotti appears in a broadcast after his initial success with Sutherland. The Cs are already a bit chancy, but this is still a lot of thoroughbreds having a great time. It is also available in MOoD. The Met got a little late to Pavarotti (several years after Covent Garden) in Fille and the C’s are more than a little nervous. Still, this is a fun outing if not as well turned out as the studio recording.
VANESSA:Barber
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
MOD Audio SID.19370638
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
CARMEN:Bizet
Mehta; Resnik, Tucker, Raskin, Díaz
Original Air Date: 03/15/1969
SID.19410103
This is Resnik’s only Carmen broadcast, and Mehta is plenty fiery. Although he had premiered the production with Bumbry, the first season broadcast went to Lombard conducting Bumbry with Tucker and Freni). Resnik’s tone, even for Carmen was a bit worn in 1969, but very stylish. Bing almost could not think of Carmen without Tucker. He has four broadcasts during the 1950s and indeed the first two of the new production in 1968 and 1969. My enjoyment of Tucker’s Jose was always limited by the fact that dramatically Domingo and Vickers were far more satisfying. That he sang one more Jose broadcast in 1972– excepting a Domingo replacement for Vickers in 1972 would have had Tucker as the only Jose on the airwaves from 1958 till 1972 (admittedly Bing took Carmen out of the repertoire from 1960-1967). Certainly few other tenors could have supported such an extended string, and been as strong vocally in 1969 as he was in 1952. I like his excellence in other roles more. It is worth noting here that for Tucker’s 99th birthday, there was supposedly some promise of major Sirius broadcasting. Guess Resnik won that battle this week. Raskin is an ordinary Micaela without the magic that attended her Nannetta or her Mozart at City Opera and her career was cut short by illness and an early passing. Diaz is a replacement for the originally scheduled Merrill, and is OK. Mehta (conductor for life of the Israel Philharmonic, though Zoroastrian) makes this a very Kosher Carmen indeed.
CARMEN:Bizet
Mehta; Resnik, Tucker, Raskin, Díaz
Original Air Date: 03/15/1969
SID.19410318
This is Resnik’s only Carmen broadcast, and Mehta is plenty fiery. Although he had premiered the production with Bumbry, the first season broadcast went to Lombard conducting Bumbry with Tucker and Freni). Resnik’s tone, even for Carmen was a bit worn in 1969, but very stylish. Bing almost could not think of Carmen without Tucker. He has four broadcasts during the 1950s and indeed the first two of the new production in 1968 and 1969. My enjoyment of Tucker’s Jose was always limited by the fact that dramatically Domingo and Vickers were far more satisfying. That he sang one more Jose broadcast in 1972– excepting a Domingo replacement for Vickers in 1972 would have had Tucker as the only Jose on the airwaves from 1958 till 1972 (admittedly Bing took Carmen out of the repertoire from 1960-1967). Certainly few other tenors could have supported such an extended string, and been as strong vocally in 1969 as he was in 1952. I like his excellence in other roles more. It is worth noting here that for Tucker’s 99th birthday, there was supposedly some promise of major Sirius broadcasting. Guess Resnik won that battle this week. Raskin is an ordinary Micaela without the magic that attended her Nannetta or her Mozart at City Opera and her career was cut short by illness and an early passing. Diaz is a replacement for the originally scheduled Merrill, and is OK. Mehta (conductor for life of the Israel Philharmonic, though Zoroastrian) makes this a very Kosher Carmen indeed.
CARMEN:Bizet
Mehta; Resnik, Tucker, Raskin, Díaz
Original Air Date: 03/15/1969
SID.19410534
This is Resnik’s only Carmen broadcast, and Mehta is plenty fiery. Although he had premiered the production with Bumbry, the first season broadcast went to Lombard conducting Bumbry with Tucker and Freni). Resnik’s tone, even for Carmen was a bit worn in 1969, but very stylish. Bing almost could not think of Carmen without Tucker. He has four broadcasts during the 1950s and indeed the first two of the new production in 1968 and 1969. My enjoyment of Tucker’s Jose was always limited by the fact that dramatically Domingo and Vickers were far more satisfying. That he sang one more Jose broadcast in 1972– excepting a Domingo replacement for Vickers in 1972 would have had Tucker as the only Jose on the airwaves from 1958 till 1972 (admittedly Bing took Carmen out of the repertoire from 1960-1967). Certainly few other tenors could have supported such an extended string, and been as strong vocally in 1969 as he was in 1952. I like his excellence in other roles more. It is worth noting here that for Tucker’s 99th birthday, there was supposedly some promise of major Sirius broadcasting. Guess Resnik won that battle this week. Raskin is an ordinary Micaela without the magic that attended her Nannetta or her Mozart at City Opera and her career was cut short by illness and an early passing. Diaz is a replacement for the originally scheduled Merrill, and is OK. Mehta (conductor for life of the Israel Philharmonic, though Zoroastrian) makes this a very Kosher Carmen indeed.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy & Blatt; Resnik, Kullman, Munsel, Sullivan, Thebom, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 12/22/1951
SID.20150105
This is the second season of the hit Fledermaus production, and while I never cared much for Resnik’s soprano outings, she’s an improvement on Piazza. Ormandy comes back for this, but leaves the third act to a repetiteur as he had a Saturday night in Philadelphia with his Orchestra and his real bread and butter. Munsel is still the real star. Brownlee was in practically every Fledermaus until he left the Met.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy & Blatt; Resnik, Kullman, Munsel, Sullivan, Thebom, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 12/22/1951
SID.20150324
This is the second season of the hit Fledermaus production, and while I never cared much for Resnik’s soprano outings, she’s an improvement on Piazza. Ormandy comes back for this, but leaves the third act to a repetiteur as he had a Saturday night in Philadelphia with his Orchestra and his real bread and butter. Munsel is still the real star. Brownlee was in practically every Fledermaus until he left the Met.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Ormandy & Blatt; Resnik, Kullman, Munsel, Sullivan, Thebom, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 12/22/1951
SID.20150642
This is the second season of the hit Fledermaus production, and while I never cared much for Resnik’s soprano outings, she’s an improvement on Piazza. Ormandy comes back for this, but leaves the third act to a repetiteur as he had a Saturday night in Philadelphia with his Orchestra and his real bread and butter. Munsel is still the real star. Brownlee was in practically every Fledermaus until he left the Met.
VANESSA:Barber
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20170214
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
VANESSA:Barber
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20170533
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.
VANESSA:Barber
Mitropoulos; Steber, Gedda, Elias, Resnik, Tozzi
Original Air Date: 02/01/1958
MOD Audio
SID.20170751
Vanessa received its world premiere with this cast two weeks before this broadcast. Though Steber was not the first choice for the title role, she does some of her best broadcast singing on this. The Skating aria (later removed by Barber from the published score) has as many technical hurdles as any of Steber’s Mozart heroines, and she is up to them. The libretto gets its deserved criticisms, but Barber’s music has allowed the work to continue performances if none yet in the Met’s Lincoln Center theatre.