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.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI:Zandonai
Santi; Scotto, Mauro, MacNeil, Lewis
Original Air Date: 02/22/1986
SID.19450316
This performance is Kabaivanska’s Met farewell. Well cast and well conducted, there are two broadcasts of Onegin in 1979 (but different seasons),both with Mazurok and Plishka the only repeats from one to another. This is slightly better. For those who have never encountered Mazurok, his voice is as velvety as Hvorostovsky, and an upper register that definitely has squillo. Wish the Met would transfer one of these Mazurok Onegins to MOoD. Glad that it at least gets a regular Sirius re-hearing. The highlights of this opera are very exciting indeed, and if there is filler along the way, the Met put out one of its most sumptuous productions. Domingo did the first year broadcast and appears on the Met Player video (also on DVD). MacNeil gives a quite over the top performance that could not be replicated– think of Rigoletto on steroids. It’s a small part but you will notice him.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI:Zandonai
Santi; Scotto, Mauro, MacNeil, Lewis
Original Air Date: 02/22/1986
SID.19450636
This performance is Kabaivanska’s Met farewell. Well cast and well conducted, there are two broadcasts of Onegin in 1979 (but different seasons),both with Mazurok and Plishka the only repeats from one to another. This is slightly better. For those who have never encountered Mazurok, his voice is as velvety as Hvorostovsky, and an upper register that definitely has squillo. Wish the Met would transfer one of these Mazurok Onegins to MOoD. Glad that it at least gets a regular Sirius re-hearing. The highlights of this opera are very exciting indeed, and if there is filler along the way, the Met put out one of its most sumptuous productions. Domingo did the first year broadcast and appears on the Met Player video (also on DVD). MacNeil gives a quite over the top performance that could not be replicated– think of Rigoletto on steroids. It’s a small part but you will notice him.
FRANCESCA DA RIMINI:Zandonai
Santi; Scotto, Mauro, MacNeil, Lewis
Original Air Date: 02/22/1986
SID.19450638
This performance is Kabaivanska’s Met farewell. Well cast and well conducted, there are two broadcasts of Onegin in 1979 (but different seasons),both with Mazurok and Plishka the only repeats from one to another. This is slightly better. For those who have never encountered Mazurok, his voice is as velvety as Hvorostovsky, and an upper register that definitely has squillo. Wish the Met would transfer one of these Mazurok Onegins to MOoD. Glad that it at least gets a regular Sirius re-hearing. The highlights of this opera are very exciting indeed, and if there is filler along the way, the Met put out one of its most sumptuous productions. Domingo did the first year broadcast and appears on the Met Player video (also on DVD). MacNeil gives a quite over the top performance that could not be replicated– think of Rigoletto on steroids. It’s a small part but you will notice him.
Verdi
Levine; Tomowa-Sintow, Pavarotti, Cossotto, Manuguerra, Kavrakos
Original Air Date: 03/29/1986
SID.19520106
This is Pavarotti’s third performance at the Met as Radames and first broadcast, and surprisingly it is NOT on MOoD. Tomowa-Sintow is strong casting for Aida, but it’s getting late for Cossotto whose only 2 broadcast Amnerises from the Met are the Price farewell in 1985 and this performance a few months later. Manuguerra is an Amonasro such as we can only dream about today. Pavarotti has a second broadcast 15 years later with Voigt Borodina, and Delavan. I think this 1986 performance is more deserving of immortalization (but at the minimum should be included). I would also note this is the last broadcast of Robert Nagy asMessenger,though he does another dozen over the coming year. His 172 total is the Met record exceeding by a healthy margin Pietro Audisio at 113 and Giordano Paltrinieri (100) both from early in the century. Met operagoers for almost 4 decades heard (it was one of the more penetrating voices to ever grace the Met stage and who went on to leads such as Emperor in Frau and 3 Otellos on the Met tour in 1972 replacing McCracken.
Verdi
Levine; Tomowa-Sintow, Pavarotti, Cossotto, Manuguerra, Kavrakos
Original Air Date: 03/29/1986
SID.19520317
This is Pavarotti’s third performance at the Met as Radames and first broadcast, and surprisingly it is NOT on MOoD. Tomowa-Sintow is strong casting for Aida, but it’s getting late for Cossotto whose only 2 broadcast Amnerises from the Met are the Price farewell in 1985 and this performance a few months later. Manuguerra is an Amonasro such as we can only dream about today. Pavarotti has a second broadcast 15 years later with Voigt Borodina, and Delavan. I think this 1986 performance is more deserving of immortalization (but at the minimum should be included). I would also note this is the last broadcast of Robert Nagy asMessenger,though he does another dozen over the coming year. His 172 total is the Met record exceeding by a healthy margin Pietro Audisio at 113 and Giordano Paltrinieri (100) both from early in the century. Met operagoers for almost 4 decades heard (it was one of the more penetrating voices to ever grace the Met stage and who went on to leads such as Emperor in Frau and 3 Otellos on the Met tour in 1972 replacing McCracken.
Verdi
Levine; Tomowa-Sintow, Pavarotti, Cossotto, Manuguerra, Kavrakos
Original Air Date: 03/29/1986
SID.19520533
This is Pavarotti’s third performance at the Met as Radames and first broadcast, and surprisingly it is NOT on MOoD. Tomowa-Sintow is strong casting for Aida, but it’s getting late for Cossotto whose only 2 broadcast Amnerises from the Met are the Price farewell in 1985 and this performance a few months later. Manuguerra is an Amonasro such as we can only dream about today. Pavarotti has a second broadcast 15 years later with Voigt Borodina, and Delavan. I think this 1986 performance is more deserving of immortalization (but at the minimum should be included). I would also note this is the last broadcast of Robert Nagy asMessenger,though he does another dozen over the coming year. His 172 total is the Met record exceeding by a healthy margin Pietro Audisio at 113 and Giordano Paltrinieri (100) both from early in the century. Met operagoers for almost 4 decades heard (it was one of the more penetrating voices to ever grace the Met stage and who went on to leads such as Emperor in Frau and 3 Otellos on the Met tour in 1972 replacing McCracken.
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Levine; Raimondi, Battle, Vaness, Allen, von Stade
Original Air Date: 12/14/1985
MOD VideoMOD Audio
SID.20030210
This performance surfaced in its video format both on MOoD, and in the Levine 40th anniversary DVD box. This is a Ponnelle production, and has its usual pluses and minuses. Vaness misses just a bit of superstar quality (her Fiordiligi and Donna Anna are more distinctive). Raimondi is not my favorite singer, but Levine is at his best in Mozart and the ensemble is very strong. I’ve enjoyed re-acquainting myself with this performance over the last year and have played it several times. This is his first season of Figaro at the Met, an opera he would conduct more than 77 times in 3 new productions (Ponnelle, Jonathan Miller, Richard Eyre.). Amazingly 3 of the matinee broadcasts have not been done again. For the record: March 21, 1992 features Upshaw , Schuman, Von Stade, Furlanetto, Hampson, Moll December 5, 1998 features Bonney/Guyer, Lott, Mentzer, Croft, Terfel Feb. 12, 2005 features Rost, Watson, Perez, Relyea, Kwiecien. One run of Nozze with Levine was not broadcast and that featured Dorothea Roschmann and Anja Harteros in their Met debuts. I remember these performances very well, and in the current Gelb/Sirius era, we would have had at least one if not a couple of these on the radio, The 1992 would be especially welcome for the Furlanetto/Hampson combination (which is also on their complete DG recording).
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Levine; Raimondi, Battle, Vaness, Allen, von Stade
Original Air Date: 12/14/1985
MOD VideoMOD Audio
SID.20030426
This performance surfaced in its video format both on MOoD, and in the Levine 40th anniversary DVD box. This is a Ponnelle production, and has its usual pluses and minuses. Vaness misses just a bit of superstar quality (her Fiordiligi and Donna Anna are more distinctive). Raimondi is not my favorite singer, but Levine is at his best in Mozart and the ensemble is very strong. I’ve enjoyed re-acquainting myself with this performance over the last year and have played it several times. This is his first season of Figaro at the Met, an opera he would conduct more than 77 times in 3 new productions (Ponnelle, Jonathan Miller, Richard Eyre.). Amazingly 3 of the matinee broadcasts have not been done again. For the record: March 21, 1992 features Upshaw , Schuman, Von Stade, Furlanetto, Hampson, Moll December 5, 1998 features Bonney/Guyer, Lott, Mentzer, Croft, Terfel Feb. 12, 2005 features Rost, Watson, Perez, Relyea, Kwiecien. One run of Nozze with Levine was not broadcast and that featured Dorothea Roschmann and Anja Harteros in their Met debuts. I remember these performances very well, and in the current Gelb/Sirius era, we would have had at least one if not a couple of these on the radio, The 1992 would be especially welcome for the Furlanetto/Hampson combination (which is also on their complete DG recording).
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Levine; Raimondi, Battle, Vaness, Allen, von Stade
Original Air Date: 12/14/1985
MOD VideoMOD Audio
SID.20030640
This performance surfaced in its video format both on MOoD, and in the Levine 40th anniversary DVD box. This is a Ponnelle production, and has its usual pluses and minuses. Vaness misses just a bit of superstar quality (her Fiordiligi and Donna Anna are more distinctive). Raimondi is not my favorite singer, but Levine is at his best in Mozart and the ensemble is very strong. I’ve enjoyed re-acquainting myself with this performance over the last year and have played it several times. This is his first season of Figaro at the Met, an opera he would conduct more than 77 times in 3 new productions (Ponnelle, Jonathan Miller, Richard Eyre.). Amazingly 3 of the matinee broadcasts have not been done again. For the record: March 21, 1992 features Upshaw , Schuman, Von Stade, Furlanetto, Hampson, Moll December 5, 1998 features Bonney/Guyer, Lott, Mentzer, Croft, Terfel Feb. 12, 2005 features Rost, Watson, Perez, Relyea, Kwiecien. One run of Nozze with Levine was not broadcast and that featured Dorothea Roschmann and Anja Harteros in their Met debuts. I remember these performances very well, and in the current Gelb/Sirius era, we would have had at least one if not a couple of these on the radio, The 1992 would be especially welcome for the Furlanetto/Hampson combination (which is also on their complete DG recording).
SAMSON:Handel
Rudel; Vickers, Mitchell, Te Kanawa
Original Air Date: 03/01/1986
SID.20040315
The Met did a “big house” Handel for Vickers, no HIP around here; it’s a particular treat to have Te Kanawa as the Israelite Woman. Vickers’ final two Met broadcasts are this Samson and the Saint-Saens Samson et Dalila with Horne. Neither are represented on MOoD and he never broadcast his Don Jose (one was scheduled in 1971 replaced by Domingo) Major lacunae for one of the all time Met legends.
SAMSON:Handel
Rudel; Vickers, Mitchell, Te Kanawa
Original Air Date: 03/01/1986
SID.20040427
The Met did a “big house” Handel for Vickers, no HIP around here; it’s a particular treat to have Te Kanawa as the Israelite Woman. Vickers’ final two Met broadcasts are this Samson and the Saint-Saens Samson et Dalila with Horne. Neither are represented on MOoD and he never broadcast his Don Jose (one was scheduled in 1971 replaced by Domingo) Major lacunae for one of the all time Met legends.
SAMSON:Handel
Rudel; Vickers, Mitchell, Te Kanawa
Original Air Date: 03/01/1986
SID.20040746
The Met did a “big house” Handel for Vickers, no HIP around here; it’s a particular treat to have Te Kanawa as the Israelite Woman. Vickers’ final two Met broadcasts are this Samson and the Saint-Saens Samson et Dalila with Horne. Neither are represented on MOoD and he never broadcast his Don Jose (one was scheduled in 1971 replaced by Domingo) Major lacunae for one of the all time Met legends.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Levine; Taddei, Neblett, Monk, Cossotto, Blegen, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 03/08/1986
MOD Audio
SID.20050316
Its particularly good to have this performance back on the radio. Taddei and Cossotto make a most interesting pair, and I’m sorry she did not do more of the part. I don’t have strong memories of Neblett and Monk. Taddei who came very late to the Met did this run of Falstaff followed by a run in L’elisir which was broadcast and has been on Sirius. If they run that performance again I will check it out. Taddei’s actual Met farewell is as Dulcamara in Met in the Pennsauken Cooper River Park in New Jersey with Hong as his Adina. Taddei appeared as both Scarpia and Rigoletto in Philadelphia (both with Tucker) and I also saw his Leporello in Dallas (with Sutherland and the EMI gang), Germont (with Callas) and much later Leporello again in San Francisco with Siepi. The Met was not starving for good baritones in those days, so we got too little of him and very late. He has a nice non-Met legacy of studio and live performances. He died at 93 June 2, 2010.
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Levine; Taddei, Neblett, Monk, Cossotto, Blegen, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 03/08/1986
MOD Audio
SID.20050636
Its particularly good to have this performance back on the radio. Taddei and Cossotto make a most interesting pair, and I’m sorry she did not do more of the part. I don’t have strong memories of Neblett and Monk. Taddei who came very late to the Met did this run of Falstaff followed by a run in L’elisir which was broadcast and has been on Sirius. If they run that performance again I will check it out. Taddei’s actual Met farewell is as Dulcamara in Met in the Pennsauken Cooper River Park in New Jersey with Hong as his Adina. Taddei appeared as both Scarpia and Rigoletto in Philadelphia (both with Tucker) and I also saw his Leporello in Dallas (with Sutherland and the EMI gang), Germont (with Callas) and much later Leporello again in San Francisco with Siepi. The Met was not starving for good baritones in those days, so we got too little of him and very late. He has a nice non-Met legacy of studio and live performances. He died at 93 June 2, 2010.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Levine; Horne, Ahlstedt, Montarsolo, Monk
Original Air Date: 01/04/1986
MOD Video
SID.20110107
This performance precedes the telecast by one week and that telecast is available in MOoD. For me, the distinction of the performance is mostly Montarsolo. Isabella is Horne’s second most performed role at 37 (Carmen unsurprisingly is first at 49) Her 3d is Adalgisa in Norma (all with Sutherland). MOD is 1/11/86 performance with same cast.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Levine; Horne, Ahlstedt, Montarsolo, Monk
Original Air Date: 01/04/1986
MOD Video
SID.20110316
This performance precedes the telecast by one week and that telecast is available in MOoD. For me, the distinction of the performance is mostly Montarsolo. Isabella is Horne’s second most performed role at 37 (Carmen unsurprisingly is first at 49) Her 3d is Adalgisa in Norma (all with Sutherland). MOD is 1/11/86 performance with same cast.
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Levine; Horne, Ahlstedt, Montarsolo, Monk
Original Air Date: 01/04/1986
MOD Video
SID.20110748
This performance precedes the telecast by one week and that telecast is available in MOoD. For me, the distinction of the performance is mostly Montarsolo. Isabella is Horne’s second most performed role at 37 (Carmen unsurprisingly is first at 49) Her 3d is Adalgisa in Norma (all with Sutherland). MOD is 1/11/86 performance with same cast.