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.
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: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.
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: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.
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: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.
JENUFA:Janácek
Nelson; Kubiak, Varnay, Vickers, Lewis, Kraft
Original Air Date: 12/21/1974
SID.19450209
This performance is in English, which is a rarity on Sirius since almost no translations are ever heard. The standout performance for me is Jon Vickers as Laca. The giant disappointment was Varnay’s Kostelnicka. Kniplova (native Czech, but singing in German with Hamburg) in this pivotal role, but Varnay was a dud dramatically and vocally. Kubiak’s English is surprisingly adequate, and overall I enjoy listening to this performance.
JENUFA:Janácek
Nelson; Kubiak, Varnay, Vickers, Lewis, Kraft
Original Air Date: 12/21/1974
SID.19450529
This performance is in English, which is a rarity on Sirius since almost no translations are ever heard. The standout performance for me is Jon Vickers as Laca. The giant disappointment was Varnay’s Kostelnicka. Kniplova (native Czech, but singing in German with Hamburg) in this pivotal role, but Varnay was a dud dramatically and vocally. Kubiak’s English is surprisingly adequate, and overall I enjoy listening to this performance.
JENUFA:Janácek
Nelson; Kubiak, Varnay, Vickers, Lewis, Kraft
Original Air Date: 12/21/1974
SID.19450640
This performance is in English, which is a rarity on Sirius since almost no translations are ever heard. The standout performance for me is Jon Vickers as Laca. The giant disappointment was Varnay’s Kostelnicka. Kniplova (native Czech, but singing in German with Hamburg) in this pivotal role, but Varnay was a dud dramatically and vocally. Kubiak’s English is surprisingly adequate, and overall I enjoy listening to this performance.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490103
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was on the rocks as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490104
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was on the rocks as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490319
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was on the rocks as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490535
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was “on the rocks” as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
DIE WALKÜRE:Wagner
Ehrling; Nilsson, McIntyre, Martin, Vickers, Dunn, Rundgren
Original Air Date: 03/01/1975
SID.19490636
I’m never a very big fan of Ehrling’s Ring, and Rundgren is one of the weaker Wagner basses we’ve heard. Nilsson has other performances where she is better caught. I’m always a big fan of Vickers, and as Siegmund he was pretty mighty right to the end (and this end is still a decade away). Janis Martin was “on the rocks” as Rossweise 10 years earlier under Steinberg (this performance is important for several reasons, not least George London’s only broadcast Wotan with Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek in top form); Martin is also Sieglinde 2 years later in a most interesting cast (also not yet on Sirius) with Rita Hunter, James King, Norman Bailey, all under Leinsdorf. I remember this broadcast very well and it should be restored to the airwaves.
THE BARTERED BRIDE:Smetana
Levine; Stratas, Gedda, Talvela, Vickers
Original Air Date: 12/02/1978
MOD Video
SID.20030212
This same cast telecast the opera 11 days earlier. The video of this performance is available in MOoD. Levine is very devoted to this score and did the joint production with Juilliard and the Met Young Artists in 2010. Vickers is cast very much against type and successful. To me one of the main downers is Talvela. My aural image of this opera is forever colored by the German language studio recording with Lorengar, Wunderlich, and Frick. Though in the “wrong” language, everything works there.
THE BARTERED BRIDE:Smetana
Levine; Stratas, Gedda, Talvela, Vickers
Original Air Date: 12/02/1978
MOD Video
SID.20030428
This same cast telecast the opera 11 days earlier. The video of this performance is available in MOoD. Levine is very devoted to this score and did the joint production with Juilliard and the Met Young Artists in 2010. Vickers is cast very much against type and successful. To me one of the main downers is Talvela. My aural image of this opera is forever colored by the German language studio recording with Lorengar, Wunderlich, and Frick. Though in the “wrong” language, everything works there.
THE BARTERED BRIDE:Smetana
Levine; Stratas, Gedda, Talvela, Vickers
Original Air Date: 12/02/1978
MOD Video
SID.20030531
This same cast telecast the opera 11 days earlier. The video of this performance is available in MOoD. Levine is very devoted to this score and did the joint production with Juilliard and the Met Young Artists in 2010. Vickers is cast very much against type and successful. To me one of the main downers is Talvela. My aural image of this opera is forever colored by the German language studio recording with Lorengar, Wunderlich, and Frick. Though in the “wrong” language, everything works there.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Levine; Vickers, Ludwig, Weikl, Talvela, Shinall
Original Air Date: 04/14/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20080103
There is another Vickers Parsifal broadcast from 1985 which features Rysanek, Estes, Moll, and Mazura. This performance was issued on CD as a Guild special but has not been rebroadcast in any other form. At the minimum, it should appear on Sirius, since the restoration work has already been done. How did Shinall and Talvela, whose voice does not have the roundness of a Moll or Siepi or Pape end up in these roles.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Levine; Vickers, Ludwig, Weikl, Talvela, Shinall
Original Air Date: 04/14/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20080104
There is another Vickers Parsifal broadcast from 1985 which features Rysanek, Estes, Moll, and Mazura. This performance was issued on CD as a Guild special but has not been rebroadcast in any other form. At the minimum, it should appear on Sirius, since the restoration work has already been done. How did Shinall and Talvela, whose voice does not have the roundness of a Moll or Siepi or Pape end up in these roles.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Levine; Vickers, Ludwig, Weikl, Talvela, Shinall
Original Air Date: 04/14/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20080319
There is another Vickers Parsifal broadcast from 1985 which features Rysanek, Estes, Moll, and Mazura. This performance was issued on CD as a Guild special but has not been rebroadcast in any other form. At the minimum, it should appear on Sirius, since the restoration work has already been done. How did Shinall and Talvela, whose voice does not have the roundness of a Moll or Siepi or Pape end up in these roles.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Levine; Vickers, Ludwig, Weikl, Talvela, Shinall
Original Air Date: 04/14/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20080320
There is another Vickers Parsifal broadcast from 1985 which features Rysanek, Estes, Moll, and Mazura. This performance was issued on CD as a Guild special but has not been rebroadcast in any other form. At the minimum, it should appear on Sirius, since the restoration work has already been done. How did Shinall and Talvela, whose voice does not have the roundness of a Moll or Siepi or Pape end up in these roles.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Levine; Vickers, Ludwig, Weikl, Talvela, Shinall
Original Air Date: 04/14/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20080535
There is another Vickers Parsifal broadcast from 1985 which features Rysanek, Estes, Moll, and Mazura. This performance was issued on CD as a Guild special but has not been rebroadcast in any other form. At the minimum, it should appear on Sirius, since the restoration work has already been done. How did Shinall and Talvela, whose voice does not have the roundness of a Moll or Siepi or Pape end up in these roles.
PARSIFAL:Wagner
Levine; Vickers, Ludwig, Weikl, Talvela, Shinall
Original Air Date: 04/14/1979
MOD Audio
SID.20080636
There is another Vickers Parsifal broadcast from 1985 which features Rysanek, Estes, Moll, and Mazura. This performance was issued on CD as a Guild special but has not been rebroadcast in any other form. At the minimum, it should appear on Sirius, since the restoration work has already been done. How did Shinall and Talvela, whose voice does not have the roundness of a Moll or Siepi or Pape end up in these roles.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Fournet; Vickers, Horne, Quilico
Original Air Date: 04/18/1987
MOD Audio
SID.20140213
This is Vickers’ farewell to the Met (not announced in advance). For many of us, he is a legendary singer who spans the beginning of our operatic journey, and 26 years later still shines very brightly indeed. In almost every assumption he not only gave his individual commitment (he was Giasone to Callas in my first opera in 1958 in Dallas) but simply encompassed roles as few ever do and was always in the top rank and usually best ever seen in the roles. Samson is certainly one of those roles, and if the opera has been a bit overdone on Sirius, I am never finished with my enjoyment of Vickers. Horne is a singer I admire on many fronts– her support of young artists, the advocacy for vocal recitals, and certainly outstanding Rossinian efforts. But I’m not much of Rossini guy, and I find many of her ventures beyond not to my taste, Verdi (even as Quickly) really doesn’t work and Dalila doesn’t compare with my first (Rita Gorr in the premiere of the O’Hearn Merrill production in 1964) or some of my best more recent ones– Borodina’s voice was made for those languorous lines. This is Vickers’ only broadcast of Samson et Dalila, and sometime min the last 3 years has been added to MOoD as a testament to his work and whom we lost July 13, 2015 after a long illness.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Davis; Vickers, Amara, Evans, Madeira, Chookasian
Original Air Date: 02/11/1967
SID.20140317
HIghly recommended. This is the first of Vickers’ four broadcast Peter Grimes and the partnership with Colin Davis yields some first-rate music making. It is the first broadcast by Vickers in the new production from the Lincoln Center Met’s first season. Colin Davis only has four broadcasts from the Met (two Grimes, Wozzeck, Pelleas) and he and Vickers contributed memorable performances on both sides of the Atlantic. This is the third performance of the Vickers/Davis/Guthrie 1967 production which added a great role to Vickers’ gallery of overwhelming portrayals. While Britten was reportedly none too pleased with Vickers’ approach, the royalty coffers were greatly enriched by Vickers performances around the world which put Grimes solidly into mainstream repertory. There is a commercial video from Covent Garden (with Davis conducting as well) which is highly recommended in addition to this broadcast. Two years later the exact same cast broadcasts it again and this second broadcast of the Guthrie/Davis/Vickers Grimes is on MOoD.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Fournet; Vickers, Horne, Quilico
Original Air Date: 04/18/1987
MOD Audio
SID.20140532
This is Vickers’ farewell to the Met (not announced in advance). For many of us, he is a legendary singer who spans the beginning of our operatic journey, and 26 years later still shines very brightly indeed. In almost every assumption he not only gave his individual commitment (he was Giasone to Callas in my first opera in 1958 in Dallas) but simply encompassed roles as few ever do and was always in the top rank and usually best ever seen in the roles. Samson is certainly one of those roles, and if the opera has been a bit overdone on Sirius, I am never finished with my enjoyment of Vickers. Horne is a singer I admire on many fronts– her support of young artists, the advocacy for vocal recitals, and certainly outstanding Rossinian efforts. But I’m not much of Rossini guy, and I find many of her ventures beyond not to my taste, Verdi (even as Quickly) really doesn’t work and Dalila doesn’t compare with my first (Rita Gorr in the premiere of the O’Hearn Merrill production in 1964) or some of my best more recent ones– Borodina’s voice was made for those languorous lines. This is Vickers’ only broadcast of Samson et Dalila, and sometime min the last 3 years has been added to MOoD as a testament to his work and whom we lost July 13, 2015 after a long illness.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Davis; Vickers, Amara, Evans, Madeira, Chookasian
Original Air Date: 02/11/1967
SID.20140535
HIghly recommended. This is the first of Vickers’ four broadcast Peter Grimes and the partnership with Colin Davis yields some first-rate music making. It is the first broadcast by Vickers in the new production from the Lincoln Center Met’s first season. Colin Davis only has four broadcasts from the Met (two Grimes, Wozzeck, Pelleas) and he and Vickers contributed memorable performances on both sides of the Atlantic.
This is the third performance of the Vickers/Davis/Guthrie 1967 production which added a great role to Vickers’ gallery of overwhelming portrayals. While Britten was reportedly none too pleased with Vickers’ approach, the royalty coffers were greatly enriched by Vickers performances around the world which put Grimes solidly into mainstream repertory. There is a commercial video from Covent Garden (with Davis conducting as well) which is highly recommended in addition to this broadcast. Two years later the exact same cast broadcasts it again and this second broadcast of the Guthrie/Davis/Vickers Grimes is on MOoD.
SAMSON ET DALILA:Saint-Saëns
Fournet; Vickers, Horne, Quilico
Original Air Date: 04/18/1987
MOD Audio
SID.20140750
This is Vickers’ farewell to the Met (not announced in advance). For many of us, he is a legendary singer who spans the beginning of our operatic journey, and 26 years later still shines very brightly indeed. In almost every assumption he not only gave his individual commitment (he was Giasone to Callas in my first opera in 1958 in Dallas) but simply encompassed roles as few ever do and was always in the top rank and usually best ever seen in the roles. Samson is certainly one of those roles, and if the opera has been a bit overdone on Sirius, I am never finished with my enjoyment of Vickers. Horne is a singer I admire on many fronts– her support of young artists, the advocacy for vocal recitals, and certainly outstanding Rossinian efforts. But I’m not much of Rossini guy, and I find many of her ventures beyond not to my taste, Verdi (even as Quickly) really doesn’t work and Dalila doesn’t compare with my first (Rita Gorr in the premiere of the O’Hearn Merrill production in 1964) or some of my best more recent ones– Borodina’s voice was made for those languorous lines. This is Vickers’ only broadcast of Samson et Dalila, and sometime min the last 3 years has been added to MOoD as a testament to his work and whom we lost July 13, 2015 after a long illness.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Davis; Vickers, Amara, Evans, Madeira, Chookasian
Original Air Date: 02/11/1967
SID.20150101
HIghly recommended. This is the first of Vickers’ four broadcast Peter Grimes and the partnership with Colin Davis yields some first-rate music making. It is the first broadcast by Vickers in the new production from the Lincoln Center Met’s first season. Colin Davis only has four broadcasts from the Met (two Grimes, Wozzeck, Pelleas) and he and Vickers contributed memorable performances on both sides of the Atlantic. This is the third performance of the Vickers/Davis/Guthrie 1967 production which added a great role to Vickers’ gallery of overwhelming portrayals. While Britten was reportedly none too pleased with Vickers’ approach, the royalty coffers were greatly enriched by Vickers performances around the world which put Grimes solidly into mainstream repertory. There is a commercial video from Covent Garden (with Davis conducting as well) which is highly recommended in addition to this broadcast. Two years later the exact same cast broadcasts it again and this second broadcast of the Guthrie/Davis/Vickers Grimes is on MOoD.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Davis; Vickers, Amara, Evans, Madeira, Chookasian
Original Air Date: 02/11/1967
SID.20150750
HIghly recommended. This is the first of Vickers’ four broadcast Peter Grimes and the partnership with Colin Davis yields some first-rate music making. It is the first broadcast by Vickers in the new production from the Lincoln Center Met’s first season. Colin Davis only has four broadcasts from the Met (two Grimes, Wozzeck, Pelleas) and he and Vickers contributed memorable performances on both sides of the Atlantic. This is the third performance of the Vickers/Davis/Guthrie 1967 production which added a great role to Vickers’ gallery of overwhelming portrayals. While Britten was reportedly none too pleased with Vickers’ approach, the royalty coffers were greatly enriched by Vickers performances around the world which put Grimes solidly into mainstream repertory. There is a commercial video from Covent Garden (with Davis conducting as well) which is highly recommended in addition to this broadcast. Two years later the exact same cast broadcasts it again and this second broadcast of the Guthrie/Davis/Vickers Grimes is on MOoD.