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.
I PURITANI:Bellini
Müller; Swenson, Neill, Hampson, Miles
Original Air Date: 02/01/1997
MOD Audio
SID.19430213
The Netrebko video and the Gruberova and Sutherland Elviras are all available in MOoD as well as this one. Swenson has an attractive voice, but I don’t find her especially compelling, and the supporting cast is much better on the other performances. Cavalleria/ Pagliacci from 1988 and Idomeneo from 1991 are added into the schedule beginning Wednesday.
FEDORA:Giordano
Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
MOD Video
SID.19430316
This is the Met’s only broadcast of this verismo work, and is available on DVD also. This is a solid performance even if it catches Freni in the extreme twilight of a very long career. This is Freni’s penultimate opera performance at the Met, with another Fedora 5 days later. She appears 5 years later in an opening night gala doing Act 2 of Fedora, and she returns 3 years later for an end of season concert that marks her last vocal appearance on any stage.
I PURITANI:Bellini
Müller; Swenson, Neill, Hampson, Miles
Original Air Date: 02/01/1997
MOD Audio
SID.19430532
The Netrebko video and the Gruberova and Sutherland Elviras are all available in MOoD as well as this one. Swenson has an attractive voice, but I don’t find her especially compelling, and the supporting cast is much better on the other performances. Cavalleria/ Pagliacci from 1988 and Idomeneo from 1991 are added into the schedule beginning Wednesday.
FEDORA:Giordano
Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
MOD Video
SID.19430636
This is the Met’s only broadcast of this verismo work, and is available on DVD also. This is a solid performance even if it catches Freni in the extreme twilight of a very long career. This is Freni’s penultimate opera performance at the Met, with another Fedora 5 days later. She appears 5 years later in an opening night gala doing Act 2 of Fedora, and she returns 3 years later for an end of season concert that marks her last vocal appearance on any stage.
FEDORA:Giordano
Abbado; Freni, Domingo, Croft, Arteta
Original Air Date: 04/26/1997
MOD Video
SID.19430638
This is the Met’s only broadcast of this verismo work, and is available on DVD also. This is a solid performance even if it catches Freni in the extreme twilight of a very long career. This is Freni’s penultimate opera performance at the Met, with another Fedora 5 days later. She appears 5 years later in an opening night gala doing Act 2 of Fedora, and she returns 3 years later for an end of season concert that marks her last vocal appearance on any stage.
I PURITANI:Bellini
Müller; Swenson, Neill, Hampson, Miles
Original Air Date: 02/01/1997
MOD Audio
SID.19430746
The Netrebko video and the Gruberova and Sutherland Elviras are all available in MOoD as well as this one. Swenson has an attractive voice, but I don’t find her especially compelling, and the supporting cast is much better on the other performances. Cavalleria/ Pagliacci from 1988 and Idomeneo from 1991 are added into the schedule beginning Wednesday.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Isepp; Vaness, Croft, Graham, Gunn, McLaughlin, Shimell
Original Air Date: 03/15/1997
SID.19480104
This is the season after the Bartoli run as Despina also with Vaness. Most of the interest in this broadcast centers on Richard Croft now in Satyagraha and Susan Graham for whom this is an early broadcast. Her second Dorabella run is in 2001 has also been on Sirius. For Vaness fans she has two Cosi broadcasts from early in her Met career 1984 and 1991, and the 1984 is particularly recommended. Her Mozart singing in the early 1980s was right up there with the very best– Steber, Fleming, Lorengar, Te Kanawa.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Isepp; Vaness, Croft, Graham, Gunn, McLaughlin, Shimell
Original Air Date: 03/15/1997
SID.19480423
This is the season after the Bartoli run as Despina also with Vaness. Most of the interest in this broadcast centers on Richard Croft now in Satyagraha and Susan Graham for whom this is an early broadcast. Her second Dorabella run is in 2001 has also been on Sirius. For Vaness fans she has two Cosi broadcasts from early in her Met career 1984 and 1991, and the 1984 is particularly recommended. Her Mozart singing in the early 1980s was right up there with the very best– Steber, Fleming, Lorengar, Te Kanawa.
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Isepp; Vaness, Croft, Graham, Gunn, McLaughlin, Shimell
Original Air Date: 03/15/1997
SID.19480642
This is the season after the Bartoli run as Despina also with Vaness. Most of the interest in this broadcast centers on Richard Croft now in Satyagraha and Susan Graham for whom this is an early broadcast. Her second Dorabella run is in 2001 has also been on Sirius. For Vaness fans she has two Cosi broadcasts from early in her Met career 1984 and 1991, and the 1984 is particularly recommended. Her Mozart singing in the early 1980s was right up there with the very best– Steber, Fleming, Lorengar, Te Kanawa.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
MOD Audio
SID.19520321
The work was revived under Conlon in 2013 for 3 Sirius streamed live broadcasts, one of which was rebroadcast on Sirius as part of their June Friday night encores, but no national free network. I saw a lovely production at the original Sadler’s Wells Theatre almost 20 years ago under the late Richard Hickox. It’s one of those works I seem to like less as the years go on, but that may be just me.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
MOD Audio
SID.19520532
The work was revived under Conlon in 2013 for 3 Sirius streamed live broadcasts, one of which was rebroadcast on Sirius as part of their June Friday night encores, but no national free network. I saw a lovely production at the original Sadler’s Wells Theatre almost 20 years ago under the late Richard Hickox. It’s one of those works I seem to like less as the years go on, but that may be just me.
A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM:Britten
Atherton; McNair, Kowalski, Rose, Streit, Bunnell, Gilfry, Gustafson
Original Air Date: 12/21/1996
MOD Audio
SID.19520744
The work was revived under Conlon in 2013 for 3 Sirius streamed live broadcasts, one of which was rebroadcast on Sirius as part of their June Friday night encores, but no national free network. I saw a lovely production at the original Sadler’s Wells Theatre almost 20 years ago under the late Richard Hickox. It’s one of those works I seem to like less as the years go on, but that may be just me.
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.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Levine; Pavarotti, Voigt, Pons, Shin, Dever
Original Air Date: 02/15/1997
SID.20110321
Except for Pavarotti, there is nothing of special distinction. Both of Pavarotti’s Met videos (1980 and 1991) of Ballo have more interest and they are both on MOoD. Levine only has three matinee broadcasts, 1991 (with Millo and Pavarotti), this broadcast, and a 2015 with Radvanovsky, Tamura (replacing Beczala) and Hvorostovsky. Better to add that one to the rotation.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Levine; Pavarotti, Voigt, Pons, Shin, Dever
Original Air Date: 02/15/1997
SID.20110531
Except for Pavarotti, there is nothing of special distinction. Both of Pavarotti’s Met videos (1980 and 1991) of Ballo have more interest and they are both on MOoD. Levine only has three matinee broadcasts, 1991 (with Millo and Pavarotti), this broadcast, and a 2015 with Radvanovsky, Tamura (replacing Beczala) and Hvorostovsky. Better to add that one to the rotation.
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA:Verdi
Levine; Pavarotti, Voigt, Pons, Shin, Dever
Original Air Date: 02/15/1997
SID.20110744
Except for Pavarotti, there is nothing of special distinction. Both of Pavarotti’s Met videos (1980 and 1991) of Ballo have more interest and they are both on MOoD. Levine only has three matinee broadcasts, 1991 (with Millo and Pavarotti), this broadcast, and a 2015 with Radvanovsky, Tamura (replacing Beczala) and Hvorostovsky. Better to add that one to the rotation.