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.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Stiedry; Milanov, Penno, Warren, Hines, Madeira, Pechner
Original Air Date: 03/20/1954
SID.20010209
Milanov’s four broadcast Leonoras begin in 1952 with much of the above cast except Tucker for Penno. That performance is on MOoD and there are many fine moments. Penno is the point of interest in this week’s Forza, and clearly he must have had one of the largest tenor voices in an era of big voiced singers. His Met career was not long, but he is long remembered as well for several appearances with Callas– Macbeth and Medea. He is also the Pollione at the Met in Milanov’s final series of Normas. Milanov’s Norma has not appeared in the Sirius series, and while the 2 1940s performances will catch her in smoother voice, I would love to hear the 1954 performance as well. If memory serves, this is the best of MIlanov’s 50s Forza Leonoras. Penno is a comet that didn’t turn out so well, but other than not being Tucker or Del Monaco, he’s fine.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Kozma; Steber, Kullman, Munsel, Hayward, Novotná, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/23/1954
SID.20010315
Steber lets the end of the Czardas get away from her, and John Brownlee is never a voice I want to hear, but Munsel is quite a trouper in this role; Novotna is a stylish Orlofsky. Why is the Fledermaus translation not a problem for the Met, but their Arabella is? This is Steber’s only broadcast Rosalinde, and she makes a meal of it. This is getting toward the end of Munsel’s reign at the Met with mostly Perichole and some Depinas ahead of her. My problem is with Brownlee, one of the driest voices ever .
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Kozma; Steber, Kullman, Munsel, Hayward, Novotná, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/23/1954
SID.20010423
Steber lets the end of the Czardas get away from her, and John Brownlee is never a voice I want to hear, but Munsel is quite a trouper in this role; Novotna is a stylish Orlofsky. Why is the Fledermaus translation not a problem for the Met, but their Arabella is? This is Steber’s only broadcast Rosalinde, and she makes a meal of it. This is getting toward the end of Munsel’s reign at the Met with mostly Perichole and some Depinas ahead of her. My problem is with Brownlee, one of the driest voices ever .
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Stiedry; Milanov, Penno, Warren, Hines, Madeira, Pechner
Original Air Date: 03/20/1954
SID.20010425
Milanov’s four broadcast Leonoras begin in 1952 with much of the above cast except Tucker for Penno. That performance is on MOoD and there are many fine moments. Penno is the point of interest in this week’s Forza, and clearly he must have had one of the largest tenor voices in an era of big voiced singers. His Met career was not long, but he is long remembered as well for several appearances with Callas– Macbeth and Medea. He is also the Pollione at the Met in Milanov’s final series of Normas. Milanov’s Norma has not appeared in the Sirius series, and while the 2 1940s performances will catch her in smoother voice, I would love to hear the 1954 performance as well. If memory serves, this is the best of MIlanov’s 50s Forza Leonoras. Penno is a comet that didn’t turn out so well, but other than not being Tucker or Del Monaco, he’s fine.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Stiedry; Milanov, Penno, Warren, Hines, Madeira, Pechner
Original Air Date: 03/20/1954
SID.20010641
Milanov’s four broadcast Leonoras begin in 1952 with much of the above cast except Tucker for Penno. That performance is on MOoD and there are many fine moments. Penno is the point of interest in this week’s Forza, and clearly he must have had one of the largest tenor voices in an era of big voiced singers. His Met career was not long, but he is long remembered as well for several appearances with Callas– Macbeth and Medea. He is also the Pollione at the Met in Milanov’s final series of Normas. Milanov’s Norma has not appeared in the Sirius series, and while the 2 1940s performances will catch her in smoother voice, I would love to hear the 1954 performance as well. If memory serves, this is the best of MIlanov’s 50s Forza Leonoras. Penno is a comet that didn’t turn out so well, but other than not being Tucker or Del Monaco, he’s fine.
DIE FLEDERMAUS:Strauss Jr.
Kozma; Steber, Kullman, Munsel, Hayward, Novotná, Brownlee
Original Air Date: 01/23/1954
SID.20010747
Steber lets the end of the Czardas get away from her, and John Brownlee is never a voice I want to hear, but Munsel is quite a trouper in this role; Novotna is a stylish Orlofsky. Why is the Fledermaus translation not a problem for the Met, but their Arabella is? This is Steber’s only broadcast Rosalinde, and she makes a meal of it. This is getting toward the end of Munsel’s reign at the Met with mostly Perichole and some Depinas ahead of her. My problem is with Brownlee, one of the driest voices ever .
IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Cleva; Baum, Milanov, Nikolaidi, Warren, Moscona
Original Air Date: 01/16/1954
SID.20100318
This is a little late for Milanov in one of her trademark roles. Her 49 Leonoras are a Met record (Martina Arroyo is number 2 at 29). Still, she definitely has her moments. I find her commercial RCA the most consistent of her Leonoras. Baum is Baum, and his 60 Manricos are second only to Martinelli’s 69. Tenors generally do not stay long with this role with most of the major singers including Caruso hover only around a dozen. This is Nikolaidi’s only Met broadcast (her only other role is Amneris in which she debuted on opening night two seasons earlier). Leonard Warren really owned Luna, so I was somewhat suprised to realize that his 45 Counts ties him for second; Merrill has 73 (!!!!!) and Milnes is not far behind Warren at 37. The high tessitura suits Warren best of all and always worthy of a listen.
IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Cleva; Baum, Milanov, Nikolaidi, Warren, Moscona
Original Air Date: 01/16/1954
SID.20100535
This is a little late for Milanov in one of her trademark roles. Her 49 Leonoras are a Met record (Martina Arroyo is number 2 at 29). Still, she definitely has her moments. I find her commercial RCA the most consistent of her Leonoras. Baum is Baum, and his 60 Manricos are second only to Martinelli’s 69. Tenors generally do not stay long with this role with most of the major singers including Caruso hover only around a dozen. This is Nikolaidi’s only Met broadcast (her only other role is Amneris in which she debuted on opening night two seasons earlier). Leonard Warren really owned Luna, so I was somewhat suprised to realize that his 45 Counts ties him for second; Merrill has 73 (!!!!!) and Milnes is not far behind Warren at 37. The high tessitura suits Warren best of all and always worthy of a listen.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Rudolf; London, Harshaw, Corena, Steber, Conley, Conner
Original Air Date: 03/13/1954
SID.20130105
RWW: The unusual casting is for the two leading ladies with Harshaw in her first Anna broadcast (the second comes a year later with Siepi for London, Amara for Steber, Valletti for Conley, and Peters for Conner. Rudolf, Harshaw, and Corena are the constants. Steber finishes her 1944-1954 Met connection with Elvira at 3 tour stops with Valletti back for them. With Bing’s full complement of lyric sopranos, he unveils a new production in 1957 with Steber moving up to Anna [Steber did a 2 performance preview of her Anna in the 1954-1955 season], Della Casa becoming the preferred Elvira, and Peters the preferred Zerlina. I’m happy to have this 1954 in the rotation, but once again call on the Met to offer the 1957 broadcast on Sirius and eventually on MOoD. I have a European pressing of this performance, and it is one of the great broadcasts of the 1950s.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Rudolf; London, Harshaw, Corena, Steber, Conley, Conner
Original Air Date: 03/13/1954
SID.20130324
RWW: The unusual casting is for the two leading ladies with Harshaw in her first Anna broadcast (the second comes a year later with Siepi for London, Amara for Steber, Valletti for Conley, and Peters for Conner. Rudolf, Harshaw, and Corena are the constants. Steber finishes her 1944-1954 Met connection with Elvira at 3 tour stops with Valletti back for them. With Bing’s full complement of lyric sopranos, he unveils a new production in 1957 with Steber moving up to Anna [Steber did a 2 performance preview of her Anna in the 1954-1955 season], Della Casa becoming the preferred Elvira, and Peters the preferred Zerlina. I’m happy to have this 1954 in the rotation, but once again call on the Met to offer the 1957 broadcast on Sirius and eventually on MOoD. I have a European pressing of this performance, and it is one of the great broadcasts of the 1950s.
DON GIOVANNI:Mozart
Rudolf; London, Harshaw, Corena, Steber, Conley, Conner
Original Air Date: 03/13/1954
SID.20130643
RWW: The unusual casting is for the two leading ladies with Harshaw in her first Anna broadcast (the second comes a year later with Siepi for London, Amara for Steber, Valletti for Conley, and Peters for Conner. Rudolf, Harshaw, and Corena are the constants. Steber finishes her 1944-1954 Met connection with Elvira at 3 tour stops with Valletti back for them. With Bing’s full complement of lyric sopranos, he unveils a new production in 1957 with Steber moving up to Anna [Steber did a 2 performance preview of her Anna in the 1954-1955 season], Della Casa becoming the preferred Elvira, and Peters the preferred Zerlina. I’m happy to have this 1954 in the rotation, but once again call on the Met to offer the 1957 broadcast on Sirius and eventually on MOoD. I have a European pressing of this performance, and it is one of the great broadcasts of the 1950s.