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.
THE RAKE’S PROGRESS:Stravinsky
Original Air Date: 01/17/1998
Levine; Hadley, Upshaw, Ramey, Blythe
SID.19360101
RP had its American premiere on the Texaco Met broadcasts, and Fritz Reiner led the premiere in 1952-53, but Erede did the two performance revival the following year. It then is out of the Met repertory for 46 seasons until the 1997-1998 season when it came in for nine performances in a new Jonathan Miller production. All the singers in this broadcast were well reviewed, so if RP is your cup of tea… MIller’s production is chillier than anything in the Stravinsky score. A five performance revival in 2003 was its last time out at the Met, with Ramey, Blythe, and Levine repeating. This is a solid cast, but the Stravinsky work can seem rather cold. This is a nice memento of Jerry Hadley in one of his best roles.
ANDREA CHÉNIER:Giordano
Original Air Date: 12/28/1957
Cleva; Tucker, Milanov, Warren, Elias, Lipton, Amparan
MOD Audio SID.19360102
Better is Corelli to Tucker, Tebaldi to Milanov, and Bastianini to Warren in these Chenier roles, but the last four decades have rarely brought one let alone three singers for these roles. So enjoy this 1957 cast with 1966 (which Sirius still hasn’t rebroadcast) with Tebaldi, Corelli, and Colzani probably the last one with such authentic style.
BENVENUTO CELLINI:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 12/27/2003
Levine; Giordani, Bayrakdarian, Del Carlo, Jepson, Lloyd
MOD Audio SID.19360103
This is the opera’s only broadcast from its only season. There is much lovely music along the way, but it does not have cumulative impact for me. Giordani copes not always pleasantly with an extremely challenging role. Twice a year for Cellini is just about the maximum desired cycling. Once a year would be enough especially since it’s in MOoD.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/20/1962
Rich; Amara, Morell, Hurley, Testi, Giaiotti
SID.19360104
Not much in this cast draws me except for Giaiotti’s only broadcast Colline. He was considered by many in the tier behind Siepi, Tozzi, and Hines. He was an anchor of the Met ensemble for almost 3 decades, and frequently encountered as Timur, Raimondo, and Ramfis. There are definitely more interesting Bohemes out there, and they are broadcast more frequently than this. Still not a plus in this week’s listings.
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 01/09/1937
Papi; Ponselle, Rayner, Bodanya, Huehn
MOD Audio SID.19360105
This is the third oldest Met broadcast in the Sirius rebroadcast series (Gotterdammerung and Samson are older). The calling card is Ponselle whose Carmen was controversial even when she did it. A memento of her in live performance is also available on MOoD. This is one of the oldest broadcasts to appear on Sirius, and there isn’t much Ponselle around.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 05/07/2005
Levine; Lopardo, von Otter, Diener, Connolly, Grant Murphy
MOD Audio SID.19360106
Levine’s conducting in Mozart is among his very great achievements, and this is one of von Otter’s best Met efforts. The Met’s first Clemenza 20 years earlier with two very fine singers no longer with us– Tatiana Troyanos and Elizabeth Connell, Levine again at the podium. This 2005 performance is Levine’s last Met broadcast of the work.
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Original Air Date: 01/12/2019
Noseda; Netrebko, Rachvelishvili, Beczala, Bosi, Maestri, Muraro
Live in HD SID.19369991
Based on a play by Eugène Scribe, the story was inspired by the real-life intrigues of famed actress Adrienne Lecouvreur and the legendary soldier—and lover—Maurice of Saxony. Cilea’s operatic retelling quickly became a favorite of charismatic soloists. The title character in particular is a quintessential diva role. Drama Queen (Article by William Berger) “On New Year’s Eve, Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur returns to the Met with soprano Anna Netrebko in the touchstone title role. She teams up with tenor Piotr Beczała as her lover, Maurizio—a brilliant pairing of stars fresh off a joint triumph in performances of Adriana in Vienna. Mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili rounds out the all-star principal trio, and maestro Gianandrea Noseda is on the podium. Sir David McVicar’s new staging—the Met’s first new production of the work in more than half a century—embraces Cilea’s glamorous 18th-century Parisian setting but also mines for deeper artistic significance in an opera that is often underestimated.” (William Berger) Co-Production of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona; Wiener Staatsoper; San Francisco Opera; and L’Opéra National de Paris Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/1990
Conlon; Behrens, Clark, Dernesch, Wlaschiha, Baker
SID.19360107
Hildegard Behrens burst on the scene when she appeared with Karajan in his EMI recording of Salome, and subsequent Salzburg production in 1977-1978. Twelve years between her historic recording and her live broadcast from the Met wouldn’t be so long if one were say 35, but Behrens was 41, so this Met broadcast comes at the age of 53. For 53, it is OK, but what was perfection 13 years earlier in the studio is now careful and studied. At a much younger age, Welitsch had the same occurrence. In 1949 she had New York on its heel with her Salome under Reiner at the Met; three years later, it’s a different world; the 1952 Salome is a pale shadow of 1949. Welitsch is 36 in 1949 and 39 in 1952. Three Salomes live were Birgit Nilsson March 1965 (broadcast a few days later) when she was 47. What is remarkable is that she was capable of a concert Salome with Chicago Symphony nine years later in 1974 when she was 56. Tales are told in both Chicago and New York about these concert Salomes. Eva Marton (also heard on a Met broadcast. Not as ideal as Nilsson vocally, she still made quite an impact, and she was 46 for her Met Salome. Last but definitely not least was Karita Mattila who does rank as the most sizzling Salome who could also sing. In 2004, when she was 44, it was filmed by the Met but has never been shown. Four years later she did the work for the HD cameras and she is OK, but now not at the pinnacle (and the HD and the production concept do not reward a Salome that is a bit too ripe.) But prime Nilsson, prime Marton, and prime Mattila, all three captured on Met Saturday matinee microphones are the touchstones. Elektra, in addition to be a more interesting work, allows its heroine more latitude, and Nilsson and Marton as well as Varnay, Jones, and Behrens are all distinguished Elektras. The Met missed Marton as Elektra which is a huge omission. Salome does not yield such pleasure on immediate repetition. Just a little too late for almost everyone. Wlaschiha who is not quite smooth enough for Jokanaan, but a fine Alberich. Cassilly did the first thre Herods (and the last was his Met farewell); Graham Clark did the remaining five.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1960
Cleva; Formichini, Söderström, Corena, Guarrera
SID.19360208
This is the premiere year of the new production, where most notably Corena arrived in a balloon, and also ushered in a fine series of productions designed by Robert O’Hearn and directed by Nathaniel Merrill. One might almost call them anti-Regie, but very solid design and production values. Formichini was a replacement for Valletti, but the afternoon is Corena’s, still unsurpassed in this role. Check out the Bergonzi and Kraus afternoons with him as well; both are on Met Player. The key figure in the MET L’Elisirs is the nonpareil Fernando Corena in his first season as Dulcamara. He holds the house record at 53, but I was surprised to see how close Plishka is at 47 Formichini is a substitution for Valletti.
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.
FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 01/04/1958
Morel; Gedda, Güden, Hines, Merrill, Roggero
MOD Audio SID.19360211
Gedda (in his first season and his first broadcast) is extremely fine. This performance is also available on MOoD. The other bulwark is Robert Merrill’s Valentin. Guden and Hines are OK, but certainly not the first interpreter you would want to hear. Gedda and Merrill are top drawer, better stlll are several Marguerites to Guden, and Hines while earnest is far from Siepi’s league. Siepi has not one but TWO broadcast Fausts from the Met with Bjorling– 1950 and 1959 and these are long overdue for retransmission and listing in MOoD. Siepi has six broadcast Mephistopheles, only two of which have been on Sirius, the 1955 with Peerce and De Los Angeles and Merrill (also on MOoD) and 1964 with Morell and Moffo. This has been on before and Gedda and Merrill certainly are very fine in their parts, but the continue avoidance of the TWO Bjoerling (1950 and 1959 my preference is for 1959) broadcasts is a big gap in the Met broadcast legacy on Sirius. Where is the 1949 with Kirsten and DiStefano. The Morel is also on Met Player.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/30/1961
Schick; Farrell, Tucker, Merrill, Hines, Vanni, Corena
SID.19360212
This production was on tour in Dallas five months later with Amara replacing Farrell who was ill, and Peerce who was doing his first Alvaros with the Met. Schick has the forces very mobilized. Farrell is not ideal, but nice to hear her. The men are all in close to absolute prime even if the fare is more Idaho than pasta, it’s top quality.
THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES:Corigliano
Original Air Date: 01/04/1992
Levine; Stratas, Hagegård, Quilico, Horne, Clark, Fleming
MOD Video SID.19360213
This was a basically successful Met commission and beautifully cast and prepared. Best experienced with the video from a telecast the next week), which is available from Levine’s 40th anniversary DVD package and in MOoD. The video really helps the work along. . Commissioned by the Met and with a libretto by William M. Hoffman, the work imagines an opera put on by the ghost of Beaumarchais for the ghost of Marie Antoinette and the other spectral residents of Versailles. The sold-out, seven-performance premiere run featured an all-star cast that included Teresa Stratas, Håkan Hagegård, Renée Fleming, Graham Clark, Gino Quilico, and Marilyn Horne.
?pubId=76009399001&videoId=5860078056001
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/21/1981
Rescigno; Horne, Blake, Berberian, Bruscantini
MOD Audio SID.19360214
This is the third of Horne’s four Met Isabellas. She is a noted Rossinian, a great advocate for young singers. She totally dominates the Isabella roster at the Met, also see Borodina with Furlanetto in the 21st century. Baltsa who has a very limited Met career did bring her Rossini heroines to Chicago but her recordings are more interesting, and Berganza even more so. WIsh the 2004 Italiana with Borodina, Florez, and Furlanetto would be rebroadcast. The men especially are extremely fine.
AIDA:Verdi
Original Air Date: 03/11/1950
Cooper; Welitsch, Vinay, Harshaw, Merrill, Hines
MOD Audio SID.19360315
Welitsch has some powerful moments, and a pleasure to hear early Merrill in this role. He is the Met champion Amonasro with 72 (MacNeil is 71, and Amato 70)
JENUFA:Janácek
Original Air Date: 01/25/2003
Jurowski; Mattila, Polaski, Begley, Ventris, Nadler
SID.19360316
Jenufa is among the most accessible of Janacek, but this new production for Mattila is a bit unlovable. Polaski did not equal Silja or Rysanek. Jurowski’s conducting is very good, but in the end Jenufa should have more warmth, and it’s not there in the singing. Mattila is in decent form, Polaski is an unpersuasive Kostelnicka, Mattila and Polaski (encouraged by the director) can be cold with little of the warmth that one should finally feel at the opera’s resolution.
SALOME:Strauss
Original Air Date: 12/15/1990
Conlon; Behrens, Clark, Dernesch, Wlaschiha, Baker
SID.19360317
Hildegard Behrens burst on the scene when she appeared with Karajan in his EMI recording of Salome, and subsequent Salzburg production in 1977-1978. Twelve years between her historic recording and her live broadcast from the Met wouldn’t be so long if one were say 35, but Behrens was 41, so this Met broadcast comes at the age of 53. For 53, it is OK, but what was perfection 13 years earlier in the studio is now careful and studied. At a much younger age, Welitsch had the same occurrence. In 1949 she had New York on its heel with her Salome under Reiner at the Met; three years later, it’s a different world; the 1952 Salome is a pale shadow of 1949. Welitsch is 36 in 1949 and 39 in 1952. Three Salomes live were Birgit Nilsson March 1965 (broadcast a few days later) when she was 47. What is remarkable is that she was capable of a concert Salome with Chicago Symphony nine years later in 1974 when she was 56. Tales are told in both Chicago and New York about these concert Salomes. Eva Marton (also heard on a Met broadcast. Not as ideal as Nilsson vocally, she still made quite an impact, and she was 46 for her Met Salome. Last but definitely not least was Karita Mattila who does rank as the most sizzling Salome who could also sing. In 2004, when she was 44, it was filmed by the Met but has never been shown. Four years later she did the work for the HD cameras and she is OK, but now not at the pinnacle (and the HD and the production concept do not reward a Salome that is a bit too ripe.) But prime Nilsson, prime Marton, and prime Mattila, all three captured on Met Saturday matinee microphones are the touchstones. Elektra, in addition to be a more interesting work, allows its heroine more latitude, and Nilsson and Marton as well as Varnay, Jones, and Behrens are all distinguished Elektras. The Met missed Marton as Elektra which is a huge omission. Salome does not yield such pleasure on immediate repetition. Just a little too late for almost everyone. Wlaschiha who is not quite smooth enough for Jokanaan, but a fine Alberich. Cassilly did the first thre Herods (and the last was his Met farewell); Graham Clark did the remaining five.
ANDREA CHÉNIER:Giordano
Original Air Date: 12/28/1957
Cleva; Tucker, Milanov, Warren, Elias, Lipton, Amparan
MOD Audio SID.19360318
Better is Corelli to Tucker, Tebaldi to Milanov, and Bastianini to Warren in these Chenier roles, but the last four decades have rarely brought one let alone three singers for these roles. So enjoy this 1957 cast with 1966 (which Sirius still hasn’t rebroadcast) with Tebaldi, Corelli, and Colzani probably the last one with such authentic style.
BENVENUTO CELLINI:Berlioz
Original Air Date: 12/27/2003
Levine; Giordani, Bayrakdarian, Del Carlo, Jepson, Lloyd
MOD Audio SID.19360103
This is the opera’s only broadcast from its only season. There is much lovely music along the way, but it does not have cumulative impact for me. Giordani copes not always pleasantly with an extremely challenging role. Twice a year for Cellini is just about the maximum desired cycling. Once a year would be enough especially since it’s in MOoD.
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/20/1962
Rich; Amara, Morell, Hurley, Testi, Giaiotti
SID.19360320
Not much in this cast draws me except for Giaiotti’s only broadcast Colline. He was considered by many in the tier behind Siepi, Tozzi, and Hines. He was an anchor of the Met ensemble for almost 3 decades, and frequently encountered as Timur, Raimondo, and Ramfis. There are definitely more interesting Bohemes out there, and they are broadcast more frequently than this. Still not a plus in this week’s listings.
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 01/09/1937
Papi; Ponselle, Rayner, Bodanya, Huehn
MOD Audio SID.19360321
This is the third oldest Met broadcast in the Sirius rebroadcast series (Gotterdammerung and Samson are older). The calling card is Ponselle whose Carmen was controversial even when she did it. A memento of her in live performance is also available on MOoD. This is one of the oldest broadcasts to appear on Sirius, and there isn’t much Ponselle around.
LA CLEMENZA DI TITO:Mozart
Original Air Date: 05/07/2005
Levine; Lopardo, von Otter, Diener, Connolly, Grant Murphy
MOD Audio SID.19360422
Levine’s conducting in Mozart is among his very great achievements, and this is one of von Otter’s best Met efforts. The Met’s first Clemenza 20 years earlier with two very fine singers no longer with us– Tatiana Troyanos and Elizabeth Connell, Levine again at the podium. This 2005 performance is Levine’s last Met broadcast of the work.
?pubId=76009399001&videoId=5860078056001
L’ITALIANA IN ALGERI:Rossini
Original Air Date: 02/21/1981
Rescigno; Horne, Blake, Berberian, Bruscantini
MOD Audio SID.19360423
This is the third of Horne’s four Met Isabellas. She is a noted Rossinian, a great advocate for young singers. She totally dominates the Isabella roster at the Met, also see Borodina with Furlanetto in the 21st century. Baltsa who has a very limited Met career did bring her Rossini heroines to Chicago but her recordings are more interesting, and Berganza even more so. WIsh the 2004 Italiana with Borodina, Florez, and Furlanetto would be rebroadcast. The men especially are extremely fine.
L’ELISIR D’AMORE:Donizetti
Original Air Date: 12/24/1960
Cleva; Formichini, Söderström, Corena, Guarrera
SID.19360424
This is the premiere year of the new production, where most notably Corena arrived in a balloon, and also ushered in a fine series of productions designed by Robert O’Hearn and directed by Nathaniel Merrill. One might almost call them anti-Regie, but very solid design and production values. Formichini was a replacement for Valletti, but the afternoon is Corena’s, still unsurpassed in this role. Check out the Bergonzi and Kraus afternoons with him as well; both are on Met Player. The key figure in the MET L’Elisirs is the nonpareil Fernando Corena in his first season as Dulcamara. He holds the house record at 53, but I was surprised to see how close Plishka is at 47 Formichini is a substitution for Valletti.
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.
FAUST:Gounod
Original Air Date: 01/04/1958
Morel; Gedda, Güden, Hines, Merrill, Roggero
MOD Audio SID.19360427
Gedda (in his first season and his first broadcast) is extremely fine. This performance is also available on MOoD. The other bulwark is Robert Merrill’s Valentin. Guden and Hines are OK, but certainly not the first interpreter you would want to hear. Gedda and Merrill are top drawer, better stlll are several Marguerites to Guden, and Hines while earnest is far from Siepi’s league. Siepi has not one but TWO broadcast Fausts from the Met with Bjorling– 1950 and 1959 and these are long overdue for retransmission and listing in MOoD. Siepi has six broadcast Mephistopheles, only two of which have been on Sirius, the 1955 with Peerce and De Los Angeles and Merrill (also on MOoD) and 1964 with Morell and Moffo. This has been on before and Gedda and Merrill certainly are very fine in their parts, but the continue avoidance of the TWO Bjoerling (1950 and 1959 my preference is for 1959) broadcasts is a big gap in the Met broadcast legacy on Sirius. Where is the 1949 with Kirsten and DiStefano. The Morel is also on Met Player.
LA FORZA DEL DESTINO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/30/1961
Schick; Farrell, Tucker, Merrill, Hines, Vanni, Corena
SID.19360428
This production was on tour in Dallas five months later with Amara replacing Farrell who was ill, and Peerce who was doing his first Alvaros with the Met. Schick has the forces very mobilized. Farrell is not ideal, but nice to hear her. The men are all in close to absolute prime even if the fare is more Idaho than pasta, it’s top quality.
THE GHOSTS OF VERSAILLES:Corigliano
Original Air Date: 01/04/1992
Levine; Stratas, Hagegård, Quilico, Horne, Clark, Fleming
MOD Video SID.19360529
This was a basically successful Met commission and beautifully cast and prepared. Best experienced with the video from a telecast the next week), which is available from Levine’s 40th anniversary DVD package and in MOoD. The video really helps the work along. . Commissioned by the Met and with a libretto by William M. Hoffman, the work imagines an opera put on by the ghost of Beaumarchais for the ghost of Marie Antoinette and the other spectral residents of Versailles. The sold-out, seven-performance premiere run featured an all-star cast that included Teresa Stratas, Håkan Hagegård, Renée Fleming, Graham Clark, Gino Quilico, and Marilyn Horne.