the nominating committee will come to order
As if we ever “came to order” around here! But anyway, La Cieca is throwing the floor open for a Listening and Viewing Orgy next weekend, when the MetPlayer will offer a three-day free preview. MetPlayer offers streaming of over 200 Met broadcasts and telecasts from 1937 to the present, including 20 in HD. The free preview will begin at 5:00 pm EST on Friday, May 1.
So what La Cieca has in mind is to select via popular vote somewhere between three and five of the MetPlayer selections, then schedule times for everyone to tune in together to each of the chosen operas. Those who gather can chat about the performances and whatever else here at parterre.com.
So, in the comments section below, nominate your favorite performances from the MetPlayer catalog, along with a sentence or two explaining why this performance would make for an interesting group experience. We’ll vote on the nominees later this week.
UPDATE: Here are complete instructions on how to log in to MetPlayer for this weekend-long free preview.
Well I might as well get this started.
I nominate:
La Sonnambula – Sutherland, Gedda, Varviso cond. The Sonnambula this year was widely panned, except for maybe Florez’s singing. So recently I popped in the 1963 Sonnambula and what a wonder it was to hear voices like Gedda and Sutherland sail through the music so effortlessly. Sutherland makes Natalie sound like a tiny little squeaker. My favorite moment: Gedda and Sutherland perfectly executing the simultaneous descending trills in “Son geloso.”
Dick Cassilly’s ‘Otello’
A telecast: The Cav/Pag from April 5, 1978. A proud evening for the company, one in which the famous names showed why they earned their status. Domingo in both tenor roles, Troyanos a heartbreaking Santuzza, Stratas an electric Nedda (and Shinall, Milnes, and Atherton weren’t chopped liver either). Plus, this is one of the “orphaned” telecasts — never issued on homevideo at all. It deserves another look.
I totally agree with the Cavaleria and Pagliacci! Espesially the last seen of the Pagliacci, in which Domingo almost feld on stage. But as an actor he is, he just continues with playing his breathtaking Canio!
Besides that, the Aida with Price. Her farewell in this role at the MET. Tears, tears, tears… Wonderful!
I would say as well: Pique Dame with Gergiev and a classy cast and above all, one of Domingo’s roles which are never released on cd or dvd.
Il Barbiere di Siviglia with a phenopminal Joyce DiDonato! And of course Mattei and Florez. Are both a very well extra!
Dear Cieca, can you convince the people behing the METPLayer, that they should also release titels like the Gosts of Versaille, which has never been released on dvd? And I have been told that there is a Trittico with Scotto…. And how about this traviata with Domingo and Cotrubas. I’ve seen the final of the second act once and I was perplex by this performance. So much better than the best period of Villazon!
Byebye!
I second Cotrubas/Domingo in Traviata. Deserves to be released.
Rysanek, Dalis and Corelli in Don Carlo, for me.
I suspect ‘dull’ will not be a word that could be used in conjunction with that performance.
I happen to own that Trittico with Scotto on DVD…it absolutely has to be made available to the viewing public. This is singing and acting the likes of which I cannot begin to describe.
Mignon, 1945, Stevens and Pinza. A real rarity, wonderful music.
What a charming idea, La. I’m just glad all that Ring moaning and groaning is over. I loathe Wagner and the valkyrie he rode in on, if that is what one does to a valkyrie. Norns, indeed. Each time I tuned in the radio broadcast, I felt like calling the 911 rescue squad to Lincoln Center..
La Gioconda, with Zinka Milanov. Or one of the two Giocondas with Tebaldi, you pick. Why? Because I have not yet heard Gioconda in its entirety and had already planned to purchase the Callas recording this week! It would be grand to hear what you all have to say about it, you girls are amazing.
for DVD three performances whose absence in the DVD catalogue is a CRIME against humanity – DG, EMI whatever, just RELEASE it already!!!!
1) Pique Dame – with the most wonderful cast, probably ever recorded: Domingo, Gorchakova (otherwise almost nothing remains of her wonderful Lisa), Hvorostovski (to DIE for), Chernov, Borodina and the wonderful Soederstroem. I think Gergiev conducts. this is SO much better than the Kirov production.
2) La Forza del Destino – the (I think) 1996 performance so much better than the one from 1984. I do love Sweet in here, she’s so much more musical and reliable than – you know who – from 1984. And there’s Domingo, and Chernov in his best role. And Scandiuzzi for some 5 years was the best bass around. Forgot who does the Gypsy and Melitone, but they’re Ok I think. And Levine is simply in his element here. A great evening.
3) The BEST barbiere ever recorded, on audio or video (yes of course I love the Galliera and Gui), stellar A cast: Florez, DiDonato, Mattei. EVer. Its a shame neither EMI nor DG will release it because DECCA (who is exclusive with Florez) has a much inferior production on DVD. Shame.
4) Now RAI is sitting on some of the best opera broadcasts ever made, from Abbado’s heyday in La Scala. All premieres were filmed. All we have are third generation copies wildly circulating everywhere, so where are the originals??? Where is the Kleiber Otello and La Boheme, the Abbado Simone Boccanegra and MACBETH??? With the DIVINE Verrett???
SHAME