The Operatic PastCast

During an intermission of the April 3, 1954 Carmen broadcast. John Gutman spent a brief time with soprano Mary Garden.  She is her usual forthright self, reminiscing about Claude Debussy, creating the role of Mélisande and various other subjects.  The episode begins with the opening of the tower scene from Paellas et Mélisande and the mélodie “Green”, both by and accompanied by the composer.

During an intermission of the April 3, 1954 Carmen broadcast. John Gutman spent a brief time with soprano Mary Garden.  She is her usual forthright self, reminiscing about Claude Debussy, creating the role of Mélisande and various other subjects.  The episode begins with the opening of the tower scene from Paellas et Mélisande and the mélodie “Green”, both by and accompanied by the composer.

On May 15, 1986, the BBC produced an episode in their series called “Singer’s Choice” about German tenor Fritz Wunderlich.  The listener will hear biographical details interspersed with  arias and songs from Die Zauberflöte, Die Rose von Stambul, Eugene Onegin, a song by Robert Stolz, An di Laute of Schubert, Schumann’s Aus alten Märchen and  Haydn’s Creation.

On May 15, 1986, the BBC produced an episode in their series called “Singer’s Choice” about German tenor Fritz Wunderlich.  The listener will hear biographical details interspersed with  arias and songs from Die Zauberflöte, Die Rose von Stambul, Eugene Onegin, a song by Robert Stolz, An di Laute of Schubert, Schumann’s Aus alten Märchen and  Haydn’s Creation.

As remembered by Alfred Hubay, there were many memorable moments of the 1958-1959 season of the Metropolitan Opera including the Met’s attempt to start a ballet company, Les contes d’Hoffmann with Nicolai Gedda, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Lucine Amara and George London, the debuts of Martina Arroyo, Cornell MacNeil, a new production of Macbeth  with Leonard Warren and Leonie Rysanek in her debut and the Met premiere of Wozzeck with Hermann Uhde, Eleanor Steber and Kurt Baum conducted by Karl Böhm (Part 2 of 2).

As remembered by Alfred Hubay, there were many memorable moments of the 1958-1959 season of the Metropolitan Opera including the Met’s attempt to start a ballet company, Les contes d’Hoffmann with Nicolai Gedda, Mattiwilda Dobbs, Lucine Amara and George London, the debuts of Martina Arroyo, Cornell MacNeil, a new production of Macbeth  with Leonard Warren and Leonie Rysanek in her debut and the Met premiere of Wozzeck with Hermann Uhde, Eleanor Steber and Kurt Baum conducted by Karl Böhm (Part 2 of 2).

As remembered by Alfred Hubay, there were many memorable moments of the 1958-1959 season of the Metropolitan Opera including a star studded opening nightTosca with Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco and George London, Renata Tebaldi’s first Met Butterfly and Manon Lescaut, how Rudolf Bing dealt with the cancellations and the ticket buyers, the firing of Maria Callas, a new production of Macbeth with Leonard Warren and Leonie Rysanek, Rudolf Bing’s superstitions and a new production of the double bill, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci directed by Jose Quintero (Part 1 of 3).

As remembered by Alfred Hubay, there were many memorable moments of the 1958-1959 season of the Metropolitan Opera including a star studded opening nightTosca with Renata Tebaldi, Mario del Monaco and George London, Renata Tebaldi’s first Met Butterfly and Manon Lescaut, how Rudolf Bing dealt with the cancellations and the ticket buyers, the firing of Maria Callas, a new production of Macbeth with Leonard Warren and Leonie Rysanek, Rudolf Bing’s superstitions and a new production of the double bill, Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci directed by Jose Quintero (Part 1 of 3).

From the broadcast of January 2, 1965, here is an episode of Biographies in Music by Francis Robinson on famed tenor Beniamino Gigli.  In addition to biographical information, the listener will hear excerpts from La gioconda, La boheme, Lucia di Lammermoor, Le roi d’ys, Lohengrin Andrea Chenier and “Marie, Ah Marie”.  I have inserted at the end an excerpt from Carmen with his daughter Rina.  Unfortunately the recording of the episode begins a bit late.

From the broadcast of January 2, 1965, here is an episode of Biographies in Music by Francis Robinson on famed tenor Beniamino Gigli.  In addition to biographical information, the listener will hear excerpts from La gioconda, La boheme, Lucia di Lammermoor, Le roi d’ys, Lohengrin Andrea Chenier and “Marie, Ah Marie”.  I have inserted at the end an excerpt from Carmen with his daughter Rina.  Unfortunately the recording of the episode begins a bit late.

In 1955, BBC Third Programme produced a series of talks by soprano Elena Gerhardt on the art of lieder singing.  Here is the program on Schubert.  The listener will will her discussing the songs Der Tod und das Mädchen, Suleika II, Die Stadt, Abschicd, Mceresstille and Der Musensohn, illustrated by the soprano’s recordings and by her singing in the studio, accompanied by Joan Coombes.  Unfortunately the final 4 minutes of the program are missing from this recording. 

In this episode, Alfred Hubay talks about the 1957-1958 season of the Metropolitan Opera including a new production of Madama Butterfly with Antonietta Stella, Margaret Roggero, Eugenio Fernandi in his debut, directed by Yoshio Aoyama and conducted by Dmitri Mitropoulos, the mother of Renata Tebaldi, the coaching of Ettore Verna and the emergence of his wife, Mary Curtis-Verna, Zinka Milanov’s first Desdemona and the debut of Inge Borkh (Part 2 of 2).

In this episode, Alfred Hubay talks about the 1957-1958 season of the Metropolitan Opera including the opening night English language new production of Eugene Onegin with George London, Lucine Amara and Richard Tucker, a new production of Don Giovanni, the debuts of Ezio Flagello and Nicolai Gedda and the world premiere of Samuel Barber’s Vanessa with Eleanor Steber, Rosalind Elias, Nicolai Gedda, Regina Resnik and Giorgio Tozzi (Part 1 of 2).

In 1963, the BBC’s Christopher Sykes produced a “documentary record”  called “Bayreuth Backstage”.  It consisted of piano staging rehearsals of Act 2, scene 1 of Lohengrin.  Irene Dalis portrayed Ortrud, Ramon Vinay sang Telramund, the conductor was Wolfgang Sawallisch and the director was Wieland Wagner.  Also, there is an interview with Herr Wagner conducted by Geoffrey Skelton (Part 1 of 3). 

From the Richard Tucker Gala of October 24, 1982, here are 2 separate interviews conducted by Robert Jacobson with conductor Zubin Mehta followed by soprano Dorothy Kirsten.  They both reminisce about the great tenor.