Episode 57: 1964-1965

Joan Sutherland

Rudolf Bing’s fifteenth season had a variety of ups and downs, according to Alfred Hubay who was in his twenty-second season. Among those highlights are an opening night new production of Lucia di Lammermoor with Joan Sutherland and Sandor Konya, Gianna d’Angelo’s appearances in the same opera, the debut of Elisabeth Schwarzkopf as the Marschallin in Der Rosenkavalier, a Pension Fund Gala Benefit with first acts from Der Rosenkavalier, La boheme and La traviata, the obstructed or partial view seats of the house, a new production by Robert O’Hearn and Nathaniel Merrill of Samson et Dalilah with Jess Thomas, later with Jon Vickers and the debut of Gabriel Bacquier as the High Priest, a revival of Wozzeck with the debut of Gabor Carelli, a revival of Cosi fan tutee with Leontyne Price as Fiordiligi and Roberta Peters as Despina, conductor Joseph Rosenstock, a revival of Zeffirelli/Bernstein Falstaff (Part 1 of 3).
(Recorded 8 June 2012)

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Episode 58: 1964-1965

Birgit Nilsson

Rudolf Bing’s fifteenth season had a variety of ups and downs, according to Alfred Hubay who was in his twenty-second season. Among those highlights are a new production of Salome by Gunther Rennert with Birgit Nilsson, Karl Liebl, Irene Dalis, Walter Cassel, George Shirley and conducted by Karl Böhm (Part 2 of 3).
(Recorded 8 June 2012)

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Episode 59: 1964-1965

Richard Tucker

Rudolf Bing’s fifteenth season had a variety of ups and downs, according to Alfred Hubay who was in his twenty-second season. Among those highlights are a revival of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg, the debut of conductor William Steinberg in Aida and the first Radames of Richard Tucker, a non-subscription Valentine’s Day Turandot with Licia Albanese as Liu, the debuts of Bruno Prevedi, Gérard Souzay, the first Met Toscas of Leonie Rysanek and Régine Crspin, remembering Mary Costa, a revised revival of Vanessa and beginning to come to terms with leaving the Old House (Part 3 of 3).
(Recorded 8 June 2012)

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Episode 60: 1965-1966

Gianni Raimondi and Mirella Freni

The 1965-1966 season of the Metropolitan Opera was a melancholy one as it would be the final season in the Old House. As told by Alfred Hubay, however, there were many high points and debuts including a new production of the work that inaugurated the house in 1883: Faust with Nicolai Gedda, Gabriella Tucci and Cesare Siepi, a new production of Queen of Spades with Teresa Stratas, James McCracken and Regina Resnik, the debut of Felicia Weathers in the same opera, the double debuts of Gianni Raimondi and Mirella Freni in La boheme, the Nemorino of Nicolai Gedda, the double debuts of Montserrat Caballe and Sherrill Milnes in Faust and performances of Andrea Chenier with Franco Corelli, Renata Tebaldi and Sherrill Milnes (Part 1 of 4).
(Recorded 4 July 2012)

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