Episode 41: 1959-1960

Antonietta Stella

The 1959-1960 season of the Metropolitan Opera found Alfred Hubay as Chief Usher for Rudolf Bing’s tenth season as General Manager. Mr. Hubay’s memories include an opening night new production of Il trovatore with Antonietta Stella, Carlo Bergonzi and Giulietta Simionato in her Met debut, Cavalleria rusticana with Jan Peerce and Jussi Björling as Turiddu with the Santuzza of Giulietta Simionato, and a failed new production of Le nozze di Figaro with Elisabeth Söderström in her debut as Susanna. (Part 1 of 5).
(Recorded 21 February 2012)

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Episode 42: 1959-1960

Birgit Nilsson

The 1959-1960 season of the Metropolitan Opera found Alfred Hubay as Chief Usher for Rudolf Bing’s tenth season as General Manager. Mr. Hubay’s memories include the tumultuous debut of Birgit Nilsson in a new production of Tristan ind Isolde, a failure of a new production of The Gypsy Baron with Nicolai Gedda, Lisa della Casa and Regina Resnik and revivals of Pelléas et Mélisande with George London and Der fliegende Holläner, also with George London and Leonie Rysanek. (Part 2 of 5).
(Recorded 21 February 2012)

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Episode 43: 1959-1960

Leonard Warren

The 1959-1960 season of the Metropolitan Opera found Alfred Hubay as Chief Usher for Rudolf Bing’s tenth season as General Manager. Mr. Hubay’s memories include a new production of Simon Boccanegra for Leonard Warren, followed by the most tragic event in the Metropolitan Opera’s history, the debuts of Pavel Lisitsian as Amonasro, Anselmo Colzani in Simon Boccanegra with its constantly changing casts, such as Zinka Milanov’s first Amelia. (Part 3 of 5).
(Recorded 21 February 2012)

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Episode 44: 1959-1960

Jon Vickers

The 1959-1960 season of the Metropolitan Opera found Alfred Hubay as Chief Usher for Rudolf Bing’s tenth season as General Manager. Mr. Hubay’s memories include the lack of Wagnerian tenors for Birgit Nilsson, the debut of Jon Vickers as Canio, a new production of Fidelio with Jon Vickers conducted by Karl Böhm, the rare occasions of a Vickers/Nilsson Tristan ind Isolde, Die Walküre with Jon Vickers as Siegmund, Jerome Hines as Wotan and the Brünnhilde of Martha Mödl. (Part 4 of 5).
(Recorded 21 February 2012)

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