Saturday Afternoons at the Old Met: The Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, 1931-1950 (Amadeus)
by Paul Jackson
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Book Summary Information
Author: Paul JacksonBrand: Amadeus Press
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2003-03-01
ISBN: 0931340489
Number of pages: 586
Publisher: Amadeus Press
Product features:
- 586 Pages
- Published by Amadeus Press
- Hardcover
Book Reviews of Saturday Afternoons at the Old Met: The Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, 1931-1950 (Amadeus)
Book Review: Very entertaining and essential reference book
Summary: 5 Stars
Now that so many historical Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts are appearing on CD, this first book of a three volume set (additional volumes:Sign-Off for the Old Met: The Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, 1950-1966 and Start-Up at the New Met: The Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, 1966-1976 (Amadeus)) has become an essential reference resource. It is full of interesting and useful facts, and has a generous, accurate and astute commentary on the strengths and weaknesses of each broadcast.
As an example: recently I saw a new release of a Met broadcast from 1947 of Il Trovatore. There were no reviews yet, but the Product Description read "On West Hill Radio Archives 6010; 2 CD's; This frequently underrated performance is finally available complete on CD. Bjorling and Warren are stupendous, while Harshaw is quite solid. Stella Roman is her usual exciting, tempestuous self, and Vaghi is a typically firm Italian bass. Veteran Emil Cooper conducts. Excellent sound restoration by Ward Marston." It sounded wonderful, but at $30+ (after s&h), I thought I should check to see what Prof. Jackson had to say.
A few brief excerpts: "Roman... is scratchy and unsettled in the lower octave and perpetually agitated" "The reliable Harshaw is again cruelly miscast as the wild Azucena. Neither by temperament or timbre can she counterfeit the vengeful gypsy, and without a believable Azucena, Verdi's opera is ruderless." "The albatross on the performance is Cooper's flaccid conducting. If there were a rudder, this ship would have no hand on the tiller." "Even when the tempo is accurate (metronomically), Cooper is incapable of animating Verdi's simple but propulsive accompaniment patterns. Tempos alter in mid-aria as the singer struggles to ... inject some life into the drama." Jackson is very complimentary of both Bj?rling and Warren at considerable length and in considerable detail; and discusses their obvious and frequent difficulties in staying with the conductor's erratic beat. He sums up by saying: "[This broadcast]...points up the ills of the Johnson regime more than most: ill-considered casting, threadbare vocalism, rehearsal-shy ensemble work, and even superior artists at the mercy of unidiomatic leadership."
Somehow, the purchase opportunity does not seem nearly as attractive as formerly.
All three volumes are highly recommended for anyone contemplating a purchase from this recently available banquet of Metropolitan Opera broadcasts.
Summary of Saturday Afternoons at the Old Met: The Metropolitan Opera Broadcasts, 1931-1950 (Amadeus)
Paul Jackson presents a rich and detailed history of the broadcasts at the The Metropolitan Opera in New York from their inception in 1931, when the imperious Gatti-Casazza ruled, on through the trouble regime of the more affable Edward Johnson.Opera Books
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