Live from the Met

With his recital on the Met stage as part of Lincoln Center’s Great Performers series in 1978, Luciano Pavarotti became the first singer in history to give a solo performance at the Met’s Lincoln Center home. Ten years later, the beloved tenor returned for another recital, this time accompanied by then–Artistic Director James Levine at the piano. From his opening number—a selection from Mozart’s Così fan tutte—to the performance’s rousing finale—an encore of the aria “Nessun dorma”—Pavarotti’s bright, inviting timbre and effortless high notes were on full display. The program included not only some of opera’s greatest hits, such as Tosca’s “Recondita armonia” and “Pourquoi me reveiller” from Werther, but also a number of classic Italian art songs and serenades. Originally seen as part of the Live from the Metropolitan Opera television program, this broadcast stands as a testament to Pavarotti’s incomparable talent and enduring legacy. Performance date: September 18, 1988.

With its hilarious hijinks and vocal virtuosity, Rossini’s madcap comedy always proves a delightful treat. For this 1988 telecast, the Met assembled a cast capable of tackling both the musical and physical challenges of this bel canto farce, seen here in a whimsical production by John Cox. From the moment he takes the stage with Figaro’s iconic aria “Largo al factotum,” Leo Nucci combines winning charm with a robust baritone. Soprano Kathleen Battle tosses off one glittering vocal display after another as the feisty Rosina, while tenor Rowell Blake makes for an ardent Count Almaviva. Ralf Weikert conducts the lively performance, which also includes the comic duo of Enzo Dara as Dr. Bartolo and Ferruccio Furlanetto as Don Basilio. Performance date: December 3, 1988.

In "Bluebeard's Castle," Samuel Ramey portrays the enigmatic Bluebeard and Jessye Norman is his new wife, Judith. "Erwartung" had its broadcast premiere with Norman as the terrified woman who searches desperately in the darkened woods for her lover only to find him brutally murdered. Both "Bluebeard's Castle" and "Erwartung" stem from the same period, composed respectively in 1911 and 1909 and show the era's preoccupation with psychological inwardness and symbolism. The conductor for both operas was James Levine, and the announcer for the broadcast was Peter Allen. During the single intermission, pianist Garrick Ohlsson discussed the art of the piano encore. Performance date: January 28, 1989.