It was the celebration of the century, a party of truly operatic proportion. In the Opera House itself some 7,500 opera-goers gathered to pay tribute to the grande dame of America's cultural institutions on the occasion of her one-hundredth anniversary. In a technical tour de force, simultaneous radio and television transmission on four satellites expanded the party of well-wishers by millions of viewers in Europe and throughout the United States.Almost one-hundred of the world's leading singers, seven conductors, the Met Orchestra, Chorus and Ballet performed in two separate programs. For more than eight hours, the magnificent history of the opera company was recalled in some of the most brilliant arias and ensembles of the repertory, performed against a backdrop of five glorious Met productions. Time considerations necessitated the omission of some Gala selections; however, the performances which appear have not been altered or edited in any manner.
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, OCTOBER 22, 1983 AT 2:00 PM
01 - Smetana: The Bartered Bride: Overture
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Conductor: James Levine
02 - Puccini: Turandot: In Questa Reggia
Eva Marton
03 - Mozart: Le Nozze Di Figaro: Dove Sono
Dame Kiri Te Kanawa
04 - Verdi: Otello: Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar
James McCracken
05 - Rossini: Il Barbiere Di Siviglia: La Calunnia
Ruggero Raimondi
06 - Donizetti: Lucia Di Lammermoor: Sextet
Roberta Peters, Loretta Di Franco, Dano Raffanti, Robert Nagy, Brian Schexnayder, Julien Robbins
07 - Rossini: Semiramide: Bel Raggio Lusinghier
Dame Joan Sutherland
08 - Mascagni: Iris: Prelude And Hymn Of The Sun
Metropolitan Opera Chorus - Conductor: David Stivender
09 - Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier: Presentation Of The Rose
Judith Blegen, Frederica Von Stade
10 - Gounod: Roméo Et Juliette: Duet, Act IV
Catherine Malfitano, Alfredo Kraus
11 - Donizetti: L'Elisir D'Amore: Una Furtiva Lagrima
Nicolai Gedda
12 - Verdi: Ernani: Ernani, Involami
Anna Tomowa-Sintow
13 - Richard Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier: Final Trio
Kathleen Battle, Elisabeth Söderström, Frederica Von Stade
14 - Verdi: Otello: Già Nella Notte Densa
Mirella Freni, Placido Domingo
SATURDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 22, 1983 AT 8:00 PM
15 - Beethoven: Overture Leonore No. 3
Metropolitan Opera Orchestra - Conductor: Leonard Bernstein
16 - Giordano: Andrea Chénier: Final Duet
Montserrat Caballé, José Carreras
17 - Debussy: L'Enfant Prodigue: Lia's Aria
Ileana Cotrubas
18 - Saint-Saëns: Samson Et Dalila: Bacchanale
Metropolitan Opera Ballet - Conductor: James Levine
19 - Verdi: Nabucco: Duet, Act III
Grace Bumbry, Renato Bruson
20 - Gounod: Faust: Final Trio
Katia Ricciarelli, William Lewis, Nicolai Ghiaurov
21 - Puccini: Madama Butterfly: Duet, Act I
Leona Mitchell, Giuliano Ciannella
22 - Rossini: L'Italiana In Algeri: Finale, Act I
Diane Kesling, Edda Moser, Gail Dubinbaum, David Rendall, John Darrenkamp, Sesto Bruscantini, Ara Berberian, And Members Of The Metropolitan Opera Chorus
23 - Saint-Saëns: Samson Et Dalila: Mon Coeur S'Ouvre À Ta Voix
Marilyn Horne
24 - Wagner: Tristan Und Isolde: Isolde's Narrative And Curse, Act I
Birgit Nilsson
25 - Swedish Folk Song: I Remember When I Was Seventeen
Birgit Nilsson
26 - Verdi: Un Ballo In Maschera: Duet, Act II
Leontyne Price, Luciano Pavarotti
27 - Happy Birthday
The Company
