''The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala'' was a televised concert, lasting more than eight hours, that New York City's

Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...

staged on 22 October 1983 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of its first performance. A 230-minute selection of excerpts from the concert was released on home media.

Background

The Metropolitan Opera's first performance was given on 22 October 1883 at its former home on the junction of Broadway and 39th Street in New York City: a staging of

Charles Gounod Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...

's ''

Faust Faust ( , ) is the protagonist of a classic German folklore, German legend based on the historical Johann Georg Faust (). The erudite Faust is highly successful yet dissatisfied with his life, which leads him to make a deal with the Devil at a ...

'' starring

Italo Campanini Italo Campanini (30 June 1845 – 14 November 1896) was a leading Italian operatic tenor, whose career reached its height in London in the 1870s and in New York City in the 1880s and 1890s. He had a repertoire of 80 operas and was the brother of ...

in the title role and Christine Nilsson as Marguerite. With the one hundredth anniversary of that occasion chancing to fall on a Saturday, the Met chose to commemorate its centenary with a two-part gala comprising a matinée at 2 p.m. and an evening session at 8 p.m. More than seventy singers were invited to participate, chosen either for their eminence or their long association with the house. Performing on a series of sets created by the most distinguished designers in the Met's history, they sang arias, duets and ensembles from an eclectic range of operas as well as a few items drawn from other genres. There were also contributions from the Met's chorus and resident ballet company as well as some purely orchestral selections. The entire event was broadcast live on both radio and television in the United States and in some other countries. The US television broadcast was supported by a grant from the Texaco Philanthropic Foundation, Inc., with supplementary help from the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation, Inc., and the

National Endowment For the Arts The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created in 1965 as an independent agency of the feder ...

. The production of Deutsche Grammophon's DVD of the gala was supported by the Charles A. Dana Foundation.

Deutsche Grammophon DVD chapter listing

Disc 1: matinée session

* 1 (0:44) Opening credits Set design for '' Les Mamelles de Tirésias'' by

David Hockney David Hockney (born 9 July 1937) is an English Painting, painter, Drawing, draughtsman, Printmaking, printmaker, Scenic design, stage designer, and photographer. As an important contributor to the pop art movement of the 1960s, he is considere ...

(b. 1937)

Bedřich Smetana Bedřich Smetana ( ; ; 2 March 1824 – 12 May 1884) was a Czech composer who pioneered the development of a musical style that became closely identified with his people's aspirations to a cultural and political "revival". He has been regarded ...

Prodaná nevěsta ''The Bartered Bride'' (, ''The Sold Bride'') is a comic opera in three acts by the Czech composer Bedřich Smetana, to a libretto by Karel Sabina. The work is generally regarded as a major contribution towards the development of Czech music. It ...

'' (''The Bartered Bride'', Prague, 1866), with a libretto by Karel Sabina * 2 (7:21) Overture, conducted by

James Levine James Lawrence Levine ( ; June 23, 1943 – March 9, 2021) was an American conductor and pianist. He was music director of the Metropolitan Opera from 1976 to 2016. He was terminated from all his positions and affiliations with the Met on March ...

Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...

, posthumously completed by Franco Alfano ''

Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...

'' (Milan, 1926), with a libretto by

Giuseppe Adami Giuseppe Adami (4 February 187812 October 1946) was an Italian Libretto, librettist, playwright and music critic who was best known for his collaboration with Giacomo Puccini on the operas (1917), ''Il tabarro'' (1918) and ''Turandot'' (1926). ...

and

Renato Simoni Renato Simoni (Verona, 5 September 1875 – Milan, 5 July 1952) was an Italians, Italian journalist, playwright, writer and theatrical critic noted for his collaboration work with Giuseppe Adami for Giacomo Puccini's ''Turandot (Puccini), Turandot ...

after ''

'' (1762) by Carlo Gozzi * 3 (6:57) "In questa reggia", with Éva Marton (Turandot), conducted by James Levine

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

Le nozze di Figaro ''The Marriage of Figaro'' (, ), K. 492, is a ''commedia per musica'' (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It premiered at the Burgtheater in Vienna ...

'' ("The marriage of Figaro", K. 492, Vienna, 1786), with a libretto by

Lorenzo da Ponte Lorenzo Da Ponte (; 10 March 174917 August 1838) was an Italians, Italian, later American, opera libretto, librettist, poet and Catholic Church, Roman Catholic priest. He wrote the libretti for 28 operas by 11 composers, including three of Wolfgan ...

after '' La folle journée, ou le Mariage de Figaro'' ("The mad day, or the marriage of Figaro", 1784) by

Pierre Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three #Figaro plays, Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watc ...

* 4 (7:24) " E Susanna non vien! ... Dove sono i bei momenti", with

Kiri Te Kanawa Dame Kiri Jeanette Claire Te Kanawa (; born Claire Mary Teresa Rawstron, 6 March 1944) is a New Zealand opera singer. She had a full lyric soprano voice, which has been described as "mellow yet vibrant, warm, ample and unforced". On 1 December ...

(La Contessa Almaviva), conducted by James Levine

Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...

Otello ''Otello'' () is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on William Shakespeare, Shakespeare's play ''Othello''. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, first performed at the La Scala, Teatro alla Scala, M ...

'' (Milan, 1887), with a libretto by

Arrigo Boito Arrigo Boito (; born Enrico Giuseppe Giovanni Boito; 24 February 1842 10 June 1918) was an Italian librettist, composer, poet and critic whose only completed opera was ''Mefistofele''. Among the operas for which he wrote the libretto, libretti ar ...

after '' The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'' (?1603) by

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

* 5 (5:04) "Dio! Mi potevi scagliar", with James McCracken (Otello), conducted by James Levine

Gioachino Rossini Gioachino Antonio Rossini (29 February 1792 – 13 November 1868) was an Italian composer of the late Classical period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. He gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote man ...

'' Il barbiere di Siviglia, ossia L'inutile precauzione'' ("The barber of Seville, or The useless precaution", Rome, 1816), with a libretto by Cesare Sterbini after '' Le barbier de Séville'' (1775) by Pierre Beaumarchais * 6 (5:13) "La calunnia è un venticello", with

Ruggero Raimondi Ruggero Raimondi (born 3 October 1941) is an Italian bass-baritone opera singer who has also appeared in motion pictures. Life and career Early training and career Ruggero Raimondi was born in Bologna, Italy, during World War II. His voice matu ...

(Basilio), conducted by

Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...

Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''be ...

Lucia di Lammermoor ''Lucia di Lammermoor'' () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel '' The Bride of Lammermoor''. ...

'' (Naples, 1835), with a libretto by Salvadore Cammarano after ''

The Bride of Lammermoor ''The Bride of Lammermoor'' is a historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, published in 1819, one of the Waverley novels. The novel is set in the Lammermuir Hills of south-east Scotland, shortly before the Act of Union of 1707 (in the first editio ...

'' (1819) by Sir

Walter Scott Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet (15 August 1771 – 21 September 1832), was a Scottish novelist, poet and historian. Many of his works remain classics of European literature, European and Scottish literature, notably the novels ''Ivanhoe'' (18 ...

) * 7 (5:13) "Chi mi frena in tal momento?", with Dano Raffanti (Edgardo), Brian Schexnayder (Enrico), Roberta Peters (Lucia), Julien Robbins (Raimondo), Loretta Di Franco (Alisa) and Robert Nagy (Arturo), conducted by Richard Bonynge Gioachino Rossini ''

Semiramide ''Semiramide'' () is an opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini. The libretto by Gaetano Rossi is based on Voltaire's tragedy ''Sémiramis (tragedy), Semiramis'', which in turn was based on the legend of Semiramis of Assyria. The opera was first ...

'' (Venice, 1823), with a libretto by Gaetano Rossi after '' Sémiramis'' by

Voltaire François-Marie Arouet (; 21 November 169430 May 1778), known by his ''Pen name, nom de plume'' Voltaire (, ; ), was a French Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment writer, philosopher (''philosophe''), satirist, and historian. Famous for his wit ...

, a play based on the legend of

Semiramis Semiramis (; ''Šammīrām'', ''Šamiram'', , ''Samīrāmīs'') was the legendary Lydian- Babylonian wife of Onnes and of Ninus, who succeeded the latter on the throne of Assyria, according to Movses Khorenatsi. Legends narrated by Diodorus ...

Assyria Assyria (Neo-Assyrian cuneiform: , ''māt Aššur'') was a major ancient Mesopotamian civilization that existed as a city-state from the 21st century BC to the 14th century BC and eventually expanded into an empire from the 14th century BC t ...

* 8 (8:27) "Bel raggio lusinghier", with

Joan Sutherland Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, (7 November 1926 – 10 October 2010) was an Australian dramatic coloratura soprano known for her contribution to the renaissance of the bel canto repertoire from the late 1950s to the 1980s. She possessed a voice ...

(Semiramide), conducted by Richard Bonynge Set design for act 2 of ''

Arabella ''Arabella'', Op. 79, is a lyric comedy, or opera, in three acts by Richard Strauss to a German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal, their sixth and last operatic collaboration. Performance history It was first performed on 1 July 1933 at the D ...

'' by Günther Schneider-Siemssen

Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece '' Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ...

'' Iris'' (Rome, 1898), with a libretto by

Luigi Illica Luigi Illica (9 May 1857 – 16 December 1919) was an Italian librettist who wrote for Giacomo Puccini (usually with Giuseppe Giacosa), Pietro Mascagni, Alfredo Catalani, Umberto Giordano, Baron Alberto Franchetti and other important Italian ...

* 9 (10:40) Prelude: "Son io! Son io la vita", with the Metropolitan Opera Chorus, conducted by David Stivender

Richard Strauss Richard Georg Strauss (; ; 11 June 1864 – 8 September 1949) was a German composer and conductor best known for his Tone poems (Strauss), tone poems and List of operas by Richard Strauss, operas. Considered a leading composer of the late Roman ...

Der Rosenkavalier (''The Knight of the Rose'' or ''The Rose-Bearer''), Op. 59, is a comic opera in three acts by Richard Strauss to an original German libretto by Hugo von Hofmannsthal. It is loosely adapted from Louvet de Couvrai's novel ''Les amours du cheva ...

'' ("The knight of the rose", Op. 59, Dresden, 1911), with a libretto by

Hugo von Hofmannsthal Hugo Laurenz August Hofmann von Hofmannsthal (; 1 February 1874 – 15 July 1929) was an Austrian novelist, libretto, librettist, Poetry, poet, Playwdramatist, narrator, and essayist. Early life Hofmannsthal was born in Landstraße, Vienna, th ...

after ''Les amours du chevalier de Faubles'' by Jean-Baptiste Louvet de Couvrai and ''

Monsieur de Pourceaugnac ''Monsieur de Pourceaugnac'' is a three-act ''comédie-ballet''—a ballet interrupted by spoken dialogue—by Molière, first presented on 6 October 1669 before the court of Louis XIV at the Château of Chambord by Molière's troupe of actors. ...

'' (1669) by

Molière Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, ; ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the great writers in the French language and world liter ...

*10 (7:56) "Mir ist die Ehre widerfahren", with

Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade (born 1 June 1945) is a semi-retired American classical singer. Best known for her work in opera, she was also a recitalist and concert artist, and she recorded more than a hundred albums and videos. She is especially associa ...

(Octavian) and Judith Blegen (Sophie), conducted by Jeffrey Tate

'' Roméo et Juliette'' (Paris, 1867), with a libretto by

Jules Barbier Paul Jules Barbier (; 8 March 182516 January 1901) was a French poet, writer and opera librettist who often wrote in collaboration with Michel Carré.

and Michel Carré after ''

Romeo and Juliet ''The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet'', often shortened to ''Romeo and Juliet'', is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare about the romance between two young Italians from feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's ...

'' (''circa'' 1593) by William Shakespeare *11 (13:18) "Va! Je t'ai pardonné... Nuit d'hyménée", with

Catherine Malfitano Catherine Malfitano (born April 18, 1948) is an American operatic soprano and opera director. Malfitano was born in New York City, the daughter of a ballet dancer mother, Maria Maslova, and a violinist father, Joseph Malfitano. She attended the ...

(Juliette) and

Alfredo Kraus Alfredo Kraus Trujillo (; 24 November 192710 September 1999) was a distinguished Spanish tenor from the Canary Islands (known professionally as Alfredo Kraus), particularly known for the artistry he brought to opera's bel canto roles. He was ...

(Roméo), conducted by Jeffrey Tate Gaetano Donizetti ''

L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's (1831). ...

'' ("The elixir of love", Milan, 1832), with a libretto by

Felice Romani Giuseppe Felice Romani (31 January 178828 January 1865) was an Italian poet and scholar of literature and mythology who wrote many librettos for the opera composers Donizetti and Bellini. Romani was considered the finest Italian librettist betw ...

after that written by

Eugène Scribe Augustin Eugène Scribe (; 24 December 179120 February 1861) was a French dramatist and librettist. He is known for writing "well-made plays" ("pièces bien faites"), a mainstay of popular theatre for over 100 years, and as the librettist of man ...

for '' Le philtre'' (1831) by

Daniel Auber Daniel-François-Esprit Auber (; 29 January 178212 May 1871) was a French composer and director of the Paris Conservatoire. Born into an artistic family, Auber was at first an amateur composer before he took up writing operas professionally whe ...

*12 (5:49) "Una furtive lagrima", with

Nicolai Gedda Harry Gustaf Nikolai Gädda, better known as Nicolai Gedda (11 July 1925 – 8 January 2017), was a Swedish operatic tenor. Debuting in 1951, Gedda had a long and successful career in opera until the age of 77 in June 2003, when he made his final ...

(Nemorino), conducted by James Levine Giuseppe Verdi ''

Ernani ''Ernani'' is an operatic ''dramma lirico'' in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the 1830 play ''Hernani (drama), Hernani'' by Victor Hugo. Verdi was commissioned by the Teatro La Fenice in Ve ...

'' (Venice, 1844), with a libretto by

Francesco Maria Piave Francesco Maria Piave (18 May 18105 March 1876) was an Italian opera libretto, librettist who was born in Murano in the lagoon of Venice, during the brief Napoleonic Kingdom of Italy (Napoleonic), Kingdom of Italy. Career Piave's career spanned ...

after '' Hernani'' (1830) by

Victor Hugo Victor-Marie Hugo, vicomte Hugo (; 26 February 1802 – 22 May 1885) was a French Romanticism, Romantic author, poet, essayist, playwright, journalist, human rights activist and politician. His most famous works are the novels ''The Hunchbac ...

*13 (7:54) "Surta è la note... Ernani! Ernani, involami", with Anna Tomowa-Sintow (Elvira), conducted by James Levine Richard Strauss ''Der Rosenkavalier'' *14 (6:17) "Hab mir's gelobt", with Elisabeth Söderström (Marschallin),

Kathleen Battle Kathleen Deanna Battle (born August 13, 1948) is an American operatic soprano known for her distinctive vocal range and tone. Born in Portsmouth, Ohio, Battle initially became known for her work within the concert repertoire through performances ...

(Sophie) and Frederica von Stade (Octavian), conducted by James Levine Giuseppe Verdi ''Otello'' *15 (13:30) "Già nella notte densa", with

Plácido Domingo José Plácido Domingo Embil (born 21 January 1941) is a Spanish opera singer, conductor, and arts administrator. He has recorded over a hundred complete operas and is well known for his versatility, regularly performing in Italian, French, ...

(Otello) and

Mirella Freni Mirella Freni (born Mirella Fregni, 27February 19359February 2020) was an Italian operatic soprano who had a career of 50 years and appeared at major international opera houses. She received international attention at the Glyndebourne Festiva ...

(Desdemona), conducted by James Levine''The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala'', Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4548, 2009

Disc 2: evening session

* 1 (0:25) Opening Set design for act 2 of ''

La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...

'' by

Franco Zeffirelli Gian Franco Corsi Zeffirelli (; 12 February 1923 – 15 June 2019) was an Italian stage and film director, producer, production designer and politician. He was one of the most significant opera and theatre directors of the post–World War II e ...

Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...

Fidelio ''Fidelio'' (; ), originally titled ' (''Leonore, or The Triumph of Marital Love''), Opus number, Op. 72, is the sole opera by German composer Ludwig van Beethoven. The libretto was originally prepared by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of ...

'' (Op. 72, Vienna, 1805), with a libretto by Joseph Sonnleithner from the French of

Jean-Nicolas Bouilly Jean-Nicolas Bouilly (24 January 1763 – 14 April 1842) was a French playwright, Libretto, librettist, Children's literature, children's writer, and politician of the French Revolution. He is best known for writing a libretto, supposedly based ...

* 2 (15:59) Overture: "Leonore III", conducted by

Leonard Bernstein Leonard Bernstein ( ; born Louis Bernstein; August 25, 1918 – October 14, 1990) was an American conductor, composer, pianist, music educator, author, and humanitarian. Considered to be one of the most important conductors of his time, he was th ...

Umberto Giordano Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano (28 August 186712 November 1948) was an Italian composer, mainly of operas. His best-known work in that genre was Andrea Chénier (1896). He was born in Foggia in Apulia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Se ...

Andrea Chénier ''Andrea Chénier'' () is a verismo opera in four acts by Umberto Giordano, set to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica, and first performed on 28 March 1896 at La Scala, Milan. The story is based loosely on the life of the French poet An ...

'' (Milan, 1896), with a libretto by Luigi Illica based on the life of the poet André Chénier * 3 (10:09) "Vicino a te s'acqueta l'irrequieta anima", with

José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras Coll (; born 5 December 1946), better known as José Carreras (, ), is a Catalan operatic tenor from Spain who is particularly known for his performances in the operas of Donizetti, Verdi and Puccini. Born in Barcelona, ...

(Andrea Chénier) and

Montserrat Caballé María de Montserrat Bibiana Concepción Caballé i Folch or Folc (12 April 1933 – 6 October 2018), also known as Montserrat Caballé (i Folch), was a Spanish operatic soprano from Catalonia. Widely considered to be one of the best sopranos ...

(Maddalena), conducted by James Levine

Claude Debussy Achille Claude Debussy (; 22 August 1862 – 25 March 1918) was a French composer. He is sometimes seen as the first Impressionism in music, Impressionist composer, although he vigorously rejected the term. He was among the most influe ...

'' L'enfant prodigue'' ("The prodigal son", Paris, 1884), with a text by Édouard Guinand * 4 (6:34) "L'année en vain chasse l'année", with Ileana Cotrubas (Lia), conducted by John Pritchard Set design by Robert O'Hearn

Camille Saint-Saëns Charles-Camille Saint-Saëns (, , 9October 183516 December 1921) was a French composer, organist, conductor and pianist of the Romantic music, Romantic era. His best-known works include Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso (1863), the Piano ...

Samson et Dalila ''Samson and Delilah'' (), Op. 47, is a grand opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire. It was first performed in Weimar at the (Grand Ducal) Theater (now the Staatskapelle Weimar) on 2 ...

'' (Op. 47, Weimar, 1877), with a libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire after the story of Samson and Delilah in Chapter 16 of the

Book of Judges The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua and the establishment of a kingdom in the ...

in the

Old Testament The Old Testament (OT) is the first division of the Christian biblical canon, which is based primarily upon the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible, or Tanakh, a collection of ancient religious Hebrew and occasionally Aramaic writings by the Isr ...

* 5 (8:23) Bacchanale, with Linda Gelinas (dancer), Ricardo Costa (dancer) and the Metropolitan Opera Ballet, conducted by James Levine Giuseppe Verdi ''

Nabucco ''Nabucco'' (; short for ''Nabucodonosor'' , i.e. "Nebuchadnezzar II, Nebuchadnezzar") is an Italian-language opera in four acts composed in 1841 by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Temistocle Solera. The libretto is based on the biblic ...

'' (Milan, 1842), with a libretto by

Temistocle Solera Temistocle Solera (25 December 1815 – 21 April 1878) was an Italian opera composer and librettist. Life and career He was born in Ferrara. He received his education at the Imperial College in Vienna and at the University of Pavia. Throughou ...

after Antonio Cortese's 1836 ballet version of a play by Auguste Anicet-Bourgeois and Francis Cornu that was in turn based on the

Book of Jeremiah The Book of Jeremiah () is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and the second of the Prophets in the Christian Old Testament. The superscription at chapter Jeremiah 1#Superscription, Jeremiah 1:1–3 identifies the book as "th ...

and the

Book of Daniel The Book of Daniel is a 2nd-century BC biblical apocalypse with a 6th-century BC setting. It is ostensibly a narrative detailing the experiences and Prophecy, prophetic visions of Daniel, a Jewish Babylonian captivity, exile in Babylon ...

in the Old Testament * 6 (13:37) "Donna, chi sei?", with

Renato Bruson Renato Bruson (born 13 January 1936) is an Italian operatic baritone. Bruson is widely considered one of the most important Verdi baritones of the late 20th and early 21st century. Life and career Bruson was born in Granze near Padua on 13 Jan ...

(Nabucco) and Grace Bumbry (Abigaille), conducted by Thomas Fulton Set design for ''

Die Zauberflöte ''The Magic Flute'' (, ), K. 620, is an opera in two acts by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. It is a ''Singspiel'', a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue. The work premiered on ...

'' by

Marc Chagall Marc Chagall (born Moishe Shagal; – 28 March 1985) was a Russian and French artist. An early modernism, modernist, he was associated with the School of Paris, École de Paris, as well as several major art movement, artistic styles and created ...

Charles Gounod ''

'' (Paris, 1859), with a libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré from Carré's play ''Faust et Marguerite'', after '' Faust: Eine Tragödie'' ("Faust, a tragedy", 1808) by

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...

* 7 (4:00) "Alerte! Ou vous êtes perdus!", with Nicolai Ghiaurov (Méphistophélès), Katia Ricciarelli (Marguerite) and William Lewis (Faust), conducted by James Levine Giacomo Puccini ''

Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...

'' (Milan, 1904), with a libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa after ''

Madame Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lut ...

'' (1898) by John Luther Long, in turn based on reminiscences of Long's sister, Jennie Correll, and '' Madame Chrysanthème'' (1887) by

Pierre Loti Pierre Loti (; pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud ; 14 January 1850 – 10 June 1923) was a French naval officer and novelist, known for his exotic novels and short stories.This article is derived largely from the ''Encyclopædia Britannica Ele ...

* 8 (11:54) "Bimba dagli occhi pieni di malia", with Giuliano Ciannella (Pinkerton) and

Leona Mitchell Leona Pearl Mitchell (born October 13, 1949, Enid, Oklahoma) is an American operatic soprano who sang for 18 seasons as a leading spinto soprano at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. In her home state of Oklahoma, she received many honors. The ...

(Ciò-Ciò-San), conducted by James Levine Gioachino Rossini ''

L'italiana in Algeri ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (; ''The Italian Girl in Algiers'') is an operatic ''dramma giocoso'' in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Angelo Anelli, based on his earlier text set by Luigi Mosca. It premiered at the Teatro San ...

'' ("The Italian girl in Algiers", Venice, 1813), with a libretto by

Angelo Anelli Angelo Anelli (10 November 1761 – 9 April 1820) was an Italian poet and librettist who also wrote under the pseudonyms Marco Landi and Niccolò Liprandi. He was born in Desenzano del Garda and studied literature and poetry at a seminary in Veron ...

after his libretto for ''L'italiana in Algeri'' (1808) by Luigi Mosca * 9 (10:11) "Pria di dividerci de voi, signore", with Edda Moser (Elvira), Diane Kesling (Zulma), David Rendall (Lindoro), Gail Dubinbaum (Isabella), Ara Berberian (Mustafà), John Darrenkamp (Haly),

Sesto Bruscantini Sesto Bruscantini (10 December 1919 – 4 May 2003) was an Italian baritone, one of the greatest buffo singers of the post-war era, especially renowned in Mozart and Rossini. Biography and career Bruscantini was born in Civitanova Marche, M ...

(Taddeo) and members of the Metropolitan Opera Chorus, conducted by James Levine Camille Saint-Saëns ''Samson et Dalila'' *10 (8:50) " Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix", with

Marilyn Horne Marilyn Berneice Horne (born January 16, 1934) is an American mezzo-soprano opera singer. She specialized in roles requiring beauty of tone, excellent breath support, and the ability to execute difficult coloratura passages. She is a recipient ...

(Dalila), conducted by James Levine

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

Tristan und Isolde ''Tristan und Isolde'' (''Tristan and Isolde''), WWV 90, is a music drama in three acts by Richard Wagner set to a German libretto by the composer, loosely based on the medieval 12th-century romance ''Tristan and Iseult'' by Gottfried von Stras ...

'' (WWV 90, München, 1865), with a libretto by Wagner after ''Tristan'' by

Gottfried von Strassburg Gottfried von Strassburg (died c. 1210) is the author of the Middle High German courtly romance ''Tristan'', an adaptation of the 12th-century ''Tristan and Iseult'' legend. Gottfried's work is regarded, alongside the '' Nibelungenlied'' and Wol ...

(d. ''circa'' 1210) *11 (11:06) "Wie lachend sie mir Lieder singen", with Birgit Nilsson (Isolde), conducted by James Levine Traditional Swedish folk song *12 (3:29) "Fjorton år tror jag visst att jag var" ("When I was seventeen"), with Birgit Nilsson Giuseppe Verdi '' Un ballo in maschera'' ("A masked ball", Rome, 1859), with a libretto by

Antonio Somma Antonio Somma (28 August 1809, Udine – 8 August 1864, Venice) was an Italian playwright who is most well known for writing the libretto of an opera which ultimately became Giuseppe Verdi's ''Un ballo in maschera'' in 1859. While a student, his t ...

after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's '' Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué'' (1833) *13 (10:37) "Teco io sto" – "Gran dio!", with

Luciano Pavarotti Luciano Pavarotti (, , ; 12 October 19356 September 2007) was an Italian operatic tenor who during the late part of his career crossed over into popular music, eventually becoming one of the most acclaimed tenors of all time. He made numerou ...

(Riccardo) and

Leontyne Price Leontyne Price ( born Mary Violet Leontine Price February 10, 1927) is an American spinto soprano who was the first African-American soprano to receive international acclaim. From 1961 she began a long association with the Metropolitan Opera. ...

(Amelia), conducted by James Levine Patty Hill and Mildred J. Hill (attributed), with a text attributed to Preston Ware Orem and Mrs R. R. Forman *14 (1:28) "

Happy birthday to you "Happy Birthday to You", or simply "Happy Birthday", is a song traditionally sung to celebrate a person's birthday. According to the 1998 ''Guinness World Records'', it is the most recognized song in the English language, followed by "For He' ...

" (1893), with the Company *15 (1:27) Closing credits

Personnel

Artists

soprano A soprano () is a type of classical singing voice and has the highest vocal range of all voice types. The soprano's vocal range (using scientific pitch notation) is from approximately middle C (C4) = 261 Hertz, Hz to A5 in Choir, choral ...

* Ara Berberian,

bass Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Wood * Bass or basswood, the wood of the tilia americana tree Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in th ...

* Judith Blegen, soprano *

baritone A baritone is a type of classical music, classical male singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the bass (voice type), bass and the tenor voice type, voice-types. It is the most common male voice. The term originates from the ...

, baritone * Grace Bumbry,

mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano (, ), or mezzo ( ), is a type of classical music, classical female singing human voice, voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano's vocal range usually extends from the A bel ...

, soprano *

tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...

* Giuliano Ciannella, tenor * Ileana Cotrubas, soprano * John Darrenkamp, baritone *

, tenor * Gail Dubinbaum, mezzo-soprano * Loretta Di Franco, soprano *

, soprano *

, tenor * Nicolai Ghiaurov, bass *

, mezzo-soprano *

, soprano * Diane Kesling, mezzo-soprano *

, tenor * William Lewis, tenor *

, soprano * Éva Marton, soprano * James McCracken, tenor *

, soprano * Edda Moser, soprano * Robert Nagy, tenor * Birgit Nilsson, soprano *

, tenor * Roberta Peters, soprano *

, soprano * Dano Raffanti, tenor *

bass-baritone A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three ...

* David Rendall, tenor * Katia Ricciarelli, soprano * Julien Robbins, bass-baritone * Brian Schexnayder, baritone * Elisabeth Söderström, soprano *

, mezzo-soprano *

, soprano * Anna Tomowa-Sintow, soprano * Raymond Gniewek, concertmaster * The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra * The Metropolitan Opera Chorus * Roberto Costa, dancer * Linda Gelinas, dancer * The Metropolitan Opera Ballet * Donald Mahler, ballet director *

, conductor *

, conductor * Thomas Fulton, conductor *

, conductor * John Pritchard, conductor * David Stivender, conductor and chorus master * Jeffrey Tate, conductor

Metropolitan Opera personnel

* Charles Riecker, gala coordinator * Phebe Berkowitz, stage director * Bruce Donnell, stage director * David Kneuss, stage director * Leslie Koenig, stage director * Pamela McRae, stage director * Paul Mills, stage director * David Sell, stage director * Joan Dornemann, prompter * William Vendice, prompter * Stephen R. Berman, stage manager * Stephen A. Brown, stage manager * Tom Connell, stage manager * Stanley Levine, stage manager * Chris Mahan, stage manager * William McCourt, stage manager * Gil Wechsler, lighting designer * Sander Hacker, master electrician * Stephen Diaz, master carpenter * Arthur Ashenden, properties master * Nina Lawson, wig and hair stylist * Victor Callegari, make-up artist * Millicent Hacker, wardrobe mistress

Broadcast personnel

* Michael Bronson, executive producer * Clemente d'Alessio, producer *

Kirk Browning Kirk Browning (March 28, 1921 – February 10, 2008) was an American television director and Television producer, producer who had hundreds of productions to his credit, including 185 broadcasts of ''Live from Lincoln Center''. Born in New York ...

, director * Karen Adler, associate producer * Alan Skog, associate director * John Leay, engineer-in-charge * Jay David Saks, audio director * Mark Schubin, transmission consultant * Paul C. York, senior technician * Emmett Loughran, technical director * Bill King, audio supervisor * Mel Becker, audio engineer * Michael Shoskes, audio engineer * Robert M. Tannenbaum, audio engineer * William Steinberg, video engineer * Bill Akerlund, camera operator * Juan Barrera, camera operator * Jim Covello, camera operator * John Feher, camera operator * Manny Gutierrez, camera operator * Jay Millard, camera operator * Jake Ostroff, camera operator * David Smith, camera operator * Ron Washburn, handheld camera operator * Alan Buchner, video recording engineer * Paul Ranieri, video recording engineer * Karen McLaughlin, electronic graphics * Kim Anway, television stage manager * Gerry Crosland, television stage manager * Kevin Tracy, television stage manager * Martha Yates, television stage manager * Howard Heller, score reader * John Rice, production assistant * Vivienne de Stefano, production assistant * Alfred Muller, post-production (Nexus Productions) * Unitel Mobile Video, production facilities

DVD production personnel

* Burkhard Bartsch, project manager * Veronika Holek, project coordinator * Johannes Müller, producer, msm-Studios GmbH, München * Hermann Enkemeier, screen designer, msm-Studios * Markus Ammer, video encoding and authoring, msm-Studios * Sven Mevissen, mSurround upmixing and encoding, msm-Studios * Monica Ling, subtitles * Eva Reisinger, booklet editor * Merle Kersten, booklet art director

Critical reception

Reviews

Donal Henahan reviewed the gala in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'' on 24 October 1983. Financial considerations, he wrote, had led the Metropolitan Opera to stage a concert which, including intermissions, ran for some eleven hours. The result was that "there were many stretches of unremarkable singing by minor or obscure artists". Indeed, "there were so many obscure names or unfamiliar faces that the listener had to keep diving into the program to learn their identities, and even then was seldom the wiser". Every opera company needed singers who, although well schooled and competent, were more or less anonymous, but it was questionable whether such artists should figure prominently in what was a once-in-a-lifetime jamboree. The Met's brisk stage management had not helped matters by hustling singers through their contributions without allowing the customary encores or floral tributes, or even more than a few ovations. It was disappointing to spend a long time at an event such as this without finding oneself shedding a nostalgic tear. This was not to say that the Met had not done "a magnificent job of hugging itself". Dotted amongst the gala were many moments that were "thrilling" and even "euphoric". Éva Marton was "galvanizing" in Turandot's "In questa reggia". Ruggero Raimondi was "wickedly funny" in Basilio's "La calunnia". Joan Sutherland's "glittering" "Bel raggio lusinghier" was the most ecstatic item of the entire event, and the most enthusiastically applauded. The Met's chorus played only a small part in the proceedings, but acquitted themselves well in the Prelude and "Hymn to the sun" from Mascagni's ''Iris''. Catherine Malfitano and Alfredo Kraus were "touching" in a duet from Gounod's ''Roméo et Juliette''. Nicolai Gedda was "excitingly ardent" in "Una furtive lagrima". In the trio from the concluding pages of ''Der Rosenkavalier'', Kathleen Battle and Frederica von Stade sang "delectably", and Elisabeth Söderström was able to present a three-dimensional portrait of the Feldmarschallin despite having only a few minutes in which to do so. Mirella Freni and Plácido Domingo were "affecting" in a love duet from ''Otello''. Preceded by a "somewhat ludicrous caricature of opera ballet" in which the Met's dancers enacted the Bacchanale from ''Samson et Dalila'', Renato Bruson and Grace Bumbry performed a duet from ''Nabucco'' that was particularly enjoyable. Bruson was the epitome of cool serenity, but Bumbry sang electrifyingly in a voice that sounded "richer and more rested" than it had for a considerable while. It was after the final intermission, with midnight approaching, that the gala truly melted hearts. The curtain rose to reveal twenty-five of the Met's most distinguished former luminaries seated at the back of the stage like jurors in a vocal competition. Among them were

Helen Jepson Helen Jepson (November 28, 1904 – September 16, 1997) was an American lyric soprano. Early years Jepson was born in Titusville, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1904, (Two sources give her birthday as November 28, 1906.) DeLong, Thomas A. (19 ...

, Dorothy Kirsten, Zinka Milanov,

Jarmila Novotná Jarmila Novotná (September 23, 1907 in Prague – February 9, 1994 in New York City) was a Czech lyric coloratura soprano and actress. From 1940 to 1956, she was a star of the Metropolitan Opera. Early career A student of Emmy Destinn, Novot ...

Bidu Sayão Balduína "Bidú" de Oliveira Sayão (11 May 1902 – 12 March 1999) was a Brazilian opera soprano. One of Brazil's celebrated musicians, Sayão was a leading artist of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City from 1937 to 1952. Life and career ...

, Eleanor Steber, Risë Stevens, Ferruccio Tagliavini, Cesare Valletti and Ramón Vinay. Their presence endowed the concert with a feeling of historical significance that it had thitherto lacked. It was worth the price of one's ticket just to watch the expressions on their faces as they listened to their successors singing in front of them. Leona Mitchell and Giuliano Ciannella sang the nuptial duet from ''Madama Butterfly'', and the last of three laudable selections from Rossini came in the form of a "delectable exhibition of ... ensemble precision" in the finale to act 1 of ''L'italiana in Algeri''. Marilyn Horne then lifted the occasion onto a new level of feeling and drama in a "sumptuous" rendition of " Mon cœur s'ouvre à ta voix", after which, to the manifest delight of the audience, she offered a wordless but eloquent embrace to Risë Stevens, the pre-eminent Dalila of her era. Birgit Nilsson, in a voice that betrayed her sixty-five years yet was still something to marvel at, performed Isolde's Narrative and Curse. One of her admirers was so overcome that an usher had to restrain him from invading the stage with a bouquet. In the evening's only encore, Nilsson then offered a Swedish folk song which, she explained, had been a favourite of her compatriot namesake, Christine Nilsson, who had been ''Fausts Marguerite on the opening night of the old Met in 1883. Leontyne Price and Luciano Pavarotti delivered a culminating, "soaring" love duet from ''Un ballo in maschera'', the tenor "in clarion voice", the soprano more slender of form than of late but "never in recent years ... more voluptuous or freer" in her singing. But neither of them was likely to linger in the memory as vividly as Horne putting her arms around Stevens, or Nilsson's simple melody from her homeland. It was episodes such as these that were "the real stuff that opera galas are made of". Joseph McLellan reviewed the gala on Laserdisc in ''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'', locally known as ''The'' ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'' or ''WP'', is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C., the national capital. It is the most widely circulated newspaper in the Washington m ...

'' on 31 May 1985. It was, he wrote, "the most spectacular event in the history of opera". From the very first note of the ''Bartered bride'' overture in the middle of the afternoon to Luciano Pavarotti and Leontyne Price duetting in Verdian ecstasy in the small hours of the morning, "it was operatic caviar". No previous concert had brought together such a dazzling constellation of opera stars for a single event. The quality of the performances was uneven, but the best of them were "stratospheric". Nothing like this gala had ever been presented before Pioneer's pair of Laserdiscs omitted the gala's weaker items and abbreviated singers' comings and goings. The audio quality that they offered far outclassed that of PBS's broadcast. Collectors who enjoyed concerts of operatic excerpts sung by first class artists were sure to find Pioneer's release the most important issue of the year, and maybe even of the decade. The gala was also reviewed in ''

Gramophone A phonograph, later called a gramophone, and since the 1940s a record player, or more recently a turntable, is a device for the mechanical and analogue reproduction of sound. The sound vibration waveforms are recorded as corresponding physic ...

'', ''Opera Quarterly'', Richard M. Jacobs's and Ed Schwartz's ''Music Videodiscs: An Annual Guide'', Rebecca Krafft's and Brian O'Doherty's ''The Arts on Television, 1976–1990'' and Douglas Pratt's ''The Laser Video Disc Companion'' and ''Doug Pratt's DVD Video Guide''.

Accolades

The gala was recognized several times in the

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the year, each with their own set of rules and award catego ...

Awards of 1984. In the Performing Arts division of the Daytime Awards, the award for Outstanding Program Achievement was won by Michael Bronson and Clemente D'Alessio, and in the Outstanding Individual Achievement category, James Levine won the award for Music, Kirk Browning was nominated for the award for Directing and Jay David Saks won the award for Audio. In the Outstanding Individual Achievement – Classical Music/Dance Programming category of the Primetime Awards, Kirk Browning was nominated for the award for Directing, and James Levine won the award for Performance.

Broadcast and home media history

Both the afternoon and evening segments of the gala were broadcast in their entirety live on PBS television on 22 October 1983. The gala was also broadcast on radio, and, via satellite, to Europe.''The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala'', Pioneer Classics DVD, PC-94-046-D, 1998 All home media releases of the gala provide the same 230-minute selection of excerpts from it, with a 4:3 aspect ratio and NTSC colour. In 1985, Pioneer Artists released this edition on a pair of CLV (constant linear velocity) Laserdiscs (catalogue number PA-84-095) with CD-quality digital stereo audio and an accompanying booklet. In 1989, Bel Canto Paramount Home Video issued it on a pair of VHS videocassettes (catalogue number 2364) with stereo audio and with liner notes by Martin Mayer.''The Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala'', Bel Canto Paramount Home Video VHS, 2364, 1989 In 1998, Pioneer Classics issued it on a DVD with Dolby Digital compressed stereo audio and English-only subtitles. Pioneer's disc was accompanied by an eight page leaflet including four photographs and essays on the Met's history by Frank E. Taplin and Anthony A. Bliss, as well as notes on each item in the concert by Charles Rizzuto. In 2009, Deutsche Grammophon supplanted Pioneer's DVD with a two-disc issue (catalogue number 00440-073-4538), one DVD being dedicated to the afternoon segment of the gala and one to its evening session. DG's Region 0 DVDs offer both uncompressed PCM stereo audio and an ersatz 5.1-channel DTS surround sound upmix, with subtitles in Chinese, English, French, German, Spanish and – although only for items sung in that language – Italian. DG's 16-page insert booklet includes two photographs and an essay by Richard Evidon in English, French and German.

Gallery of artists

File:Kathleen Battle.jpg,

File:Sesto Bruscantini.jpg,

File:Renato Bruson 1965.jpg,

File:Grace Bumbry 2009.jpg, Grace Bumbry File:Montserrat Caballé 1971b.jpg,

File:Jose Carreras - World Economic Forum Annual Meeting 2011 - cropped.jpg,

File:Concierto de Plácido Domingo con motivo del Año Jubilar Mariano (7-06-2019) 06 (cropped).jpg,

File:Mirella Freni 1970.jpg,

File:Nicolai Gedda 1959.jpg,

File:Marilyn Horne 1961.jpg,

File:Kiri Te Kanawa 2013 (cropped).jpg,

File:Boadilla del Monte - monumento a Alfredo Kraus 1.jpg,

File:Catherine Malfitano dans Traviata par Claude Truong-Ngoc 1980.jpg,

File:USIS - James McCracken crop 2.jpg, James McCracken File:Edda Moser - no watermark.jpg, Edda Moser File:Robert Nagy (kop), Bestanddeelnr 914-2680.jpg, Robert Nagy File:Birgitnhat.jpg, Birgit Nilsson File:Luciano Pavarotti (cropped).jpg,

File:Roberta Peters 1974.JPG, Roberta Peters File:Leontyne Price (color) by Jack Mitchell.jpg,

File:RUGGERO RAIMONDI.jpg,

File:Katia Ricciarelli 73.jpg, Katia Ricciarelli File:Elisabeth Söderström.jpg, Elisabeth Söderström File:Frederica von Stade.jpg,

File:Dame Joan Sutherland, by Allan Warren.jpg,

File:Leonard Bernstein 1971.jpg,

File:James Levine 2013.jpg,

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Metropolitan Opera Centennial Gala, The 1980s classical albums 1983 television films 1983 films Classical video albums Deutsche Grammophon live albums Events in New York City Live classical albums Metropolitan Opera Opera gala albums Films directed by Kirk Browning Albums conducted by Leonard Bernstein Albums conducted by James Levine Albums conducted by John Pritchard Albums conducted by Richard Bonynge