KWUR has received a bunch of new historic Metropolitan Opera recordings as part of their next wave of CD issues of archived Met performances some months back.  In keeping with the first experiment of summer opera broadcasts last summer, I'm going to try it again this summer, if all goes well.  It'll be a mix of mostly the Met recordings with other issues.  There's a heavy emphasis in the Met issues on Verdi, for some reason, since his bicentenary isn't until next year.  That aside, here's the tentative schedule, starting Saturday mornings at 11 AM:

(1) Sat. May 26, double bill:

(a) Stephen Sondheim: Sweeney Todd, Act 2.  Len Cariou (Sweeney Todd), Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Lovett), Victor Garber (Anthony Hope), Ken Jennings (Tobias Ragg), Merle Louise (Beggar Woman), Edmund Lyndeck (Judge Turpin), Sarah Rice (Johanna), Joaquin Romaguera (Pirelli), Jack Eric Williams (Beadle Bamford). Orchestra and Chorus; Paul Gemigiani, conductor (RCA CBL2-3379)

(b) Leoncavallo: Pagliacci.  Anselmo Colzani (Tonio), Franco Corelli (Canio), Franco Ghitti (Beppe), Lucine Amara (Nedda), Calvin Marsh (Silvio).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Nello Santi, conductor (Sony Classical 8691-90999-2)

(2) Sat. June 2: Verdi: Ernani.  Carlo Bergonzi (Ernani), Leontyne Price (Elvira), Cornell MacNeil (Don Carlo), Carlotta Ordassy (Giovanna), Giorgio Tozzi (Don Ruy Gomez de Silva), Roald Reitan (Jago), Robert Nagy (Don Riccardo).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Thomas Schippers, conductor (Sony Classical 8691-90996-2)

(3) Sat. June 9: Verdi: Luisa Miller.  Sherill Milnes (Miller), Montserrat Caballe (Luisa), Nancy Williams (Laura), Richard Tucker (Rodolfo), Ezio Flagello (Wurm), Giorgio Tozzi (Count Walter), Louise Pearl (Federica), Lou Marcella (Peasant).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Thomas Schippers, conductor (Sony Classical 8691-90994-2)

(4) Sat. June 16:  Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana.  Richard Tucker (Turiddu), Eileen Farrell (Santuzza), Lili Chookasian (Mamma Lucia), Cesare Bardelli (Alfio), Mildred Miller (Lola).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Nello Santi, conductor (Sony Classical 8691-90999-2)

(5) Sat. June 23:  Rossini: Il Signor Bruschino.  Alessandro Codeluppi (Florville), Maurizio Leoni (Gaudenzio), Elena Rossi (Sofia), Dario Giorgele (Signor Bruschino), Antonio Marani (Filiberto), Clara Giangaspero (Marianna), Massimilano Barbolini (Bruschino Figlio), Vito Martino (Commissario).  I Virtuosi Italiani; Claudio Desderi, conductor (Naxos 8.660128)

(6) Sat. June 30: Verdi:  Un ballo in maschera.  Giorgio Tozzi (Samuel), Norman Scott (Tom), Roberta Peters (Oscar), Jan Peerce (Riccardo), Robert Merrill (Renato), James McCracken (Judge), Marian Anderson (Ulrica), Zinka Milanov (Amelia), Calvin Marsh (Silvano), Charles Anthony (Servant).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Dmitri Mitropoulos, conductor (Sony Classical 8697-91002-2)

(7) Sat. July 7: Verdi: Il trovatore.  William WIlderman (Ferrando), Teresa Stratas (Ines), Leontyne Price (Leonora), Mario Sereni (Count di Luna), Franco Corelli (Manrico), Irene Dalis (Azucena), Carlo Tomanelli (Gypsy), Robert Nagy (Messenger), Charles Anthony (Ruiz).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Fausto Cleva, conductor (Sony Classical 8697-91006-2)

(8) Sat. July 14: Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore.  Carlo Bergonzi (Nemorino), Roberta Peters (Adina), Fernando Corena (Dulcamara), Frank Guerrera (Belcore), Loretta di Franco (Gianetta).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Thomas Schippers, conductor (Sony Classical 8691-90991-2)

(9) Sat. July 21: Verdi: Don Carlo.  Justino Diaz (A Friar), Franco Corelli (Don Carlo), Nicolae Herlea (Rodrigo), Marcia Baldwin (Tebaldo), Irene Dalis (Princess Eboli), Leonie Rysanek (Elisabeth of Valois), Giorgio Tozzi (Philip II), Robert Nagy (Herald), Junetta Jones (Celestial Voice), Gabor Carelli (Count of Lerma), Hermann Uhde (Grand Inquisitor).  Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra; Kurt Adler, conductor (Sony Classical 8691-91004-2)

More may follow in August.  Thanks for reading.