November 1996

Metropolitan Opera Gala - James Levine's 25th Anniversary - Singers include Roberto Alagna; Bryn Terfel; Renée Fleming; Plácido Domingo; Samuel Ramey; Kiri Te Kanawa; Deborah Voigt; Frederica von Stade; Ann Sofie von Otter; Grace Bumbry; The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra/James Levine - Deutsche Grammophon 449 177-2 - 72:29 DDD

New York was full of stories about James Levine's silver jubilee gala. It went on for four hours into the early morning but nobody's ever accused Jimmy of lacking energy. This CD is the cream of the cream, and well worth collecting - sometimes for the quality of the singing, sometimes for artists who are worth remembering at this late stage of their careers, and sometimes because galas can be fun examples of what favorite stars do (for good or ill) when they let their hair down. I adore Birgit Nillson's concluding spoken tribute and remarkable Valkyrie war cry from The Ring - reaching deep into her technique (and back into the operatic past when she held sway) to demonstrate nothing less than immortality (she is 78). The Pearl Fishers duet with Alagna and Terfel on perfect form is a good start. And Renée Fleming's follow-up from Louise shows why she's where she is, at the top of the tree. It's a mixture. But fun.

- Tom Sutcliffe