Heard in only his second Met broadcast, he is an ideal Radames with a clarion voice able to cut through any competition from orchestra or chorus. Mario Del Monaco’s Met career was far shorter than Milanov’s, but he brought an excitement to the Italian tenor roles that has rarely been matched since. She is able to elicit sympathy for Aïda’s plight while conquering the more dramatic aspects with ease. This broadcast is the 5th of 7 she made as Aïda stretching between 19 and captures her at the height of her powers. She dominated the core Italian repertoire especially in Il Trovatore, La Gioconda, Tosca, Otello and Pagliacci. Croatian Zinka Milanov was a Met favourite, making her debut in late 1937 and remaining until the old house closed in 1966.

The cast for this Met broadcast was among the finest that could be assembled in 1953. Verdi’s popular Egyptian love story has all the elements for grand opera: show-stopping arias for the soloists, intricate ensembles, and a major role for the chorus in the Triumphal scene. This was more than Tristan (28), Bohème (26), Carmen (26), Traviata (25) and Walküre (23). It was heard no less than thirty times between the inception of the weekly broadcasts in December 1931 and the closure of the old Met in April 1966. To say that Aïda is a staple of the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts would be an understatement.

Vivaldi aida