RCA MET 100 Singers 100 Years

(Compilation) '(c) 1984 RCA Records

This release is the European issue:- Box marked: Printed In Italy 9/85. Booklet: Printed in Italy. For the US issue please use (r8316478).

Compilation of various artists and composers, issued to celebrate 100 years of the Metropolitan Opera (1883-1983) and featuring 100 singers. 8 LP box set, 90 tracks, with booklet and timeline. The booklet is 27 pages, and features liner notes on the singers by Robert Jacobson, detailed track credits, and b/w photographs of selected artists and productions. The booklet does not feature sung texts / libretti. Also included is a timeline for 1883 to 1983, presented as an 8 page fold out chart, and showing when the featured singers first and last appeared at the Met.

The booklet contains an editing error: tracklisting shown as C5 - Pagliacci, C6 - Parsifal. The correct tracklisting is as shown above: C5 - Parsifal, C6 - Pagliacci.

The recordings date from 1903 to 1980:
A1 - 3 Mar 1906; A2 - 25 Jan 1908; A3 - 23 Jan 1906; A4 - 20 Mar 1908; A5 - 29 Mar 1907; A6 - 23 Nov 1903; B1 - 26 Sep 1907; B2 - 2 Mar 1905; B3 - 26 Feb 1908; B4 - 16 Jan 1912; B5 - 13 Dec 1912; B6 - 14 Sep 1920; C1 - 21 Feb 1912; C2 - 9 Mar 1915; C3 - 23 Jan 1914; C4 - 20 May 1925; C5 - 22 Jul 1914; C6 - 16 May 1911; D1 - 10 Mar 1910; D2 - 18 Mar 1911; D3 - 14 Jan 1924; D4 - 9 Feb 1921; D5 - 23 Apr 1915; D6 - 10 May 1929; E1 - 23 Jan 1924; E2 - 7 Feb 1923; E3 - 17 Jun 1924; E4 - 8 Mar 1922; E5 - 19 Apr 1920; E6 - 6 Nov 1919; F1 - 30 Dec 1929; F2 - 16 Jan 1928; F3 - 5 Apr 1928; F4 - 29 Oct 1926; F5 - 22 Nov 1940; F6 - 28 Mar 1930; G1 - 12 Feb 1940; G2 - 13 Feb 1942; G3 - 7 Mar 1940; G4 - 6 Sep 1928; G5 - 17 Jun 1941; G6 - 22 Apr 1938; H1 - 22 Sep 1936; H2 - 9 Oct 1935; H3 - 22 Apr 1938; H4 - 25 May 1940; H5 - 15 May 1940; H6 - 29 Feb 1940; I1 - 23 Sep 1958; I2 - Jul 1954; I3 - 5 Apr 1951; I4 - 4 Sep 1941; I5 - 1 Feb 1945; J1 - 16 Feb 1945; J2 - 19 May 1949; J3 - 23 Feb 1958; J4 - 9-14 Aug 1957; K1 - 23 Mar 1945; K2 - from NBC broadcast of 26 Mar 1949; K3 - 14 Jan 1947; K4 - 30 Nov 1950; K5 - from NBC broadcast of 6 Dec 1947; K6 - 4 Feb 1947; L1 - 15 Feb 1959; L2 - 24 Mar 1951; L3 - 1 Sep 1953; L4 - 8-9 Sep 1958; L5 - 9 Jan 1955; L6 - Jul/Aug 1960; M1 - 13 Feb 1959; M2 - Feb/Mar 1959; M3 - 23 Jun 1960; M4 - 3-9 Jul 1959; M5 - 31 Jul 1961; N1 - 2 Jun 1968; N2 - Nov 1963; N3 - 28 Aug 1965; N4 - Jul 1970; O1 - Nov 1963; O2 - Aug 1978; O3 - 12 Jun 1968; O4 - Jul/Aug 1973; O5 - 25 Jun 1963; O6 - Aug 1969; P1 - 4 Jul 1967; P2 - 21 Jun 1972; P3 - Sep 1980; P4 - Jun 1980; P5 - May 1977; P6 - Feb 1972.

The track timings are taken from the disc labels, which state 'All Timings Are Approximate'. Tracks C5, C6 are incorrectly listed, approximate timings are: C5 (Parsifal) 4:28, C6 (Pagliacci): 4:42.'[discogs]