[c]
From 1926 until the outbreak of war in 1939 there were several attempts to record live opera performances at Covent Garden. These recordings of live performances were some of the earliest in the world and are the only examples we have of operatic stars such as Melba, Chaliapin and Turner caught on stage. Although the BBC often broadcast from Covent Garden few of those broadcasts survive (unlike the Met broadcasts), therefore most of what survives was recorded by HMV engineers using several microphones placed in front and above the stage. This means that the sound quality of what survives is often very good for its time, only suffering from some imbalance between singers as they moved around the stage. Far more was recorded than seems to have survived, but it is possible that additional material remains in the EMI archives or in private hands.
1926
May 31, Mefistofele (Ext.); cond. Bellezza; Chaliapin; (9 sides apparently recorded; 4 sides issued totalling 19 mins, on 78 [DB940, D1109, DB942 & ED 1 (Australia); 16 mins Act 1, 3 mins Act 2] 14 mins were reissued on LP on RLS742)
June 6, La Boheme (Ext.); cond. Bellezza; Sheridan, Rettore, Minghetti, Noto, Cotreuil, Badini; 9 sides recorded [known matrices are CR399, 400, 403 and 405] none issued on 78, but Acts 2,4 finales on CR400 and 405 totalling 8 mins issued on EMI RLS 742;
June 8, Melba's Farewell, cond. Bellezza; 11 sides recorded of Otello Act 4 w. Bourguignon [10 mins CR417, 418 and 419]; La Boheme Acts 3 [11mins] & 4 [12 mins] recorded on CR411-416 w. Brownlee, Mummery, Rettore; All of above extracts now issued on Naxos Melba v.4 (8.110780).
June 16, Otello ext cond. Bellezza; Zenatello, Nota, Cilla; 10 sides recorded but only 7 survive totalling 30 mins – matrices CR494, 496, 497, 499, 500, 501, & 502. 4 sides issued on 78 on DB953 and DB955); all remaining sides issued on CD - Pearl GEM0203
1928
June 22, Faust (Ext.); cond. Goosens; Hislop, Chaliapin, J.C. Thomas; 13 sides recorded - matrices CR2097-2109, only two were published on DB1189. Eleven sides now survive - total 41 mins - and all were issued on CD - Pearl GEM0203.
July 4, Boris Godounov (Ext.); cond. Bellezza; Carosio, Borgioli, Chaliapin; IPRMS; 20 sides recorded by HMV on matrices CR2124-2143; 14 sides issued on DB1182, 1183, 3464, Vic. 9399, 9400, 9507, 9508; 16 sides survive totalling c.60 mins. All surviving material has been issued on CD – Guild GHCD2206
1936
May 14 Götterdämmerung (extracts Act 1 Sc. 3; Act 2 scenes 4 and 5 total 85 mins); cond. Beecham; Leider, Melchior, Janssen; HMV technical test TT2292-1 to TT2292-16. All extant materials issued on Guild GHCD 2311/12
May 15, Aida (Ext. Act 2 Scene 2 (15 mins) , Act 4 Scene 1 (10 mins) ); cond. Bellezza; Rethberg, Lauri-Volpi, Pinza; unknown number of sides recorded, none released on 78.
May 18 Tristan und Isolde; cond. Reiner; Flagstad, Melchior, Janssen; recorded complete (prelude missing) and transferred to matrices 2EA3296-45. Not issued on 78. All extant material issued on CD Naxos 8.110068-70. This recording is sometimes attributed to June 11, 1936.
May 20, Die Meistersinger (Ext.); cond. Beecham; Lemnitz, Ralf, Bockelmann; recorded complete on Technical Test series TT2294-1 to TT2294-37 but only 2 sides were released on LX645/6 (3 mins from act 1 and 8 mins from act 3). No further material known to exist. All extant material issued on Dutton CDEA5023
May 21, Das Rheingold; cond. Beecham; Szantho, Bockelmann, Weber; recorded complete on Technical Test TT2295 but no sides issued and none known to still exist.
May 29 Götterdämmerung (Ext. Act 1 Hagen’s Watch (5 mins), Act 2 Scene 2 (12 mins)); cond. Beecham; Leider, Melchior, Weber; HMV technical test TT2296-1 to TT2296-7; issued on 78 as Columbia LX636/7 and LX69047/8. All extant materials issued on Guild GHCD 2311/12
June 2 Tristan und Isolde; cond. Reiner; Flagstad, Melchior, Janssen; Act 1 prelude only matricies 2EA3357 & 2EA3358. Both sides issued on Naxos 8.110068-70
Walter Legge says both ring cycles from 1936 as well as Parsifal were recorded but apart from the materials listed above nothing else seems to have survived.
1937
April 19 Otello cond. Beecham; Martinelli, Formichi; (Ext from Act 2, 4 mins, seems to originate from the BBC broadcast)
April 27 Parsifal cond. Reiner; Ralf, Janssen, Weber; 17 sides recorded as Technical Test TT2350-1 to TT2350-17. None issued on 78rpm. 18 minutes from Act 1 survives, issued on CD by Immortal Performances.
May 3 Parsifal cond. Reiner; Ralf, Janssen, Weber; 28 sides recorded as Technical Test TT2351-1 to TT2351-28. None issued on 78rpm. 24 minutes from Act 3 survives, issued on CD by Immortal Performances.
May 5 Turandot cond. Barbirolli; Turner, Martinelli, Borgioli; 7 sides recorded as Technical Test TT2352-1 to TT2352-7. None issued on 78rpm. 24 minutes survives and was issued on EMI CD CDH 7 61074 2
May 10 Turandot cond. Barbirolli; Turner, Martinelli, Borgioli; 7 sides recorded as Technical Test TT2353-1 to TT2353-7. None issued on 78rpm. 30 minutes survives and was issued on EMI CD CDH 7 61074 2
May 24 Das Rheingold cond Furtwangler; Bockelmann, Thorborg, Weber, Easton Fuchs. Unknown amount recorded by HMV and transferred to matricies 2EA5201-5234 - apparently matricies 5202, 5205 and 5206 are missing from the archives. Nothing from this performance has been released.
May 26 Die Walküre cond. Furtwängler; Flagstad, Müller, Bockelmann; Act 3 recorded complete by HMV on matrices 2EA5237-2EA5252. None issued on 78rpm. This has been issued on CD by Music and Arts CD-1035(2) (available for download from Pristine Audio)
May 28 Siegfried cond. Furtwangler; Melchior, Zimmermann, Fuchs, Bockelmann, Flagstad - excerpts recorded by HMV and transferred to matricies 2EA5609-5618. According to information from the late Keith Hardwick a large part of Siegfried was recorded in the 1937 season and various sources suggest this performance, May 28, 1937, as the most likely one. According to Hardwick this still exists in the EMI archive, but nothing has ever been issued.
June 1 Götterdämmerung; cond. Furtwangler; Flagstad, Melchior, Janssen; 28 sides recorded by HMV as Technical Test TT6543-1 to TT6543-28 and transferred to matrices 2EA5619 - 2EA5646. Nothing was issued on 78. A total of 103 minutes survive: Act 1 prologue -14 mins; end act 1 - 34 mins; end act 2 – 33 mins; end act 3 - 22 mins. This has been issued in part on CD by Music and Arts CD-1035(2) (available for download from Pristine Audio) and in full on Gebhardt JGCD0003-2.
June 7 Der fliegende Holländer (Ext.); cond. Reiner; Flagstad, Janssen, Weber; 18 sides recorded by HMV as Technical Test TT6544-1 to TT 6544-18.
June 11 Der fliegende Holländer (Ext.); cond. Reiner; Flagstad, Janssen, Weber; 23 sides recorded by HMV as Technical Test TT6545-1 to TT6545-23 (composite extracts from this (19 sides) and the June 7 performance (6 sides) were transferred to matrices 2EA5600-2EA5618; these have been issued Act 1 - 24 mins; Act 2 – 41 mins; Act 3 – 20 mins. Total 85 mins on CD on Melodram 6002931)
June 16 Der fliegende Holländer (Ext.); cond. Reiner; Flagstad, Janssen, Weber; 3 sides recorded by HMV as Technical Test TT6546-1 to TT6546-3, none of these sides were used in the composite above.
June 18 Tristan und Isolde cond. Beecham; Flagstad, Melchior, Janssen; recorded complete by HMV as Technical Test TT6547 surviving material (Act 1 all but last 5 mins and Act 2) issued on Discocorp lp RR-223
June 22 Tristan und Isolde cond. Beecham; Flagstad, Melchior, Schöffler; recorded complete by HMV as Technical Test TT6548 surviving material (Act 1 last 5 mins, Act 2 and Act 3) issued on Discocorp lp RR-223
1938
June 1 Die Walküre cond. Furtwängler; Leider, Thorborg, Kamann; The short Act 2 Extract (4 mins) seems to derive from a BBC broadcast and has been issued on CD by the Frida Leider Society FLG 19361938
June 2 Tosca cond. Gui; Pacetti, Gigli; The short Act 3 Extract (4 mins 'E lucevan le stelle') seems to derive from a BBC broadcast
June 6 Rigoletto cond. Gui; 6/6/38; Pagliughi, Gigli, Tagliabue, Zambelli, Baracchi; Extracts from Acts 1,3, & 4 (total 22 mins) seem to derive from a BBC broadcast
June 7 Götterdämmerung cond. Furtwängler; Leider, Melchior, Janssen; The extract from Act 2 Sc 4-5 (30 min), seems to derive from a BBC broadcast and has been issued on CD by the Frida Leider Society FLG 19361938
1939
May 1 The Bartered Bride; cond. Beecham; H. Konetzni, Tauber, Krenn; issued on CD on Urania 6996176
May 12 Il Trovatore; cond. Gui; Cigna, Björling, Basiola, Wettergren, Zambelli; issued on CD on Bel Canto BCS5000
May 15 Tosca, cond. Gui; Gigli, Baracchi; Short extract from Act 1 ‘Recondita armonia’; seems to derive from a BBC broadcast
May 22 La Traviata; cond. Gui; Caniglia, Gigli, Basiola; issued on CD on Minerva B000005R8G
May 24 Aida; cond. Beecham; Caniglia, Gigli, Borgioli; issued on CD on Arkadia 50002
May 31 La Traviata cond Cimara; Gigli, Caniglia, 4 mins extract from Act 1, this seems to derive from a BBC broadcast
The origins of the 4 complete operas from this season are a little obscure. Only the Traviata was broadcast complete, but the short extract we have from the broadcast differs from the complete performance. It seems most likely that the complete operas were recorded in house, perhaps on a Telefunken machine owned by Thomas Beecham. In addition to these 4 operas, Otello with Melchior, Turandot with Eva Turner, Ariane et Barbe Bleu with Germaine Lubin and Don Giovanni with Rethberg were all supposed to have been recorded, but nothing has ever emerged from these performances. It is possible that the recordings still exist, most likely in the collection of Lady Beecham.
Post war
Covent Garden was closed for opera during the war, reopening in 1947. Important recordings after the war capture some stars such as Kirsten Flagstad at the end of their careers and others such as Birgit Nilsson early in their careers. Covent Garden was popular with singers from commonwealth countries such as Australian Joan Sutherland and Canadian Jon Vickers but also had a good crop of home grown talent such as Amy Shuard and Gwyneth Jones. It is quite likely that more recordings that those listed here exist in the BBC archive.
1947
September 24, Fidelio – Konetzni, Schwarzkopf, Friedrich, Schöffler /Krauss issued on CD by IDIS Historical IDI6379
September 25, Le Nozze di Figaro, Cebotari, Seefried, Hotter /Krips - extracts from this BBC broadcast apparently exist
September 27, Don Giovanni (Act 1 extracts, 8 mins, Act 2 extract 4 mins) Tauber, Cebotari / Krips
September 30, Salome (Vienna State Opera on tour) Cebotari, Rothmuller /Krauss issued on CD by Gebhardt, JGCD0011
December 9, Peter Grimes, Lewis, Shacklock, Brannigan /Rankl exists complete in the National Sound Archive of the British Library
1950
June 14 Siegfried finale (31 mins) Svanholm, Flagstad /Rankl
June 19, Rheingold Sc 2 (35 mins) Zimmermann, Bohm, Weber /Rankl
June 23 Siegfried finale (46 mins) Svanholm, Flagstad, Boehm /Rankl
June 26 Gotterdammerung (first 16 mins of Act 1 Prelude, final 33 mins of Act 2, unspecified Act 3 extracts in music preserved archive) Flagstad, Doree, Savanholm, Schoffler, Weber, /Rankl
June 29, Tristan Ac 1 (missing prelude 63 mins), Flagstad, Svanholm, Boehm /Rankl
1951
May 21, Fidelio Flagstad, Schwarzkopf /Rankl (act 1 extract total 13 mins) issued on EJS 390
May 29, Tristan Act 3 finale (16 mins) Flagstad /Rankl
June 16 Parsifal (Act 1 66 mins Act 2 complete) , Flagstad, Lechleitner, Bjorling, Kraus, Weber, /Rankl
July 2 Meistersinger (Act 1 and Act 2 complete) Grummer, Adners, Dickie, Hotter /Beecham
August 18, The Bohemian Girl - (Brief excerpts Act 3) Peters, Marlowe, Glynn /Beecham
December 1, Billy Budd, Pears, Uppmann, Evans / Britten issued on CD by VAI 1034-3
1952
January 3, Rosenkavalier Fisher, Shacklock, Guldbeck / Kleiber exists complete in the National Sound Archive of the British Library
January 25, Wozzeck (Act 2 only) Goltz, Rothmuller, Shacklock, /Kleiber
November 18, Norma Callas, Picchi, Sutherland/Gui issued on CD by EMI 5626682
1953
May 23 Wozzeck Wolkowsky, Walters Dalberg, / Kleiber
June 6, Aida Callas, Baum, Simionata /Barbirolli act 3 only issued on CD on Eklipse, EKRCD14
June 8, Gloriana Cross, Pears, / Pritchard available for download from Music Preserved
June 10 Aida Callas, Baum, Simionato / Barbirolli issued on CD by Testament on SBT 21355
September 19 Die Liebe der Danae (Bavarian State Opera) Rysanek, Vandenberg, Franz/ Eichorn (RT says Kempe)
September 21,Arabella (Bavarian State Opera) Della Casa, Probstl, / Kempe issued on CD by Testament SBT2 1367
September 24, Capriccio (Bavarian State Opera) Cunitz, Schmitt-Walter, Holm /Heger (broadcast by the BBC - not known if a recording survives)
1954
January 14, The Golden Cockerel Glynne, Dobbs, Cuenod, Markevitch available for download from Music Preserved
June 25, Siegfried (extracts, Act 1-26 mins, Act 2-56 mins, Act 3-35mins) Svanholm, Kuen, Sutherland /Stiedry issued on CD by Pearl GEMS0230
June 29 Gotterdammerung (extracts Act 1-25 mins; Act 3-40 mins) Svanholm, Harshaw, Sutherland / Stiedry issued by Pearl GEMS0232
November Der Rosenkavalier (extracts Act 1-43 mins, Act 3-32 mins - house wire recording) Fisher, Shacklock, Leigh, Howell /Kempe
December 3, Troilus and Cressida, Dalberg, Peters, Lewis, Sinclair, /Sargent
1955
January 4, Troilus and Cressida, Dalberg, Peters, Lewis, Sinclair, /Sargent (this was a different performance to Dec 3, 1954, broadcast by the BBC)
January 27, The Midsummer Marriage, Sutherland, Langdon, Kraus / Pritchard issued on CD by Gala 1459
May 4, Bartered Bride, Walters, Berry, Morison, Kraus, Coates, Pears, Dahlberg, /Kubelik (broadcast by the BBC - not known if a recording survives)
May 14, Die Walkure, Hotter, Harshaw, Vinay, Rysanek /Kempe (broadcast by the BBC - not known if a recording survives)
June 17, Gotterdammerung Svanholm, Harshaw, / Kempe
June 30, Tosca Tebaldi, Tagliavini, Gobbi / Molinari-Pradelli issued on CD by GOP 66333
July 7, Salome, Goltz, Evans, Coates, Kraus /Kempe (broadcast by BBC not known if a recording survives)
July 16, Aida, Stella, Penno, Gobbi, Stignani /Molinari-Pradelli in BBC archives
July 21, Turandot (Act 2 only) Grob-Prandl, Johnston, Leigh /Goodall ((broadcast by BBC Home Service - not known if a recording survives)
October 17, Otello Vinay, Brouwenstijn / Kubelik issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS001
1956
Feb 16, Coq d'Or, Le - (in English) Dobbs, Glynne, Cuenod, Dalberg, Coates - Pritchard
November 26 Otello, Vinay, Brouwenstijn, Kraus / Kubelik
1957
May 2, Madam Butterfly De Los Angeles, Lanigan, Evans / Kempe issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS006
May 5 Meistersinger (extracts from concert performance) Pease, Vickers, Sutherland /Kubelik
June 20 The Trojans Shuard, Vickers, Thebom / Kubelik issued on CD by Testament on SBT 41443
July 1, Tosca, Milanov, Corelli / Gibson issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS005
September 25, Das Rheingold Hotter, Kraus, / Kempe issued on CD by Testament on SBT 13 1426
September 27 Die Walkure Vinay, Fisher, Hotter, Nilsson / Kempe issued on CD by Testament on SBT 13 1426
October 1 Siegfried Windgassen, Nilsson, / Kempe issued on CD by Testament on SBT 13 1426
October 4 Gotterdammerung Windgassen, Nilsson, / Kempe issued on CD by Testament on SBT 13 1426
December 19, Otello Vinay, Kraus, Brouwenstijn, /Downes
1958
January 21, Poulenc: Les Dialogues des Carmelites Morison, Sutherland, Watson, Fisher / Kubelik
February 6, Peter Grimes, Pears, Fisher, Pease, Evans /Britten
May 12 Don Carlo Christoff, Vickers, Gobbi / Giulini issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS003
May 29, Elektra Lammers, von Milinkovic, Kraus /Kempe issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS004
June 20 Traviata Callas, Valetti, Zanasi / Rescigno issued on CD by Myto MCD00145
July 17 The Trojans Shuard, Vickers, Thebom, / Kubelik
November 6, Boris Godunov - Christoff/Roleau/Gostic/Veasey - Kubelik available for download from opera-club
November 15, Samson, Sutherland, Vickers, Carlyle /Leppard (broadcast Jan 3, 1959) available for download from Music Preserved
1959
January 19 Madam Butterfly Jurinac, Craig, Veasey, Walters / Balkwill
February 26 Lucia Sutherland, Gibin, Rouleau / Serafin issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS002
June 16 Parsifal Liebl, Lammers, Frick / Kempe
June 30, Medea Callas, Giasone, Cossotto / Rescigno issued on CD by Melodram 26005
September 18, Das Rheingold Hotter, Kraus / Konwitschny
September 23, Die Walkure Vinay, Shuard, Varnay, Hotter / Konwitschny
September 28, Siegfried Windgassen, Varnay, / Konwitschny
October 2, Gotterdammerung Windgassen, Varnay, / Konwitschny
December 5, Aida (extracts total 54 mins) Hammond, Lane, Vickers, Shaw /Downes (in house)
December 19, Der Rosenkavalier Schwarzkopf, Jurinac, Steffek /Solti
1960
January 13, Traviata, La - Zeani, McAlpine, Walters / Santi (Zeani substituted for an ill Sutherland) issued on CD by Legendary Recordings LR-CD 1022-2
April 8, Macbeth, Shuard, Gobbi, /Molinari – Pradelli
May 21, Barber of Seville, Lewsi, Alva, Panerai, / Giulini
May 10, The Trojans, Shuard, Vickers, Carlyle, /Pritchard
October 25, Sonnambula, La - Sutherland, Sinclair, Berry, Lazzari, Rouleau /Serafin
1961
February 11, Midsummer Night's Dream Oberlin, Carlyle, Elkins /Solti exists complete in the National Sound Archive of the British Library
February 24, 1961 Fidelio Jurinac, Vickers, Frick, /Klemperer issued on CD by Testament on SBT 21328 (recorded by BBC, but not broadcast)
March 7, 1961 Fidelio Jurinac, Vickers, Frick, /Klemperer (BBC broadcast, different from above)
May 12, Falstaff, Evans, Freni, Alva, Resnik, / Downes
May 26, Tosca, Crespin, Di Stefano, Kraus, / Downes
June 10, Boris Godunov - Christoff/Rouleau/Lanigan/Elkins - /Goodall
October 2 Die Walkure Vickers, Watson, Hotter, Valkki / Solti
November 28 Die Schweigsame Frau - Ward, Sinclair, /Kempe
December 11, Pique Dame - (in English) - Collier/Lewis/Sinclair/Kraus/Quilico/Coates -Melik-Pashayev (Section of last act missing)
1962
January 4 Die Zauberflote Lewis, Evans, Sutherland / Klemperer
February 19, Don Giovanni, Siepi, Gencer, Jurniac, Freni, / Solti issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS007
February 23 Ballo in Maschera Vickers, Shuard / Downes (in house) issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS009
June 30, Otello Del Monaco, Kabaivanska, Gobbi / Solti
September 17 Siegfried Windgassen, Nilsson / Solti
October 1 La Forza del destino Bergonzi, Ghiaurov, Shaw, Solti
1963
March 5, Turandot Shuard, Prevedi, Kabaivanska /Downes
April 11, Don Carlo, Ulfung, Collier, Bumbry, / Pritchard available for download from opera club
April 29 Troilus and Cressida Robinson, Lewis, Turp, Collier /Sargent
June 11 Le Nozze di Figaro Evans, Freni, Gobbi / Solti
September 14, Gotterdammerung Nilsson, Windgassen, Frick /Solti
October 14, Les Dialogues des Carmelites, Les - (in English) Harper, Carlyle, Fisher /Davis
December 13, Katerina Ismailova - (in English) Collier, Howitt, Evans /Downes
1964
January 9, Billy Budd, Lewis, Kerns, Robinson /Solti (in the National Sound Archive of the British Library)
January 21, Tosca, Callas, Cioni, Gobbi /Cillario (Acts 1 and 3 only, in house)
January 24, Tosca, Callas, Cioni, Gobbi /Cillario issued on CD by EMI 5626752
January 30, Tosca, Callas, Cioni, Gobbi /Cillario (in house)
February 4 Aida Vishnevskaya, Vickers, Siminoato / Balkwill (in house)
February 10, Rigoletto, Glossop, Moffo, Cossutta /Solti
April 20, Otello, Del Monaco, Kabaivanska, Gobbi /Solti (broadcast by the BBC, not known if a copy survives)
April 30 A midsummer night's dream Burgess, Vaughan, Glossop, /Davis
May 4, Falstaff, Evans, Sciutti, Ligabue, Baratti, Barbieri, Gardner /Pritchard (in music preserved archive)
October 10, Fidelio Crespin, Dobson, Pribyl /Del Mar available for download from opera club
October 31, Wozzeck, Evans, Horne, Kraus, /Pritchard
November 26, Il Trovatore, Jones, Simionato, Prevedi / Giulini issued on CD by the Royal Opera Heritage Series ROHS011
1965
February 6, Arabella Della Casa, Carlyle, Fisher-Dieskau / Solti
February 19 Turandot – Shuard, Vaughan, Nikolov /Downes
March 8, Elektra - Shuard, Meyfarth, Resnik, Evans /Kempe (in house)
March/April Cavalleria Rusticana Jones, Cossuta, /Balkwill
April 23, Il Trittico, Gobbi, Collier, Craig /Pritchard
July 1, Moses und Aaron, Lewis, Berry, Robinson, /Solti (broadcast by the BBC, not known if a copy survives)
July 5 Tosca Callas, Cioni,, Gobbi / Pretre
September 16 Rheingold Hotter, Kraus /Solti
September 23, Die Walkure Kozub, Jones, Ward, Shuard /Solti
October 14 Siegfried Windgassen, Shuard, Hotter /Solti
October 16, Gotterdammerung (incomplete) Windgassen, Shuard, Kraus /Solti
December 19, Simon Boccanegra Vaughan, Cioni, Gobbi /Lockhart copy in National Sound Archive at the British Library
1966
January 20 A Midsummer night's dream Veasey, Vaughan, Kaye /Balkwill (broadcast Jan 25)
February 4, Hollander Jones, Ward, Frick, /Solti
April 1 Elektra Shuard, Shaw / Downes (in house, missing opening section)
April 26, Der Rosenkavalier, - Jurinac, Carlyle, Veasey, Langdon /Solti
May 10, Tosca, Collier, Cioni, Bacquier, /Downes (broadcast in stereo Dec 25, 1966)
May 14, Ballo in Maschera Vickers, Shuard / Kertesz (in house)
May 28 Turandot Shuard, Corelli, / Mackerras (in house)
June 2 Fille du regiment Sutherland, Pavarotti / Bonynge
June 16, Don Carlo - G.Jones, Gorr, Prevedi, /Downes (broadcast April 2, 1967)
December 31, Benvenuto Cellini Gedda, Vaughn, Ward / Pritchard issued on CD by Gala GL100618
1967
January 21, Arabella Carlyle, Robson, Reynolds, Fischer-Dieskau /Solti (in house)
March 11, Bartered Bride, Haywood, Turop, Robson, /Krombhoic (broadcast by the BBC, not known if a copy survives)
March 28, Barbiere di Siviglia, Berganza, Alva, Glossop /Varviso (broadcast by the BBC, not known if a copy survives)
March Cavalleria Rusticana Shuard, Cossutta / Balkwill (in house)
May 5 La Traviata Freni, Cioni, Cappuccilli /Giulini
May 22, King Priam Lewis, Godfrey, Robinson / Pritchard
June 17 Frau Ohne Schatten Hillebrecht, King, Borkh, Macintyre /Solti available for download from opera club
July 8, Don Giovanni - G.Jones, Vaughan, Gobbi /C.Davis (Incomplete)
October 3, Walküre Dvorakova, Bjöner, Veasey, Kozub/ Downes
November 30, Norma – Sutherland, Horne, Tagliavini, /Bonynge
1968
January 27, Aida - G.Jones, Dourian, Vickers, Shaw, Rouleau /Downes
February 5, Aida, G.Jones, Craig, Bubry, Shaw /Downes (BBC TV soundtrack)
February 24 Jenufa Varnay, Collier, Lanigan / Kubelik
April 22 A Midsummer Marriage Carlyle, Watts, Remedios, /Davis
May 4, Il Trovatore Vaughn, Gorr, McCracken / Atherton
May 14 Otello, Tarres, Howells, Cassilly, /Solti
June 3, Falstaff - Evans, Ligabue, Robson, Minton, Resnik, Shaw / Kertesz
July 6 Cosi Fan Tutte Lorengar, Veasey, Popp, /Solt
July 22 Cosi Fan Tutte Lorengar, Veasey, Popp, /Solti (BBC TV soundtrack)
July 27 Billy Budd, Kerns, Lewis, Shaw /Downes
November 8 Zauberflöte - (in English) M.Price, Deutekom, Burrows /Wich
December 19, Manon Lescaut, Collier, Ilosfalvy, Massard /Kertesz
1969
February 8, Meistersinger Hofmann, Evans, Thomas, Veasey / Solti
May 20, Simon Boccanegra, Glossop, Cossutta, Vaughan, /Mackerras (broadcast by the BBC, not known if a copy survives)
September 30, Troyens Vickers, Silja, Baker, /Davies
October 21, Ballo in Maschera Cossutta, Gorr / Downes
December 13, Pelleas et Melisande Soderstrom, Ward, Shirely, Boulez
December 27, Le Coq D’or, Mangin, Book, Steele, /Mackerras
