IL TROVATORE:Verdi
Conlon; Giacomini, Price, Cortez, Quilico, Cheek
Original Air Date: 02/06/1982
SID.19420637
SR: Besides Price’s excellent “known quantity” Leonora, this broadcast offers the opportunity for Giacomini fans to relish his Manrico and to hear the very much in his prime Louis Quilico as di Luna. Some of the bloom had, by 1982, begun to depart from Viorica Cortez’ voice..but she still had much to offer. All-in-all an enjoyable outing. This is a very young Conlon who still had 5 or 6 broadcasts already under his belt. I have no strong memory of this performance, but Giacomini’s certainly had the heft for Manrico if not necessarily easy upper register. Cortez is not one of my favorites. This is getting towards the end for Price. Listen to her in 1961 where her Leonora is stunning, and that is on Met Player as well as Sony CDs.
FIDELIO:Beethoven
Böhm; Nilsson, King, Evans, Edelmann, Pracht, Anthony
Original Air Date: 01/22/1966
MOD Audio
SID.19420638
Even though the classic 1960 broadcast is Bohm, Nilsson, and Vickers; Nilsson and King are fine, but Geraint Evans is not meant for this kind of role vocally. Uhde has his deficiencies but is much more appropriate. It’s a bit too late for Edelmann, but there “never was” for Czerwenka in the 1960. The 1960 performance also appears on a Sony Historical CD. What has not appeared in the Sirius run is the Beethoven 1971 bicentenary broadcast of the new production with Rysanek, Vickers with an excellent effort by Berry and Tozzi also under Bohm. Serious omission!
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER:Wagner
Conlon; Morris, Behrens, Lakes, Salminen
Original Air Date: 01/18/1992
MOD Audio
SID.19420639
Salminen is the main interest of this performance. It comes relatively late in Behrens’ Met career Met goers were very spoiled by the Rysanek/London era in this opera (and esp. so under Bohm) Behrens would have been better pre-Ring. Hollander has to really have some magic to work for me.
PETER GRIMES:Britten
Atherton; Langridge, Racette, Opie, Christin, Blythe
Original Air Date: 01/10/1998
MOD Audio
SID.19420640
I remember listening to this and thought this a good part for Racette. Langridge is fine in the title role, but for those of us who saw Jon Vickers, he simply WAS Peter Grimes and his 38 Met performances exceed the 33 done by the other 8 interpreters starting back with Frederick Jagel in 1948 and ending with Anthony Dean Griffey in 2008 (with Racette again).
LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN:Offenbach
Rudel; Kraus, Malfitano, Morris, Bybee
Original Air Date: 01/26/1985
SID.19420741
I always liked Kraus in the title role, and though Domingo, Shicoff, Gedda, and Tucker all have trumps to play, Kraus cedes nothing to them in terms of style. Malfitano does all the heroines, and in 1985 she was within hailing distance of doing that respectably. I’ll be taking a listen to see how my memory has been. Morris also appears to good effect 3 years later in a Met video with Shicoff. Rudel, after a lengthy association with the New York City Opera is the 2nd leading Met conductor of Hoffmann with 37 (Hasselmanns runs up 40 performances in the 20s)
FALSTAFF:Verdi
Levine; MacNeil, Lear, Stewart, Barbieri, Valente, Ahlstedt
Original Air Date: 04/05/1975
MOD Audio
SID.19420742
This performance is Levine’s first Falstaff broadcast and Barbieri’s penultimate company broadcast (she returns for Trittico (minus Frugola) 2 years later. MacNeil is a very good Falstaff which I think is his only run in the part– he is a stellar Ford on a Chicago broadcast with Gobbi in 1958. Lear is in better form than her husband — Stewart is not really a Verdian, and the monologue is among the showiest music in the opera.
BENVENUTO CELLINI:Berlioz
Levine; Giordani, Bayrakdarian, Del Carlo, Jepson, Lloyd
Original Air Date: 12/27/2003
MOD Audio
SID.19420743
This is the opera’s only broadcast from its only season. There is much lovely music along the way, but it does not have cumulative impact for me. Giordani copes not always pleasantly with an extremely challenging role. Twice a year for Cellini is just about the maximum desired cycling. Once a year would be enough especially since it’s in MOoD.
TOSCA:Puccini
Molinari-Pradelli; Elinor Ross, Bergonzi, Anselmo Colzani, Plishka, Franke, Sgarro
Original Air Date: 12/12/1970
SID.19420744
Bergonzi has a memorable Cavaradossi in 1959 with Steber and London which is also available on Met Player. Bergonzi is in better form for the earlier broadcast but still a master stylist. He actually does a third Cavaradossi on the airwaves in 1975 with Zylis-Gara and Bacquier under Erede (Met debut 1951! and long absent– now THAT performance interests me. #1 Sirius omission remains the Stella Tosca of 1958 under MItropoulos. There are some uninspiring Tosca casts in the last 25 years, not as bad as Trovatore. This is a break from some of the more common Toscas on Sirius. Ross had a powerful voice. She appeared several times in Philadelphia (often partnered with Tucker in Turandot, Aida, and Gioconda). This is late in her career (not early for Bergonzi or Colzani) tune in to this to hear how late Ross sounds compared to some of today’s Toscas. It’s the Puccini work most in need of a rest. Bergonzi broadcasts Cavaradossi three times, first in 1959 with Eleanor Steber and George London, and in 1975 with Teresa Zylis-Gara and Gabriel Bacquier under Alberto Erede. HIs last Met performance is Edgardo in 1988 with Lucia Aliberti and then eight years later appears in the James Levine 25th anniversary gala. The Steber performance is the best of the three performances, but Ross is worth checking out.
DON PASQUALE:Donizetti
Benini; Alaimo, Netrebko, Flórez, Kwiecien
Original Air Date: 04/15/2006
MOD Audio
SID.19420422
This is the first year of the production, and I am sorry this was not the one that was filmed for DVD. This was the end of the Volpe era, and when Levine who was originally attached to this production did not appear because of illness (not the most recent one), any televising disappeared — TV production had practically disappeared under Volpe. Alaimo is a superior Pasquale to Del Carlo, and Florez’ Ernesto should have been captured in this Met production. As much as I enjoy this final video with Levine and gang several years later, for the best in Donizetti audio singing, this is the performance you want. I’m not especially partial to either Sills or Peters as Norina, and my favorite is Grist with Kraus, Corena, and Krause under Franci. Even though Netrebko is several voice sizes bigger than Florez, they are both star performers, and give high profile performances. This is the year of the new production, and the unifying presence of Alaimo is no small contribution. I enjoy Netrebko’s HD (also on DVD and MOoD) at the next revival under Schenk, but I’m grateful this performance is in the MOoD.
CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI:Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Nelson; Bumbry, Theyard, Colzani / McCracken, Moffo, Milnes
Original Air Date: 01/18/1975
SID.19420746
This is Moffo’s final performance broadcast from the Met, and she does not go out on a high note. Milnes is not my preferred Tonio, but I prefer him to Pons who has eight more than Milnes. I prefer MacNeil, Merrill, or Warren among modern Met baritones. The surprise is Merrill only has 22 Tonios with his last in 1960; Caruso (118) and Martinelli(68) are firmly ahead of all Canio competitors, but McCracken is third and by a healthy amount more than any other postwar tenors who are bunched in the 20s. I like Bumbry’s Santuzza, even if it is not as authentic as Cossotto’s. It’s a good fit for her voice.
GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG:Wagner
Levine; Eaglen, Andersen, Halfvarson, Held, Radvanovsky, Palmer
Original Air Date: 04/22/2000
MOD Audio
SID.19420747
This is one of the two Ring cycles broadcast by Eaglen and Levine. This one finds Eaglen on better form than the 2004 (her Met farewell), but Salminen is a stronger Hagen than Halfvarson. The 2004 has been on Sirius, but even though I previously posted that it was available on MOoD, I do not see it present in current availability. This is Felicity Palmer’s Met debut and really potent Gibich siblings in Held and Radvanovsky.
AKHNATEN:Glass
Kamensek; Larusdottir, Bridges, Costanzo, Blake, Liverman, Bernstein, James
Original Air Date: 12/07/2019
SID.19490639
First Intermission
Mary Jo Heath interviews General Manager Peter Gelb about the 2019-20120 season.
Philip Glass Feature
Mary Jo Heath interviews Maestro Karen Kamensek
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass #1 – Loren Toolajian interviews Anthony Roth Costanzo
Backstage Pass #2 – Loren Toolajian interviews Dísella Lárusdóttir, J’Nai Bridges, and Zachery James
Lise Davidsen Feature
THE QUEEN OF SPADES:Tchaikovsky
Petrenko; Davidsen, Maximova, Diadkova, Antonenko, Golovatenko, Markov
Original Air Date: 12/14/2019
SID.19500639
Tchaikovsky’s eerie thriller of imperial Russia has its first performances at the Met since 2011. Tenor Yusif Eyvazovis Hermann, the fanatical gambler whose obsession with a powerful secret drives him to madness. Soprano Lise Davidsen makes her highly anticipated Met debut as his long-suffering lover, Lisa, with mezzo-soprano Larissa Diadkova as the otherworldly Countess. Baritone Igor Golovatenko is Yeletsky, baritone Alexey Markov is Tomsky, and Vasily Petrenko conducts.
The Sunday matinee performance on December 8 will feature a post-performance discussion with Lise Davidsen and Yusif Eyvazov, hosted by Met General Manager Peter Gelb.
Single Intermission
Backstage Pass #1 – Mary Jo Heath interviews Yusif Eyvazov
Backstage Pass #2 – Mary Jo Heath interviews Lise Davidsen
The Magic Flute Promotion – Mary Jo Heath interviews David Portillo, our Tamino
Verdi
Armiliato; Netrebko, Polenzani, Domingo, Abdrazakov
Original Air Date: 12/21/2019
SID.19510639
Soprano Anna Netrebko created a sensation when she made her Met role debut as Lady Macbeth in 2014, opposite baritone Željko Lučić in the title role. Now, the two stars reunite to reprise their acclaimed portrayals in Verdi’s gripping Shakespeare adaptation. Marco Armiliato conducts a standout cast that also features tenor Matthew Polenzani as Macduff and bass Ildar Abdrazakov as Banquo, in Adrian Noble’s evocative production.
Single Intermission
Mary Jo Heath interviews Anna Netrebko
Mary Jo Heath interviews Željko Lučić
Mary Jo Heath interviews Sir Simon Rattle
Mozart
Koenigs; Fang, Lewek, Portillo, Rosel, Hopkins, Carfizzi, Howard
Original Air Date: 12/28/2019
SID.19520640
“A beloved holiday tradition continues as Mozart’s delightful fairy tale returns in the Met’s abridged, English-language version for families, perfect for younger audiences, with no intermission and a running time of less than two hours. Lothar Koenigs conducts a dynamic cast of standout Mozarteans in Julie Taymor’s magical production, an enduring Met classic with its eye-popping puppetry and stunning visuals.
On Saturday, December 28, all ticket holders for the 1 PM matinee of The Magic Flute are invited to a free pre-performance open house beginning at 11 AM. Met artists and craftspeople lead a variety of hands-on activities and demonstrations for the whole family.”
DER ROSENKAVALIER:Strauss
Rattle; Nylund, Kožená, Schultz, Goeldner, Polenzani, Ebenstein, Eiche, Groissböck
Original Air Date: 01/04/2020
SID.20010639
Robert Carsen’s splendid staging returns for the first time since its blockbuster 2017 premiere, with Sir Simon Rattle on the podium to conduct Strauss’s glittering score. Star soprano Camilla Nylund is the worldly Marschallin, with the outstanding mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená as her exuberant young lover, Octavian. Bass Günther Groissböck reprises his definitive take on the lascivious Baron Ochs, and rising soprano Golda Schultz sings the innocent Sophie. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; Teatro Colón, Buenos Aires; and Teatro Regio di Torino
WOZZECK:Berg
Yannick Nézet-Séguin: Peter Mattei, Elza van den Heever, Gerhard Siegel, Christian Van Horn
Original Air Date: 01/11/2020
Live in HD
SID.20020640
After wowing audiences with his astounding production of Lulu in 2015, South African artist William Kentridge now focuses his extraordinary visual imagination on Berg’s other operatic masterpiece, set in an apocalyptic pre–World War I environment. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is on the podium for this important event, with baritone Peter Mattei making his highly anticipated role debut as the title character. Soprano Elza van den Heever is Wozzeck’s unfaithful mate, and the commanding cast also includes tenor Christopher Ventris as the Drum-Major, bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as the Doctor, and tenor Gerhard Siegel as the Captain.
A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Salzburg Festival; the Canadian Opera Company, Toronto; and Opera Australia
Production a gift of Robert L. Turner
LA TRAVIATA:Verdi
Chichon; Kurzak, Popov, Kelsey
Original Air Date: 01/18/2020
SID.20030639
Michael Mayer’s sumptuous staging, a highlight of the 2018–19 season, returns with two casts of bright stars. Sopranos Aleksandra Kurzak and Lisette Oropesa share the role of Violetta, the opera’s tragic heroine, opposite tenors Dmytro Popov and Piero Pretti as her ardent lover, Alfredo, and baritones Quinn Kelsey and Luca Salsi as Alfredo’s stern father, Germont. Karel Mark Chichon and Bertrand de Billy conduct one of opera’s greatest scores.
FIRST INTERMISSION
Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera Quiz
Host: Brian Zeger
Guest: Elīna Garanča
Panelists: Ken Benson, George Preston, and
Melanie Spector
Pianist: Bénédicte Jourdois
SECOND INTERMISSION
Backstage Pass – Loren Toolajian interviews Aleksandra Kurzak
Porgy and Bess Feature
LA BOHÈME:Puccini
Armiliato; Pérez, Kulchynska, Polenzani, Bizic, Zhilikhovsky, Park, Woodley
Original Air Date: 01/25/2020
SID.20040640
Three casts of captivating artists bring Puccini’s classic tragedy of bohemian friends and lovers to life in Franco Zeffirelli’s immortal staging. Tenors Matthew Polenzani, Roberto Alagna, and Joseph Calleja trade off as the exuberant Rodolfo, alongside sopranos Ailyn Pérez, Hei-Kyung Hong, and Maria Agresta as the fragile Mimì. Marco Armiliato and Emmanuel Villaume share conducting duties.
First Intermission
Backstage Pass #1 – Loren Toolajian interviews Ailyn Pérez and Matthew Polenzani
Mary Jo Heath interviews Maestro Edward Gardner about La Damnation de Faust
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass #2 – Loren Toolajian interviews Olga Kulchynska and David Bizic
PORGY AND BESS : Gershwins
Original Air Date: 02/01/2020
Robertson; Blue, Schultz, Moore, Graves, Ballentine, Owens, Walker, Singletary
SID.20050000
Single Intermission
Backstage Pass – HD Host Audra McDonald interviews Angel Blue and
Eric Owens
Mary Jo Hearth interviews Joyce DiDonato about Agrippina
Mary Jo Hearth interviews Anita Hartig about Le Nozze di Figaro
Backstage Pass – HD Host Audra McDonald interviews Latonia Moore,
Golda Schultz, and Denyce Graves
Backstage Pass – HD Host Audra McDonald interviews
Frederick Ballentine and Alfred Walker
PORGY AND BESS: Gershwins
Original Air Date: 02/01/2020
David Robertson: Eric Owens, Angel Blue, Denyce Graves, Latonia Moore, Frederick Ballentine, Alfred Walker, Golda Schultz
Live in HD SID.20050600
Single Intermission
Backstage Pass – HD Host Audra McDonald interviews Angel Blue and
Eric Owens
Mary Jo Hearth interviews Joyce DiDonato about Agrippina
Mary Jo Hearth interviews Anita Hartig about Le Nozze di Figaro
Backstage Pass – HD Host Audra McDonald interviews Latonia Moore,
Golda Schultz, and Denyce Graves
Backstage Pass – HD Host Audra McDonald interviews
Frederick Ballentine and Alfred Walker
LA DAMNATION DE FAUST:Berlioz
Gardner; Garanca, Spyres, Abdrazakov
Original Air Date: 02/08/2020
SID.20060640
Single Intermission
Backstage Pass – Loren Toolajian interviews Michael Spyres
Backstage Pass – Loren Toolajian interviews Elīna Garanča and
Ildar Abrazakov (TBC)
Mary Jo Hearth interviews Brenda Rae about Agrippina
MANON Massenet
Benini: Oropesa, Fabiano, Bosi, Rucinski, Polegato, Youn
OAD 9/24/2019 SID.19390212
Program
Exhilarating soprano Lisette Oropesa stars as the irresistible title character, the tragic beauty who yearns for the finer things in life, in Laurent Pelly’s revealing production. Tenor Michael Fabiano is the besotted Chevalier des Grieux, whose desperate love for Manon proves their undoing. Maurizio Benini conducts Massenet’s sensual score.
A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; Teatro alla Scala, Milan; and Théâtre du Capitole de Toulouse Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund
VICTORY LAP Interview with Lisette Oropesa from metopera.org
First Intermission
Backstage Pass #1 – Mary Jo Heath interviews Lisette Oropesa
Agrippina Feature with Maestro Harry Bicket
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass #2 – Mary Jo Heath interviews Michael Fabiano
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO:Mozart
Meister; Woodbury, Müller, Crebassa, McCormick, Dupuis, Plachetka, Muraro
Original Air Date: 02/22/2020
SID.20080640
Two outstanding casts—including sopranos Nadine Sierra, Anita Hartig, Susanna Phillips, and Hanna-Elisabeth Müller; mezzo-sopranos Gaëlle Arquez and Marianne Crebassa; baritone Mariusz Kwiecien; and bass-baritones Luca Pisaroni and Adam Plachetka—come together for Mozart’s scintillating class comedy. Antonello Manacorda and Cornelius Meister conduct Sir Richard Eyre’s fast-paced production. Production a gift of Mercedes T. Bass, and Jerry and Jane del Missier Revival a gift of the Metropolitan Opera Club
Intermission
Backstage Pass – Loren Toolajian interviews Amanda Woodbury, Hanna-Elisabeth Müller, Etienne Dupuis, Adam Plachetka
Mary Jo Hearth interviews General Manager Peter Gelb about the 2020-2021 Season
AGRIPPINA:Handel
Harry Bicket: Joyce DiDonato, Brenda Rae, Kate Lindsey, Iestyn Davies, Matthew Rose
Original Air Date: 02/29/2020
Live in HD
SID.20090640
Handel’s tale of intrigue and impropriety in ancient Rome receives its first Met performances, with star mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as the controlling, power-hungry Agrippina and Harry Bicket conducting. Sir David McVicar’s production ingeniously reframes the action of this black comedy about the abuse of power to “the present,” where it should loudly resonate. The all-star cast features mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey as Agrippina’s son and future emperor Nerone, soprano Brenda Rae as the seductive Poppea, countertenor Iestyn Davies as the ambitious officer Ottone, and bass Matthew Rose as the weary emperor Claudius. This production was originally created by the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie / De Munt Brussels and adapted by the Metropolitan Opera
Intermission
Backstage Pass 1 – HD Host Deborah Voigt interviews Joyce DiDonato
Backstage Pass 2 – HD Host Deborah Voigt interviews Brenda Rae and Iestyn Davies
Mary Jo Hearth interviews Evgeny Nikitin about Der Fliegende Hollände
Backstage Pass 3 – HD Host Deborah Voigt interviews Kate Lindsey and Matthew Rose
COSÌ FAN TUTTE:Mozart
Bicket; Car, Malfi, Stober, Bliss, Pisaroni, Finley
Original Air Date: 03/07/2020
SID.20100600
Coney Island once again comes to the stage of the Met with the first revival of Phelim McDermott’s popular staging inspired by the side shows of the boardwalk. The pairs of young lovers are a casting dream: soprano Nicole Car, mezzo-soprano Serena Malfi, tenor Ben Bliss, and bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni, with the glorious bass-baritone Gerald Finley as the cynical Don Alfonso and the charming soprano Heidi Stober as the mischievous maid Despina. Harry Bicket conducts. Co-production of the Metropolitan Opera and English National Opera In collaboration with Improbable
DER FLIEGENDE HOLLANDER:Wagner
Valery Gergiev: Evgeny Nikitin, Anja Kampe, Sergey Skorokhodov, Franz-Josef Selig
Broadcast of performance from 03/10/2020
SID.20110640
The March 14 live performance and the LIVE IN HD Transmission have been canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and the recommendations of city, state and federal elected officials.
The broadcast will be of the Tuesday 3-10 performance taped as preparation for the Saturday Live in HD transmission.
François Girard, whose revelatory 2013 take on Parsifal set the recent Met standard for Wagner stagings, unveils a spellbinding new vision of the composer’s tale of a cursed sea captain doomed to sail the open ocean for eternity. With sweeping sets by John Macfarlane, Girard’s new production turns the Met stage into a rich, layered tableau reminiscent of a vast oil painting. Valery Gergiev conducts a brilliant cast led by bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin as the Dutchman, with German soprano Anja Kampe making her anticipated Met debut as the devoted Senta, whose selfless love is what the Dutchman seeks. Bass Franz-Josef Selig is her father, Daland, and tenor Sergey Skorokhodov is her deserted former lover, Erik. A co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; Dutch National Opera, Amsterdam; The Abu Dhabi Festival; and Opéra de Québec
Fabio Luisi: Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez, Luca Pisaroni
Original Air Date 5/10/2014 SID.20120000
The live broadcast of La Cenerentola scheduled for March 21 has been canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation
Today’s Broadcast is of the LA CENERENTOLA performance from May 10, 2014
Single Intermission
HD Host Deborah Voigt interviews Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez about La Cenerentola
Mary Jo Heath inteviews General Manager Peter Gelb
Angelina…………….Joyce DiDonato
Prince Ramiro………..Juan Diego Flórez
Dandini……………..Pietro Spagnoli
Don Magnifico………..Alessandro Corbelli
Clorinda…………….Rachelle Durkin
Tisbe……………….Patricia Risley
Alidoro……………..Luca Pisaroni
Conductor……………Fabio Luisi
Recitative Accompanist: Dennis Giauque
Production…………..Cesare Lievi
Designer…………….Maurizio Balò
Lighting Designer…….Gigi Saccomandi
Choreographer………..Daniela Schiavone
Stage Director……….Eric Einhorn
TV Director………….Barbara Willis Sweete
Read RWW’s Review of this HD Broadcast
Massenet
Alain Altinoglu: Jonas Kaufmann, Sophie Koch, Lisette Oropesa
Original Air Date: 3/15/2014 SID.20130000
Broadcast Performance from March 15, 2014
The performances of Werther scheduled for March 16, 20, 23, 28, and 31 have been canceled due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) situation and the recommendations of our city, state, and federal elected officials.
READ RWW’s Review of this Live in HD Broadcast.
Production Photos
ORFEO ED EURIDICE:Gluck
Wigglesworth; Hong, Park, Barton
Original Air Date: 11/01/2019
SID.20140644
NYT Tommasini [10/21/2019] … The excellent British conductor Mark Wigglesworth, best known for his work with the English National Opera in London, drew out the warmth and refinement of Gluck’s score. But the Met Orchestra’s playing lacked precision and crispness, especially during the bustling overture, which sounded somewhat wan and limp. …. The veteran soprano Hei-Kyung Hong, who made her Met debut in 1984, was a winning Euridice. Though there were moments of patchy tone and shaky pitch in her singing, the radiance of her voice came through. She sang with a vigor and clarity that brought out the best from Ms. Barton. …During the final celebration of the reunion of Orfeo and Euridice, the Mark Morris ensemble took over the show with a suite of joyous dances. The orchestra responded with its most crisp and animated playing.once the god of love, Amore, here the bright-voiced soprano Hera Hyesang Park, arrived: Winged and wearing a peach-colored shirt, floppy pants and sneakers, she descended (on wires) from the heavens. In her vibrant singing and sassy manner, Ms. Park brought a touch of jaded exuberance to the proceedings: This Amore admits to being baffled by the romantic entanglements of mortals…..The veteran soprano Hei-Kyung Hong, who made her Met debut in 1984, was a winning Euridice. Though there were moments of patchy tone and shaky pitch in her singing, the radiance of her voice came through. She sang with a vigor and clarity that brought out the best from Ms. Barton. During the final celebration of the reunion of Orfeo and Euridice, the Mark Morris ensemble took over the show with a suite of joyous dances. The orchestra responded with its most crisp and animated playing.