“REQUIEM : Verdi
Original Air Date: 12/02/2017
Cast: Levine; Stoyanova, Semenchuk, Antonenko, Furlanetto
Media: SID.17480640 Tags: LIVE; 2017, Levine, Verdi
“
“NORMA : Bellini
Original Air Date: 12/16/2017
Cast: Colaneri; Meade, Barton, Calleja, Rose
Media: SID.17500640 Tags: LIVE; 2017
Soprano Angela Meade and mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton star in the Met’s new production of Norma, reprising their acclaimed 2013 portrayal of the title role and Adalgisa, respectively. Tenor Joseph Calleja is Pollione, Norma’s unfaithful lover, and Joseph Colaneri conducts. Sir David McVicar’s evocative production sets the action deep in a Druid forest where nature and ancient ritual rule.LIVE BROADCAST “
“LE NOZZE DI FIGARO : Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/23/2017
Cast: Bicket; Plachetka, Karg, Willis-Sørensen, Pisaroni, Malfi
Media: SID.17510640 Tags: LIVE; 2017, Mozart
An exceptional ensemble of performers—including Ailyn Pérez, Nadine Sierra, Isabel Leonard, Luca Pisaroni, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Ildar Abdrazakov—share the stage in Mozart’s comic yet profound look at human nature and one crazy day in a wealthy Spanish household. Acclaimed Mozartean maestro Harry Bicket conducts Richard Eyre’s high-spirited production. – metopera.org”
“THE MERRY WIDOW : Lehár
Original Air Date: 12/14/2017
Cast: Stare; Graham, Groves, Chuchman, Stayton
Media: SID.17520640 Tags: LIVE; 2017
Susan Graham sings the title role of the fabulous woman of the world who sets out to conquer glamorous old Paris and get the one thing that has eluded her—a commitment from her playboy first love.
Lehár’s delightful score of lush waltzes and beautiful ballads will sparkle with a supporting cast of Andriana Chuchman, Paul Groves, and the inimitable Sir Thomas Allen. Ward Stare conducts.
-metopera.org”
“HANSEL AND GRETEL : Humperdinck
Original Air Date: 01/06/2018
Cast: Runnicles; Oropesa, Erraught, Zajick, Siegel, Kelsey
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18010640 Tags: LIVE; 2018
A Met English-language holiday presentation, Richard Jones’s clever production of Humperdinck’s fairy-tale opera is based on the Brothers Grimm story. Donald Runnicles conducts the sweeping score and a delightful cast, including the legendary Dolora Zajick as the wayward siblings’ mother. Tara Erraught and Ingeborg Gillebo share the role of Hansel, and Lisette Oropesa and Maureen McKay share the role of Gretel.
The matinee performance on December 28 will feature a pre-curtain open house, at 11AM, where audiences can connect with some of the designers, singers, dancers, musicians, and technical wizards behind the production.
-metopera.org”
“CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA / PAGLIACCI : Mascagni / Leoncavallo
Original Air Date: 01/13/2018
Cast: Luisotti; Semenchuk, Alagna, Gagnidze, Kurzak, Arduini
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18020640 Tags: LIVE; 2018
Roberto Alagna takes on the leading tenor roles in both parts of opera’s most popular double bill. In Cavalleria Rusticana, Ekaterina Semenchuk is the woebegone Santuzza, with Aleksandra Kurzak as the hot-blooded Nedda in Pagliacci. Baritone George Gagnidze sings Tonio in Pagliacci and shares the role of Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana with Željko Lučić. Nicola Luisotti conducts Sir David McVicar’s production, which heightens the melodramatic action of this timeless verismo pairing.
Production a gift of M. Beverly and Robert G. Bartner, Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Montrone, and the Estate of Anne Tallman
Major funding from Rolex Additional funding from John J. Noffo Kahn and Mark Addison, and Paul Underwood”
“THAÏS : Massenet
Original Air Date: 01/20/2018
Cast: Villaume; Pérez, Finley, Borras
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18030640 Tags: LIVE; 2018
Ailyn Pérez is the alluring courtesan and Gerald Finley is the holy man who tries to resist her powers of seduction in Massenet’s tale of sensuality versus spirituality. Emmanuel Villaume conducts. (metopera.org)”
“TOSCA : Puccini
Original Air Date: 01/27/2018
Cast: Villaume; Yoncheva, Grigolo, Lucic
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18040640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Puccini
Sir David McVicar’s “smashing new production” is “a grand triumph” (Huffington Post), featuring an exciting cast led by soprano Sonya Yoncheva in the title role of the fiery diva and Vittorio Grigolo as her passionate lover, Cavaradossi. The pair are “youthful, ardent, and innocent … their duets electric, their kisses hot and numerous” (Wall Street Journal). Yoncheva’s sound is “richly textured and shimmering,” and “Grigolo’s Mario is a true hothead … complete with thrilling top notes” (New York Times). Željko Lučić is “an imposing figure with a voice to match” (Wall Street Journal) as the villainous police chief, Scarpia, and Emmanuel Villaume conducts.
Production a gift of Jacqueline Desmarais, in memory of Paul G. Desmarais Sr; The Paiko Foundation; and Dr. Elena Prokupets, in memory of her late husband, Rudy Prokupets
Major funding from Rolex
-metopera.org”
“IL TROVATORE : Verdi
Original Air Date: 02/03/2018
Cast: Armiliato; Agresta, Rachvelishvili, Lee, Kelsey, Kocán
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18050640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Verdi
Verdi’s blazing depiction of life on the edge returns in Sir David McVicar’s compelling production, featuring Jennifer Rowley as the noble heroine, Leonora, Yonghoon Lee as the troubadour who loves her, Quinn Kelsey and Luca Salsi as his rival, and Anita Rachvelishvili as the gypsy Azucena, whose bloodthirsty curse propels the story. Marco Armiliato conducts.
Production a gift of The Annenberg Foundation
Co-production of the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and San Francisco Opera Association
World premiere: Teatro Apollo, Rome, 1853.
Met premiere: October 26, 1883.”
“L’ELISIR D’AMORE : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 02/10/2018
Cast: Hindoyan; Yende, Polenzani, Luciano, D’Arcangelo
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18060639 Tags: LIVE; 2018
Pretty Yende debuts a new role at the Met with her first Adina opposite Matthew Polenzani, who enthralled Met audiences as Nemorino in 2013 with his ravishing “Una furtiva lagrima.” Bartlett Sher’s production is charming, with deft comedic timing, but also emotionally revealing. Domingo Hindoyan conducts. (metopera.org) “
“PARSIFAL : Wagner
Original Air Date: 02/17/2018
Cast: Nezet-Seguin; Herlitzius, Vogt, Mattei, Nikitin, Pape
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18070639 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Wagner
Met Music Director Designate Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Wagner’s transcendental score, in François Girard’s remarkable production, a mystical theatrical journey. Tenor Klaus Florian Vogt, renowned across Europe, returns to the Met following his appearances in the 2016–17 season as Florestan in Fidelio. Evelyn Herlitzius is Kundry, and Peter Mattei and René Pape bring back their highly praised interpretations of Amfortas and Gurnemanz, respectively.
Production a gift of the Gramma Fisher Foundation, Marshalltown, Iowa; Major funding from Rolex; Additional funding from Marina Kellen French, and the Edgar Foster Daniels Foundation; Revival a gift of Marina Kellen French”
“LA BOHÈME : Puccini
Original Air Date: 02/24/2018
Cast: Armiliato; Yoncheva, Phillips, Fabiano, Meachem, Lavrov, Rose, Plishka
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18080640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Puccini
“
“MADAMA BUTTERFLY : Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/03/2018
Cast: Armiliato; Jaho, Aronica, Zifchak, Frontali, Stevenson
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18090640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Puccini
Anthony Minghella’s stunning production of Puccini’s heartbreaking opera, an instant Met classic since its 2006 premiere, returns with Hui He and Ermonela Jaho in the tragic title role of the trusting geisha. Roberto Aronica and Luis Chapa alternate as her callous American lover, Pinkerton, and Jader Bignamini and Marco Armiliato conduct. (metopera.org)
See the Program for the Program Notes by Albert Innaurato.”
“SEMIRAMIDE : Rossini
Original Air Date: 03/10/2018
Cast: Benini; Meade, DeShong, Abdrazakov, Camarena
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18100640 Tags: LIVE; 2018
This masterpiece of dazzling vocal fireworks makes a rare Met appearance—its first in nearly 25 years—with Maurizio Benini on the podium. The all-star bel canto cast features Angela Meade in the title role of the murderous Queen of Babylon, who squares off in breathtaking duets with Arsace, a trouser role sung by Elizabeth DeShong. Javier Camarena, Ildar Abdrazakov, and Ryan Speedo Green complete the stellar cast.
Production a gift of the Lila Acheson and DeWitt Wallace Fund for Lincoln Center, established by the founders of The Reader’s Digest Association, Inc.
Revival a gift of Ekkehart Hassels-Weiler”
“ELEKTRA : Strauss
Original Air Date: 03/18/2018
Cast: Nezet-Seguin; Goerke, van den heever, Schuster, Morris, Petrenlo
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18110640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Strauss
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“TURANDOT : Puccini
Original Air Date: 03/24/2018
Cast: Armiliato; Serafin, Álvarez, Yu, Tsymbalyuk
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18120640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Puccini
Puccini’s grand spectacle of legendary China stars Oksana Dyka and Martina Serafin in the role of the ice princess and Aleksandrs Antonenko as the unknown prince who must thaw her heart or die. Maria Agresta, Hei-Kyung Hong, and James Morris are among the other remarkable artists featured in this cherished Franco Zeffirelli production, led by Carlo Rizzi and Marco Armiliato.
Although the Met presented the American premiere of Turandot in 1926, Puccini’s last work didn’t become an audience favorite until the opening of Cecil Beaton’s 1961 production, which featured Birgit Nilsson and Franco Corelli. Their dynamic (and highly competitive) appearances together helped secure the opera’s box office appeal.
The current Franco Zeffirelli production was first seen in 1987 with Eva Marton, Plácido Domingo, and Leona Mitchell.(from metopera.org)”
“COSÌ FAN TUTTE : Mozart
Original Air Date: 03/31/2018
Cast: Robertson; Majeski, Bliss, Malfi, Plachetka, O’Hara, Maltman
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18130639 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Mozart
“
“LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR : Donizetti
Original Air Date: 04/07/2018
Cast: Abbado; Peretyatko-Mariotti, Grigolo, Cavalletti, Kowaljow
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18140640 Tags: LIVE; 2018
The role of the fragile title heroine who teeters between love and madness is shared by sopranos Olga Peretyatko-Mariotti and Pretty Yende, who have each impressed audiences with dazzling bel canto portrayals at the Met. Vittorio Grigolo and Michael Fabiano share the role of her lover in this chilling production by Tony Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman. Roberto Abbado conducts.
Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund
Revival a gift of the Metropolitan Opera Club “
“LUISA MILLER : Verdi
Original Air Date: 04/14/2018
Cast: de Billy; Yoncheva, Beczala, Domingo, Vinogradov, Belosselskiy, Petrova
Media: Live in HD SID.18150640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Domingo, Verdi
Plácido Domingo adds yet another role to his legendary Met career in this rarely performed Verdi gem, a heart-wrenching tragedy of fatherly love. Sonya Yoncheva sings the title role opposite Piotr Beczała in the first Met performances of the opera in more than ten years. Bertrand de Billy conducts.
Production a gift of Catherine and Ephraim Gildor
Revival a gift of Rolex and Mrs. Jayne Wrightsman
“
“THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL : Adès
Original Air Date: 11/18/2017
Cast: Adès; Luna, Echalaz, Matthews, etc.
Media: SID.18160640 Tags: LIVE; 2018
From metopera.org: Following the rapturous response to his last opera, The Tempest, the Met presents the American premiere of Thomas Adès’s The Exterminating Angel, inspired by the classic Luis Buñuel film of the same name. Hailed by the New York Times at its 2016 Salzburg Festival premiere as “inventive and audacious … a major event,” The Exterminating Angel is a surreal fantasy about a dinner party from which the guests can’t escape. Tom Cairns, who wrote the libretto, directs the new production, and Adès conducts his own adventurous new opera.
Music by Thomas Adès, libretto by Tom Cairns in collaboration with the composer, based on the screenplay by Luis Buñuel and Luis Alcoriza”
“CENDRILLON : Massenet
Original Air Date: 04/28/2018
Cast: de Billy; DiDonato, Coote, Kim, Blythe, Naouri
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18170640 Tags: LIVE; 2018
observer.com/2018/04/joyce-didonato-shines-in-luminous-cendrillon-at-met-opera-review/“
“ROMÉO ET JULIETTE : Gounod
Original Air Date: 05/05/2018
Cast: Domingo; Perez, Deshayes, Hymel, Hopkins, Youn
Media: Live Broadcast SID.18180640 Tags: LIVE; 2018, Domingo
Bartlett Sher’s production of Gounod’s sumptuous Shakespeare adaptation was a hit of the 2016–17 Met season (“a revelation” declared the Huffington Post). Now the sweeping tragedy returns with Ailyn Pérez and Charles Castronovo as the star-crossed young lovers. Plácido Domingo conducts.
Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund
Revival a gift of Role”X
MEFISTOFELE : Boito
Original Air Date: 11/08/2018
Cast: Rizzi; Meade, Fabiano, Van Horn, Check
SID.18480000
Live Broadcast –Program 120118-mefistofele
First Intermission
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Michael Fabiano
Host Mary Jo Heath interviews General Manager Peter Gelb
Host Mary Jo Heath interviews Chorus Master Donald Palumbo
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Christian Van Horn
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Jennifer Check and Angela Meade
Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin is interviewed by Host Mary Jo Heath
The spectacular Robert Carsen production returns to the Met for the first time since 2000, with bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as the diabolical title character, tenor Michael Fabiano as Faust, and soprano Angela Meade as Margherita. Mefistofele is the celebrated and only completed opera by Arrigo Boito—who famously collaborated with Verdi on the libretti for Otello and Falstaff.
Production co-owned by the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco
OperaProduction a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Julian H. Robertson, Jr. and Mrs. and
Mrs. Wilmer J. Thomas, Jr.
Additional funding by the Rose and Robert Edelman Foundation, Inc.
IL TRITTICO : Puccini
de Billy; Wagner, Blythe, Álvarez, Gagnidze, Muraro, Opolais, McKay, Blythe, Mkhitaryan, Blythe, Ayan, Domingo, Muraro
Live Saturday Matinee Broadcast – Program 120818-Trittico
First Intermission
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Amber Wagner
TOLL BROTHERS – METROPOLITAN OPERA QUIZ
Guest Artist: Morris Robinson
Host: Gerald Martin Moore
Panelists: Suzanne Martinucci, Rob Marx, and Jonathan Tolins
Feature: Puccini/Il Trittico Musical Language w/host Mary Jo Heath
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Kristine Opolais about Suor Angellica; Host Mary Jo Heath interviews Stephanie Blythe Suor Angellica and Gianni Schicchi; Host Mary Jo Heath interviews Diana Damrau about La Traviata; Feature: Domingo – 50th Anniversary at the Met; Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Plácido Domingo
Jack O’Brien’s epic production of Puccini’s triple bill features first-class casting: tenor Marcelo Álvarez and soprano Amber Wagner are the illicit lovers of Il Tabarro, with baritone George Gagnidze as the spurned husband; soprano Kristine Opolais sings the shattering title role of Suor Angelica, alongside mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the Principessa; and the ageless Plácido Domingo takes an unusual comedic turn in the baritone title role of Gianni Schicchi. The performances mark the centennial of the work’s world premiere at the Met. Bertrand de Billy conducts.
Production a gift of Karen and Kevin Kennedy
Additional funding from the Gramma Fisher Foundation, Marshalltown, Iowa, The Annenberg Foundation, Hermione Foundation, Mr. and Mrs. William R. Miller, and M. Beverly and Robert G. Bartner
LA TRAVIATA : Verdi
Cast: Nézet-Séguin; Damrau, Flórez, Kelsey
Live in HD
First Intermission
Backstage Pass: HD Host Anita Rachvelishvili interviews Juan Diego Floréz
TOLL BROTHERS – METROPOLITAN OPERA QUIZ
Guest Artist: Bartlett Sher Host: Gerald Martin Moore; Panelists: Neal Goren, Roger Pines, and Melanie Spector
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass: HD Host Anita Rachvelishvili interviews Diana Damrau
Backstage Pass: HD Host Anita Rachvelishvili interviews Quinn Kelsey
Radio Host Mary Jo Heath interviews Erin Morley about Magic Flute
Backstage Pass: General Manager Peter Gelb interviews Music Director Yannick Nézet-SéguinRAM
19th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Soprano Diana Damrau plays the tragic heroine, Violetta, and tenor Juan Diego Flórez returns to the Met for the first time since 2015 to sing the role of Alfredo, Violetta’s hapless lover. Baritone Quinn Kelsey is Alfredo’s father, Germont, who destroys their love. Later performances feature Anita Hartig, Stephen Costello, Artur Ruciński, and Plácido Domingo.
Production a gift of The Paiko Foundation
Major additional funding from Mercedes T. Bass, Mr. and Mrs. Paul M. Montrone, and Rolex
LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST : Puccini
Armiliato; Westbroek, Kaufmann, Bosi, Lucic, Simpson, Rose, Gradus
Original Air Date: 10/27/2018; Broadcast Air Date 12/22/2018
SID.18510000
First Intermission
Host Mary Jo Heath interviews Eva-Maria Westbroek
Host Mary Jo Heath interviews Maestro Marco Armiliato
Second Intermission
HD Host Susanna Phillips interviews Jonas Kaufmann
Host Mary Jo Heath interviews Stuart Skelton about Otello
Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings Puccini’s gun-slinging heroine in this romantic epic of the Wild West. Tenor Yusif Eyvazov portrays Dick Johnson for opening night (Oct 4, 8, 12) Jonas Kaufmann returns to the MET for performances on Oct 17, 20, 23, and 27. Baritone Željko Lučić is the vigilante sheriff Jack Rance, and Marco Armiliato conducts.
NYTimes Review: Jonas Kaufmann, Back at the Met, Is Good, Not Great by Anthony Tommasini Oct. 18, 2018
Observer Review: Puccini’s Wild West Opera Will Shatter Your Heart (Even With the Met’s Subpar Staging) by James Jorden • 10/08/18
BWW Review: Kaufmann Returns to the Met with a ‘Heigh-ho Silver’ in Puccini’s FANCIULLA DEL WEST
THE MAGIC FLUTE:Mozart
Original Air Date: 12/29/2018
Bicket; Morley, Lewek, Bliss, Ryan, Gunn, Walker, Robinson
SID.18520000
Now a holiday tradition, Julie Taymor’s beloved production of Mozart’s enchanting fairy tale returns in its abridged, English-language version for families.
Program 122918-magic-flute
OTELLO:Verdi
Original Air Date: 01/05/2019
Dudamel; Yoncheva, Johnson Cano, Skelton, Dolgov, Lucic, Morris
SID.19010639
Intermission
Backstage Pass – Loren Toolajian interviews Stuart Skelton
Mary Jo Heath interviews Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Mary Jo Heath narrates “In Memoriam” feature
Conducting sensation Gustavo Dudamel makes his Met debut leading Verdi’s towering Shakespearean masterpiece, in the first revival of Bartlett Sher’s gripping 2015 production. The cast includes dynamic tenor Stuart Skelton in the title role, star soprano Sonya Yoncheva as the devoted but doomed Desdemona, and outstanding baritone Željko Lučić as the treacherous Iago.
ADRIANA LECOUVREUR:Cilea
Original Air Date: 01/12/2019
Noseda; Netrebko, Rachvelishvili, Beczala, Bosi, Maestri, Muraro
Live in HD SID.19020640
Based on a play by Eugène Scribe, the story was inspired by the real-life intrigues of famed actress Adrienne Lecouvreur and the legendary soldier—and lover—Maurice of Saxony. Cilea’s operatic retelling quickly became a favorite of charismatic soloists. The title character in particular is a quintessential diva role.
Pre-Show
Backstage Pass: General Manager Peter Gelb interviews Anna Netrebko
First Intermission
Backstage Pass: HD Host Matthew Polenzani interviews Anita Rachvelishvilli
TOLL BROTHERS – METROPOLITAN OPERA QUIZ
Guest Artist: Paul Appleby Host: Brian Zeger
Panelists: Jon Tolins, George Preston, and Melanie Spector
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass: HD Host Matthew Polenzani interviews Piotr Beczala
Backstage Pass: General Manager Peter Gelb interviews Director David McVicar
Backstage Pass: HD Host Matthew Polenzani interviews maestro Gianandrea Noseda
Drama Queen (Article by William Berger)
“On New Year’s Eve, Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur returns to the Met with soprano Anna Netrebko in the touchstone title role. She teams up with tenor Piotr Beczała as her lover, Maurizio—a brilliant pairing of stars fresh off a joint triumph in performances of Adriana in Vienna. Mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili rounds out the all-star principal trio, and maestro Gianandrea Noseda is on the podium. Sir David McVicar’s new staging—the Met’s first new production of the work in more than half a century—embraces Cilea’s glamorous 18th-century Parisian setting but also mines for deeper artistic significance in an opera that is often underestimated.” (William Berger)
Co-Production of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona; Wiener Staatsoper; San Francisco Opera; and L’Opéra National de Paris Production a gift of The Sybil B. Harrington Endowment Fund
PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE:Debussy
Original Air Date: 01/15/2019
Nézet-Séguin; Leonard, Lemieux, Appleby, Ketelsen, Furlanetto
SID.19030640
First Intermission
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews tenor Paul Appleby
Pelléas et Mélisande feature with Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Second Intermission
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews mezzo Isabel Leonard
Backstage Pass: Loren Toolajian interviews Kyle Ketelsen and Ferruccio Furlanetto
Mary Jo Heath interviews Roberto Alagna about Carmen
Debussy’s only opera, a mesmerizing meditation on love and betrayal, returns to the Met stage for the first time in almost a decade, with Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting the landmark score. A pair of brilliant young Met stars, tenor Paul Appleby and mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard, are the naïve title lovers, and baritone Kyle Ketelsen is the imperious Prince Golaud. Ferruccio Furlanetto, as Arkel, and Marie-Nicole Lemieux, as Geneviève, complete the cast.