In this 11th year, over ten nights performances from the Met’s Live in HD series will be shown starting with a screening of FUNNY FACE in a special co-presentation with Film at Lincoln Center. Screenings run from August 23 through September 2. There will be 3000 seats in the Plaza in front of the Opera House with an additional standing room area. Cancellations due to thunder/lighting or high wind will not be rescheduled.
CARMEN:Bizet
Original Air Date: 01/16/2010
Nezet-Seguin; Frittoli, Garanca, Alagna, Tahu Rhodes
Live in HDMOD Video SID.19349993
RWW Review: Overall, I give the afternoon an A; not that there weren’t things to NOT like, but that I felt the balance of elements was extremely satisfying, and you understand why Carmen can survive anything from Spike Jones (set in a bubble gum factory decades before regie theatre was thought of) to Carmen Jones to whatever some crazy director somewhere in the EU is cooking up. What a score, even if you’re listening mostly to Choudens and Guiraud recitatives. The melodies, the characters, the everything. Almost every time I listen/watch Carmen at home, I am overwhelmed anew; in the theatre its length (no, not Wagnerian, but it isn’t short and as it used to be with 3 intervals with work the next day etc, etc. often the whole was not the sum of its parts. Today, it emphatically was. I have not yet seen the production in the house, and probably won’t be able to see the original cast when I do.
Now to the particulars. I loved Elina Garanca; her voice to me is both fruity and clear. Her middle and upper voice are technically very satisfying and if there is a little weakness at the bottom in a theare the size of the Met, she has baby blue eyes and a command of the role that clearly put her as one of my very favorite Carmens (never saw Stevens, but Resnik (Dallas, 1963 my first), Bumbry, Verrett, Borodina, De Los Angeles (Newark, and I enjoyed), Crespin, Horne, Baltsa are the ones most worthy of mention. Garanca wowed the Paramus audience besides me as well.
Alagna is such a theatre performer that you go with him even when everything is not perfect. He is a very fine Jose, had to make the high climax of the Flower song pure falsetto to avoid a crack, but overall one of my favorite Joses. That he is arguably the best with the text of any doesn’t hurt, and visually he’s quite a specimen at 47. Carmen has to give him up because he’s immature not because he isn’t the hottest guy in Seville.
Frittoli is a singer I like, having adored her Fiordiligi in the house, many
Desdemonas, and her wrenching Suor Angelica. Her vibrato is always 10% too “loose” to be ideal, but when she needs to get out a big climax, she’s right there, only Freni and Lidia Marimpietri (Dallas, 1963) have made a greater impact.
Teddy Tahu Rhodes was a late (10 am this morning) replacement for Kwiecien who was ill. Though he is often portrayed as a bari hunk, he looked skinny in the costume, and I wasn’t much impressed. The vocal if not stylistic standard is Merrill. The best Escamillos for me (all seen live) Jose van Dam, Sam Ramey, Rene Pape, Norman Treigle (also in that first Carmen). I’ve heard and seen worse Escamillos than Rhodes, MUCH worse.
Conducting. I liked Yannick Nezet-Seguin very much. The musical preparation was outstanding. He started the first act prelude like a house of fire, but as he was accompanying the singers, came into more traditional tempi; he got a nice Gallic tang out of the orchestra. Where the preparation showed was in the many numbers that mix in the quintet of smugglers with chorus and 1 or more of the principals. Elizabeth Caballero as Frasquita sounded VERY good; I want to hear more of her, but the ensemble was really terrific today.
I have to cut this short, but except for the final tableau , i found the production very satisfactory, and easily the best visual Carmen of my experience (i liked John Bury’s sets in the Peter Hall production but not a lot else). I didn’t mind the dancing (might not feel so on repeated viewings) This is the 5th Met production I’ve seen (I alas never saw the Guthrie which showcased Stevens and Tucker (plus on some occasions others, but mostly RS and RT for the whole of the 50s.”
CARMEN:Bizet
Nezet-Seguin; Frittoli, Garanca, Alagna, Tahu Rhodes
Original Air Date: 01/16/2010
Live in HDMOD Video
SID.20120100
Go to metopera.org: click on link there or download app to your mobile device or add to your ROKU or Apple TV or Smart TV
Overall, the afternoon gets an A; not that there werent things to NOT like, but the balance of elements was extremely satisfying, and you understand why Carmen can survive anything from Spike Jones (set in a bubble gum factory decades before regie theatre was thought of) to Carmen Jones to whatever some crazy director somewhere in the EU is cooking up. What a score, even if you’re listening mostly to Choudens and Guiraud recitatives. The melodies, the characters, the everything. Elina Garanca voice’s is both fruity and clear. Her middle and upper voice are technically very satisfying and if there is a little weakness at the bottom in a theare the size of the Met, she has baby blue eyes and a command of the role that clearly put her as a favorite Carmen (Stevens, but Resnik (Dallas, 1963), Bumbry, Verrett, Borodina, De Los Angeles (Newark), Crespin, Horne, Baltsa are the ones most worthy of mention. Alagna is such a theatre performer that you go with him even when everything is not perfect. He is a very fine Jose, had to make the high climax of the Flower song pure falsetto to avoid a crack, but overall one of my favorite Joses. That he is arguably the best with the text of any doesn’t hurt, and visually he’s quite a specimen at 47. Carmen has to give him up because he’s immature not because he isn’t the hottest guy in Seville. Frittoli has many roles her Fiordiligi in the house, many Desdemonas, and her wrenching Suor Angelica. Her vibrato is always 10% too “loose” to be ideal, but when she needs to get out a big climax, she’s right there. only Freni and Lidia Marimpietri (Dallas, 1963) have made a greater impact. Teddy Tahu Rhodes was a late (10 am this morning) replacement for Kwiecien who was ill. Though he is often portrayed as a bari hunk, he looked skinny in the costume, and I wasn’t much impressed. The vocal if not stylistic standard is Merrill. Better Escamillos – Jose van Dam, Sam Ramey, Rene Pape, Norman Treigle (also in that first Carmen). Conducting. Yannick Nezet-Seguin. The musical preparation was outstanding. He started the first act prelude like a house of fire, but as he was accompanying the singers, came into more traditional tempi; he got a nice Gallic tang out of the orchestra. Where the preparation showed was in the many numbers that mix in the quintet of smugglers with chorus and 1 or more of the principals. Elizabeth Caballero as Frasquita sounded VERY good; we should hear more of her, but the ensemble was really terrific today. Except for the final tableau , the production is very satisfactory, and a good visual Carmen.
DON CARLO:Verdi
Nezet-Seguin; Poplavskaya, Smirnova, Alagna, Keenlyside, Furlanetto, Halfvarson
Original Air Date: 12/11/2010
Live in HD
SID.20140430
The Met’s new production is played in five acts with two intermissions, the first between Acts 2 and 3, and the second after Act 3. The version used is Verdi’s final revision from 1886, sung in Italian, including the act that takes place at Fontainebleau (Act 1). It is almost identical to the version used in the Met’s previous production by John Dexter, with the exception of the opening section of the Fontainebleau scene. Instead of the longer scene between Elisabeth and the woodcutters which opened the opera in the Dexter production, the new production uses the abbreviated version with which Verdi replaced the original just before the Paris premiere in 1867.
The music of the Herald is sung by the Count of Lerma.
Don Carlo……………Roberto Alagna
Elizabeth of Valois…..Marina Poplavskaya
Rodrigo……………..Simon Keenlyside
Princess Eboli……….Anna Smirnova
Philip II……………Ferruccio Furlanetto
Grand Inquisitor……..Eric Halfvarson
Priest Inquisitor…….Tommaso Matelli
Celestial Voice………Jennifer Check
Friar……………….Alexei Tanovitski8 *
Tebaldo……………. Layla Claire
Count of Lerma……….Eduardo Valdes
Countess of Aremberg….Anne Dyas
Flemish Deputy……….Donovan Singletary
Flemish Deputy……….Keith Harris
Flemish Deputy……….Christopher Schaldenbrand
Flemish Deputy……….Joshua Benaim
Flemish Deputy……….Tyler Simpson
Flemish Deputy……….Eric Jordan
Conductor……………Yannick Nézet-Séguin
Production…………..Nicholas Hytner
Designer…………….Bob Crowley
Lighting designer…….Mark Henderson
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson
AT HOME GALA:Various
Featured Artists
Ildar Abdrazakov Moscow, Russia
Roberto Alagna and Aleksandra Kurzak Le Raincy, France
Marco Armiliato Lugano, Switzerland
Jamie Barton Atlanta, Georgia
Piotr Beczała Zabnica, Poland
Angel Blue Alpine, New Jersey
Lawrence Brownlee Niceville, Florida
Joseph Calleja Mellieha, Malta
Javier Camarena Zurich, Switzerland
Nicole Car and Etienne Dupuis Paris, France
David Chan Closter, New Jersey
Anthony Roth Costanzo New York, New York
Stephen Costello and Yoon Kwon Costello New York, New York
Diana Damrau and Nicolas Testé Orange, France
Michael Fabiano Bonita Springs, Florida
Renée Fleming Virginia
Elīna Garanča Riga, Latvia
Christine Goerke Teaneck, New Jersey
Gunther Groissböck Lugano, Switzerland
Jonas Kaufmann Munich, Germany
Quinn Kelsey Toronto, Canada
Isabel Leonard New York, New York
Ambrogio Maestri Lugano, Switzerland
Peter Mattei Bromma, Sweden
Erin Morley New Haven, Connecticut
Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov Vienna, Austria
Lisette Oropesa Baton Rouge, Louisiana
René Pape Dresden, Germany
Ailyn Pérez and Soloman Howard Chicago, Illinois
Matthew Polenzani Pelham, New York
Anita Rachvelishvili Tbilisi, Georgia
Golda Schultz Bavaria, Germany
Nadine Sierra Valencia, Spain
Bryn Terfel and Hannah Stone Wales
Elza van den Heever Montpellier, France
Michael Volle Berlin, Germany
Sonya Yoncheva Geneva, Switzerland
Original Air Date: 04/25/2020
SID.20170646
In its most ambitious effort yet to bring the joy and artistry of opera to audiences everywhere during the Met’s closure, the company will present an unprecedented virtual At-Home Gala, featuring more than 40 leading artists performing in a live stream from their homes all around the world. The event will take place Saturday, April 25, at 1 p.m. EDT, and will be available for free on the Met’s website. General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin will host from their homes in New York City and Montreal, respectively. Mr. Nézet-Séguin will also participate in the gala as a pianist, and will be featured as conductor in pre-recorded performances by the Met Orchestra and Chorus, which will be created from individual takes from the homes of each of the musicians in the days leading up to the gala. After the live showing, the gala will be made available for on demand viewing on the Met website until 6:30 p.m. EDT the following day. The At-Home Gala is part of the Met’s urgent “The Voice Must Be Heard” fundraising campaign to support the company and protect its future.”