On Sept. 26 the Metropolitan Opera will revive Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" with Sondra Radvanovsky in the leading role and Elina Garanca as Giovanna Seymour.
The Metropolitan Opera 2015-16 season will open on September 21 with a new production of Verdi's masterpiece "Otello." The work represents the culmination of the famed composer's opus and is one of the most prized works in all of the repertoire.
This season the Metropolitan Opera will bring back David McVicar's beloved production of Verdi's "Il Trovatore" with an exceptional cast that reunites Anna Netrebko and Dmitri Hvorostovsky at the Met for the first time since 2002.
This "Rake's Progress" is opera at its finest - a modern retelling of a legend brought to life with glorious artists and a strong production. The production gets two more performances and audiences who really want to experience the wonder of the art form in its full beauty will likely not get any other such opportunities at the Met at the present moment.
As the 2014-15 Metropolitan Opera season comes to close, the house will be preparing for its ballet season and later preparing for yet another opening night in September.
Musically, this double bill of "Cavalleria Rusticana" and "Pagliacci" was excellent through and through. And from a visual perspective, the latter work was certainly worth the price of admission. However, there is still a lot to be desired from the Mascagni opera, which makes this night somewhat of a letdown.
All in all, "The Merry Widow" is not only for opera lovers, but also for those who might be interested in something lighter. With its dance numbers and spoken dialogue, the work could be a hit with Broadway lovers as well as those often daunted by the all-consuming power of the medium. The cast was stellar and the orchestra, led by the peerless Fabio Luisi, really connected with audiences on a visceral level.
This "Don Carlo" had tremendous star power to bring Verdi's wondrous drama to visceral life. Despite an often frustrating production, the singers and musicians were on a level that more than made up for its shortcomings.
From a vocal perspective, this "Lucia di Lammermoor" is as good as it gets this season at the Met. Every singer brought finesse and true bel canto to every musical number. The production, despite some moments of continued annoyance, is among the most subtly brilliant at the Met in recent years and certainly worth a watch.
The 2014-15 season at the Met is fast approaching its end. And yet, it still has a tremendous amount left in store, starting with this "Manon," which is undoubtedly one of the finest productions of the season. Unfortunately the dramatic genius of Grigolo, Damrau, Villaume and the supporting cast will not be immortalized on the Met's Live in HD series (a true shame), so audiences looking to witness this irresistible chemistry onstage will have to flock to the theater before it ends its run March 28. And there is no doubt that they should. This is as unforgettable as it gets.
"Carmen" is one of the best known operas in the entire cannon and when combined with a terrific cast and great production, it could easily be the best. There is no doubt that the cast assembled for the March 7 performance hit that benchmark in every possible way.
All in all, this is as balanced a "Don Giovanni" as one would hope for. The eponymous character stands above and beyond the rest, but the other cast members manage to carve out meaningful arcs for their characters that add layers of complexity to this most fascinating of works.
Recently, soprano Ailyn Perez spoke with NY Students as part of the Metropolitan Opera Guild's four-day intensive program to prepare aspiring music students for their next big step.
This run of "Les Contes d'Hoffmann" could not have ended on a higher note. In all ways, this was a truly masterful portrayal of a work often unfairly overlooked because of its unfinished state. The next cast, which takes the stage on Feb. 28, will undoubtedly bring tremendous pleasures to its audience, but even then it will have a tough act to follow.
Puccini's "La Boheme" is a staple at the Met, but it is presented so often that it can come off as routine and uninteresting. But, the performers on display for the latest run have proven why this opera is so enduring and that it is possible to constantly to breathe new life into it.
Marina Rebeka came on the scene at the Met as an irresistible Donna Anna in Don Giovanni, but here she has showcased another wondrous aspect as the tragic heroine in Verdi's unforgettable masterpiece. Flanked by the multi-faceted turn by Quinn Kelsey and Willy Decker's ever-fascinating production, this is a must-see of the Metropolitan's 2014-15 season.
