The Metropolitan Opera has announced its series of HD broadcasts for the 2013-2014 season. The roster has a distinctly Russian-East European flavor, and serves up predominantly late 19th and early 20th century works.
Tchaikovsky's romantic love story of Tatyana and Onegin leads off in October. Based on Alexander Pushkin's novel-in-verse of the same title, Eugene Onegin was composed in 1877-1878, during which time he also began his Symphony No. 4. Anna Netrebko and Mariusz Kwiecien star in a new Met production.
Another Russian composer, another Russian opera based on a novel comes later in October: Dimitri Shostakovich's satirical work The Nose. Nicolai Gogol's story of the same title follows the adventures of a nose which detaches itself from a man's face and the man's efforts to retrieve his nose. First performed in 1930, this opera dates from Shostakovich's early "modern" period, in which he explored high levels of dissonance. In this year's production Paulo Szot sings the leading role.
Prince Igor, by Alexander Borodin, perhaps best known for its Polovtsian dances, tells the tale of a medieval prince who figures in the founding of Russia. In a new production, bass-baritone Ildar Abdrazakov sings the title role.
Turning to Eastern Europe, we meet Antonin Dvorak, who in the 1890's was one of the two or three most famous composers in all Europe. His Rusalka is one of several 19th century operas largely based on a related family of fairy tales best known to Americans in Hans Christian Anderson's version, The Little Mermaid. Renee Fleming stars with Piotr Beczala.
Tosca - The Metropolitian Opera
The Met will offer two Puccini works in the coming season, Tosca and La Boheme, both great favorites with opera audiences. In Tosca passion and violence combine for a powerful story and music. Patricia Raclette sings the title role, with Roberto Alagna as her lover Cavaradossi, and George Gagnidze as Scarpia.
La Boheme offers a lyrical exploration of the gritty realism, romance and tragedy of Bohemian life. It is the "most performed opera in Met history." Anita Hartig is Mimi and Vittorio Grigolo is Rodolfo in the classic production by Franco Zeffirelli.
Based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor, Verdi's final opera Falstaff will be given in a new production. Set in the mid-20th century English countryside, this Falstaff stars Ambrogio Maestri in the title role.
Massenet's Werther, based on Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's short novel, was revolutionary in its own time and tragic in any time. A young man falls hopelessly in love with a woman betrothed to another man. In despair he takes his own life. Two of today's leading artists, Jonas Kaufmann and Elina Garanca, lead the cast in a new production.
The Met's HD season will round out with Mozart's Cosi fan tutte and Rossini's La Cenerentola. Mozart's comedy tests the ties of love between two pairs of lovers, the sisters Fiordiligi and Dorabella, portrayed by Susanna Phillips and Isabel Leonard, and their swains Ferrando and Guglielmo, sung by Matthew Polenzani and Rodion Pogossov. James Levine returns to the podium.
Rossini's version of the Cinderella story will cast mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDinato in the title role, with Juan Diego Florez as Prince Charming.
Altogether this HD season sparkles with new productions; familiar favorites and brilliant if less frequently performed operas; tragedy, comedy, satire, fairy tale and epic. A season to look forward to with great anticipation.
