Opera
Metropolitan Opera: Broadcast Schedule — Winter 2011/ Spring 2012
Launched in 1931, the Metropolitan Opera’s Saturday matinee broadcasts are the longest-running continuous classical program in radio history. The 81st season kicks off on December 3, 2011, with Handel’s Rodelinda, starring Renée Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, and Andreas Scholl.
Twenty-three broadcasts will be presented on 88.5FM WFCR (and frequencies throughout the Berkshires) through May 5, 2012, each beginning at 1:00 p.m.
To see what New England Public Radio’s Music Director thinks of the season’s line-up, click here.
For more information on the Metropolitan Opera Season, visit their website.
December 3
Opera: Handel's Rodelinda
Conductor: Bicket
Cast: Fleming, Blythe, Scholl, Davies, Kaiser, Shenyang
Sensational in the 2004 Met premiere of Stephen Wadsworth’s much-heralded production, Renée Fleming reprises the title role. She’s joined by Stephanie Blythe and countertenor Andreas Scholl, and Baroque specialist Harry Bicket conducts.
Approximate running time 4 hrs. 5 min.
December 10
Opera: Gounod's Faust
Conductor: Nézet-Séguin
Cast: Poplavskaya, Losier, Kaufmann, Braun, Pape
With Jonas Kaufmann in the title role, René Pape as the devil, and Marina Poplavskaya as Marguerite, Gounod’s classic retelling of the Faust legend couldn’t be better served. Tony Award-winning director Des McAnuff updates the story to the first half of the 20th century with a production that won praise in London last season. A later run features two other first-tier Fausts: Roberto Alagna and Joseph Calleja, with Ferruccio Furlanetto stepping in as the devil. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts on the heels of his Don Carlo success.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 40 min.
December 17
Opera: Puccini's Madama Butterfly
Conductor: Domingo
Cast: Zhang, Zifchak, Smith, Salsi
Anthony Minghella’s breathtakingly beautiful staging returns with Patricia Racette and Liping Zhang alternating as the tragic heroine. Robert Dean Smith and Marcello Giordani share the role of the faithless Pinkerton and Plácido Domingo conducts.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 10 min.
December 24
Opera: Donizetti's La Fille du Regiment
Conductor: Abel
Cast: Machaidze, Murray, Te Kanawa, Brownlee, Muraro
Nino Machaidze is Donizetti’s spunky heroine in Laurent Pelly’s witty production. Her Tonio is Lawrence Brownlee, who delivers all nine high Cs of his famous aria with aplomb, and Kiri Te Kanawa is the Duchess of Krakenthorp.
Approximate running time 2 hrs. 50 min.
December 31
Opera: Archival Broadcast: Strauss's Die Fledermaus, January 20, 1951
Conductor: Ormandy
Cast: Piazza, Munsel, Stevens,Kullman, Tucker, J. Brownlee, Gilford
January 7
Opera: Humperdinck's Hansel und Gretel
Conductor: Ticciati
Cast: Kurzak, Coote, Martens, Brubaker, D. Croft
The Met’s wickedly funny production returns as this season’s English-language holiday presentation for families, with special prices and midweek matinees. Aleksandra Kurzak is Gretel, with Kate Lindsey and Alice Coote alternating as Hansel. Robert Brubaker is the Witch who plots to bake them into gingerbread.
Approximate running time 2 hrs. 10 min.
January 14
Opera: Archival Broadcast: Bellini's Norma, April 4, 1970
Conductor: Bonynge
Cast: Sutherland, Horne, Bergonzi, Siepi
January 21
Opera: The Enchanted Island
Conductor: Christie
Cast: de Niese, Oropesa, DiDonato, Daniels, Costanzo, Domingo, Pisaroni
In one extraordinary new work, lovers of Baroque opera have it all: the world’s best singers, glorious music of the Baroque masters, and a story drawn from Shakespeare. In The Enchanted Island, the lovers from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream are shipwrecked on his other-worldly island of The Tempest. Inspired by the musical pastiches and masques of the 18th century, the work showcases arias and ensembles by Handel, Vivaldi, Rameau, and others, and a new libretto by Jeremy Sams. Eminent conductor William Christie leads an all-star cast with David Daniels (Prospero) and Joyce DiDonato (Sycorax) as the formidable foes, Plácido Domingo as Neptune, Danielle de Niese as Ariel, and Luca Pisaroni as Caliban. Lisette Oropesa and Anthony Roth Costanzo play Miranda and Ferdinand. The dazzling production is directed and designed by Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch (Satyagraha and the Met’s 125 anniversary gala).
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 5 min.
January 28
Opera: Puccini's Tosca
Conductor: Franck
Cast: Racette, Antonenko, Gagnidze, Plishka
Patricia Racette won plaudits when she first sang the title role at the Met in 2010. Now she returns with Roberto Alagna and Aleksandrs Antonenko alternating as her heroic lover, Cavaradossi. George Gagnidze and James Morris share the role of Scarpia.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 0 min.
February 4
Opera: Donizetti's Anna Bolena
Conductor: Armiliato
Cast: Netrebko, Mumford, Costello, Abdrazakov
Anna Netrebko opens the Met season with her portrayal of the ill-fated queen driven insane by her unfaithful king. She sings one of opera's greatest mad scenes in this Met premiere production by David McVicar. Ekaterina Gubanova is her rival, Jane Seymour, Ildar Abdrazakov sings Henry VIII, and Marco Armiliato conducts.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 30 min.
February 11
Opera: Wagner's Götterdämmerung
Conductor: Levine
Cast: Voigt, Harmer, Meier, Lehman, Paterson, Owens, König
With its cataclysmic climax, the Met’s new Ring cycle, directed by Robert Lepage, comes to its resolution. Deborah Voigt stars as Brünnhilde and Jay Hunter Morris is Siegfried—the star-crossed lovers doomed by fate. Fabio Luisi conducts.
Approximate running time 5 hrs. 50 min.
February 18
Opera: Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Conductor: Benini
Cast: Damrau, C. Lee, Pogossov, Del Carlo, Furlanetto
Peter Mattei and Rodion Pogossov share the title role of the barber in Bartlett Sher's popular production, which propels the comic action right into the audience. Isabel Leonard sings her first Met Rosina, sharing the role with Diana Damrau, and Javier Camarena makes his Met debut as the Count.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 5 min.
February 25
Opera: Verdi's Ernani
Conductor: Armiliato
Cast: Meade, Giordoni, Hvorostovsky, Furlanetto
Angela Meade takes center stage in Verdi’s thrilling early gem. Marcello Giordani and Roberto DeBiasio share the role of her mismatched lover, and all-star Verdians Dmitri
Hvorostovsky and Ferruccio Furlanetto round out the cast.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 30 min.
March 3
Opera: Verdi's Aida
Conductor: Armiliato
Cast: Urmana, Blythe, Álvarez, Ataneli, Morris, Bisch
Verdi’s vision of ancient Egypt is grandly realized with the help of the Met’s unparalleled musical forces—and every one of its stage elevators. Violeta Urmana and Marcelo Álvarez star as the ill-fated lovers. Stephanie Blythe sings Amneris for the first time at the Met.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 40 min.
March 10
Opera: Mozart's Don Giovanni
Conductor: Davis
Cast: Rebeka, Dasch, Leonard, Polenzani, Finley, Relyea, Shenyang, Morris
Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads Tony Award-winning director Michael Grandage's new production, featuring an all-star cast of refined Mozartians that includes Marina Rebeka, Barbara Frittoli, Isabel Leonard, Matthew Polenzani, Ramón Vargas, Peter Mattei, Mariusz Kwiecien, Gerald Finley, Luca Pisaroni, and John Relyea. Andrew Davis conducts later in the season.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 25 min.
March 17
Opera: Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina
Conductor: Petrenko
Cast: Borodina, Didyk, Galouzine, Gagnidze, Kotscherga, Abdrazakov
Mussorgsky’s other great Russian epic features an ideal Russian and Georgian cast: Olga Borodina, Vladimir Galouzine, Ildar Abdrazakov, Anatoli Kotscherga, and George Gagnidze. Kirill Petrenko conducts.
Approximate running time 4 hrs. 10 min.
March 24
Opera: Verdi's Macbeth
Conductor: Noseda
Cast: Michael, Pittas, Hampson, Groissböck
As the doomed couple, Thomas Hampson and Nadja Michael deliver the vocal fireworks of two of Verdi’s most challenging roles, Hampson for the first time at the Met and Michael in her company debut.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 0 min.
March 31
Opera: Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore
Conductor: Renzetti
Cast: Damrau, Flórez, Kwiecien, Corbelli
Donizetti’s melodic classic is well served by a quartet of bel canto stars: Juan Diego Flórez and Diana Damrau are the unlikely lovers, Mariusz Kwiecien the vainglorious sergeant, and Alessandro Corbelli the dispenser of the elixir.
Approximate running time 2 hrs. 5 min.
April 7
Opera: Massenet's Manon
Conductor: Luisi
Cast: Netrebko, Beczala, Szot, Pittsinger
Anna Netrebko’s dazzling portrayal of the tragic heroine in Laurent Pelly’s new production travels to the Met from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Piotr Beczala and Paulo Szot also star, with the Met’s Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi on the podium.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 40 min.
April 14
Opera: Verdi's La Traviata
Conductor: Luisi
Cast: Dessay, Polenzani, Hvorostovsky
Natalie Dessay will put on the red dress in Willy Decker’s stunning production, in her first Violetta at the Met. Matthew Polenzani sings Alfredo, Dmitri Hvorostovsky is Germont, and Principal Guest Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium.
Approximate running time 2 hrs. 35 min.
April 21
Opera: Wagner's Siegfried
Conductor: Levine
Cast: Voigt, Bardon, Lehman, Siegel, Terfel, Owens
In part three of the Ring, Wagner’s cosmic vision focuses on his hero’s early conquests, while Robert Lepage’s revolutionary stage machine transforms itself from bewitched forest to mountaintop love nest. Jay Hunter Morris sings the title role and Deborah Voigt’s Brünnhilde is his prize. Bryn Terfel is the Wanderer. Fabio Luisi conducts.
Approximate running time 5 hrs. 30 min.
April 28
Opera: Wagner's Die Walküre
Conductor: Levine
Cast: Dalayman, Westbroek, Blythe, Kaufmann, Terfel, König
The Met has assembled a stellar cast for this second installment of Robert Lepage’s new production of the Ring cycle, conducted by James Levine: Bryn Terfel is Wotan, lord of the Gods, in his first performances of the role with the company. Deborah Voigt adds the part of Brünnhilde to her extensive Wagnerian repertoire at the Met. Jonas Kaufmann and Eva-Maria Westbroek star as the Wälsungen twins, Siegmund and Sieglinde, and Stephanie Blythe is Fricka. “The Ring is not just a story or a series of operas, it’s a cosmos,” says Lepage (La Damnation de Faust), who brings cutting-edge technology and his own visionary imagination to the world’s greatest theatrical journey. Levine, who has conducted every complete cycle of Wagner’s masterpiece at the Met since 1989, says, “The Ring is one of those works of art that you think you know, but every time you return to it, you find all kinds of brilliant moments that hadn’t struck you with the same force before.”
Approximate running time 5 hrs. 10 min.
May 5
Opera: Janácek's The Makropulos Case
Conductor: Bělohlávek
Cast: Mattila, Streit, Reuter, Fox
Count on a tour-de-force performance from Karita Mattila in Janácek’s absorbing drama of a diva’s supernatural fight against her destiny. Czech expert Jirí Behlolávek conducts.
Approximate running time 2 hrs. 40 min.