Met's 2009-2010 Subscription Highlights and Lowlights

Dear Metropolitan Opera,

I would like to first introduce some proposed improvements to your recent presentation of subscriptions...Lowlights!

• Will someone PLEASE make sure that Rolando Villazon gets his life in order before we all get our hopes up about Contes d'Hoffmann????? From recent reports via Parterre and Opera Chic should we get the hint that maybe Rolando isn't going to be appearing at the Met if not after an extended absence, then ever? This whole situation makes me rather depressed.
• Someone just remind me why we are replacing the Zefferelli Tosca? No, no I shouldn't think like this. I'll be open minded: Will someone reassure me that the new production will be fantastic??
• Why, for goodness sake, can't the Met fit in a Der Rosenkavalier into any of the Saturday Evening subscriptions? That is one of the few operas that I am absolutely dying to go see and I can't squeeze it in to any of my subscription choices! I will have to buy tickets separately, but can't the Met replace anything with Rosenkavalier?
• Another little detail they forgot about in the Saturday subscriptions: The Nose. This is another opera I want to see so badly (just for Paulo Szot, but shhhh don't tell anyone!) and it's nowhere to be found on Saturday Evening!
• I just have this to say about Renee's new production of Armida: Can we trust Mary Zimmerman with another bel canto opera?

Alright, that's all the complaints I have. On a lighter note, here are some events I'm looking forward to this season...Highlights!!!

• I'm very curious about From the House of the Dead. I have a very funny feeling about it, but a good funny feeling. Something is going to make this opera interesting. I'm intrigued!
• The new Carmen! I'm usually very conservative when it comes to new productions, especially when they're for such staples as Carmen, but this is another case where I have a good feeling about it. I'm hoping that even if the production turns out eurotrashy or just flat out obnoxious (ie. the recent Sonnambula) the stellar cast will keep it afloat.
• As I said in the Lowlights, I'm looking forward to the Der Rosenkavalier and The Nose, but for very different reasons. The primary reason in The Nose is, of course, Paulo Szot, but I'm trying to branch out into more contemporary opera to see if I like it. Trying to stay hip and "with it." =) Der Rosenkavalier, on the other hand is a shameless guilty pleasure. Not only does it star my dear Renee Fleming, but oh look! there's Susan Graham and Thomas Allen! Did I mention that this is one of my favorite operas of all time?
• Maybe this season I'll finally get to see Damnation de Faust or Il Trittico. I wanted to see Damnation this year, but never got around to it. It looked like a strange production!!!! Il Trittico is in support of my darling Patricia Racette. She's got the triple bill going and I wouldn't miss it for the world!!!!!

This is sure to be a season of opportunity. There are so many new operas and genres to try, new productions to explore, and new singers to fall head-over-heels for (namely Paulo Szot). Even if we hate (or love to hate?) every single new production, or if we bash every singer in a revival, we KNOW that this season will NOT be boring. The blogosphere and Angela Gheorghiu will make sure that we will always have something to talk about during the 2009-2010 season!!!

Happy Listening!!! =)

PS. *sighhhhh* I missed posting! =)

Met Futures

One of my favorite blogs, Sieglinde's Diaries, is back in business and I have some very exciting news! =)
The Met Futures Page has been around for about 8 years and it is so much fun to have. You can see when new productions are coming, who is singing what and when! It has been very helpful to me in the past. So Sieglinde has been asked to join Bradley Wilbur in maintaining the Met Futures Page.
There are so many amazing things in store for the Met. As unpredictable as the Gelb Era is, I hope that these productions stay mostly as they are. Hopefully there won't be any drastic changes to these exciting seasons.

There are a few things that alarmed me slightly. One major new production is the new Luc Bondy Tosca that will premiere opening night of the 2009-2010 season. I've only seen that Zefferelli Tosca once and I'm not sure I want to give it up yet.
In the 2010-2011 season there will be a new La Traviata for the Met. It's the Salzburg production, directed by Willy Decker. Having never seen the Zefferelli and having seen clips of the Salzburg production, I'm hesitant about this new production.
Those are the only changes that really caught my not-so-positive attention. The rest of the lists look fantastic and it makes me long for the future seasons to come!
However, let's hope the 2008-2009 season doesn't go by too fast. We don't want to breeze through this incredible new season!!!!

Happy Listening!!! =)

(Official) HD List in Met Press Release

It's even more exciting than we thought! Considering the fact that my local movie theater (which is within easy walking distance) has adopted the Met in HD, I am happy to announce that there will not be just 10 HD transmissions like Renee said during La Boheme, but there will be ELEVEN.
I'll save the best for last and give you these 10 first (straight from the Met website)...

Saturday, October 11, 2008 SALOME (1:00 p.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. CDT / 11:00 a.m. MDT / 10:00 a.m. PDT/ 17:00 p.m. UTC / 18:00 p.m. BST / 19:00 CEST) – Soprano Karita Mattila reprises her acclaimed interpretation of the title character of Strauss’s Salome, with baritone Juha Uusitalo as Jochanaan. Mikko Franck conducts.

Saturday, November 8, 2008 DOCTOR ATOMIC (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC / 19:00 p.m. CET) – Penny Woolcock directs the Metropolitan Opera premiere of John Adams’s Doctor Atomic, starring Gerald Finley as Dr. J. Robert Oppenheimer and Sasha Cooke as his wife, Kitty, with Eric Owens and Richard Paul Fink. Alan Gilbert conducts. NEW PRODUCTION

Saturday, November 22, 2008 LA DAMNATION DE FAUST (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Robert Lepage directs Berlioz’s La Damnation de Faust, starring Marcello Giordani in the title role, with Susan Graham as Marguerite and John Relyea as Méphistophélès. James Levine conducts. (A new production reconceived in collaboration with Ex Machina for the Met, based on a co-production of the Saito Kinen Festival and Opéra National de Paris.) NEW PRODUCTION

Saturday, December 20, 2008 THAÏS (12:00 p.m. EST / 11:00 a.m. CST / 10:00 a.m. MST / 9:00 a.m. PST/ 17:00 p.m. UTC; 18:00 p.m. CET) – Renée Fleming stars in the title role of Massenet’s Thaïs, with Thomas Hampson as the monk Athanaël in John Cox’s production, which originated at Lyric Opera of Chicago. Jesús López-Cobos conducts. NEW PRODUCTION

Saturday, January 10, 2009 LA RONDINE (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Nicolas Joël directs Puccini’s La Rondine, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna in a production originally mounted by the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Marco Armiliato conducts. (Co-production with the Théâtre du Capitole, Toulouse, and the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.) NEW PRODUCTION

Saturday, January 24, 2009 ORFEO ED EURIDICE (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Stephanie Blythe and Danielle de Niese star in Mark Morris’s production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice. James Levine conducts.

Saturday, February 7, 2009 LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Dynamic opera duo Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazón star in Mary Zimmerman’s acclaimed production of Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor. Marco Armiliato conducts.

Saturday, March 7, 2009 MADAMA BUTTERFLY (1:00 p.m. EST / 12:00 p.m. CST / 11:00 a.m. MST / 10:00 a.m. PST/ 18:00 p.m. UTC; 19:00 p.m. CET) – Cristina Gallardo-Domâs sings the title role of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly in Anthony Minghella’s stunning production. Marcello Giordani stars as Pinkerton. Patrick Summers conducts.

Saturday, March 21, 2009 LA SONNAMBULA (1:00 p.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. CDT / 11:00 a.m. MDT / 10:00 a.m. PDT/ 17:00 p.m. UTC; 18:00 p.m. CET) – Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Flórez star in Mary Zimmerman’s new production of Bellini’s La Sonnambula, conducted by Evelino Pidò. NEW PRODUCTION

Saturday, May 9, 2009 LA CENERENTOLA (1:00 p.m. EDT / 12:00 p.m. CDT / 11:00 a.m. MDT / 10:00 a.m. PDT/ 17:00 p.m. UTC; 18:00 BST; 19:00 p.m. CEST) – Elīna Garanča stars in Rossini’s bel canto Cinderella story, La Cenerentola. Lawrence Brownlee stars as her Prince Charming, Don Ramiro. Maurizio Benini conducts.


AND MOST EXCITING OF ALL... IN NORTH AMERICA ONLY (sorry)...

Monday, September 22, 2008 OPENING NIGHT GALA (6:30 p.m. EDT / 5:30 p.m. CDT / tape delayed to 8:00 p.m. MDT / 7:00 p.m. PDT) – Opening Night Gala starring Renée Fleming in fully staged performances of scenes from three different operas: Verdi’s La Traviata (Act II), Massenet’s Manon (Act III), and the final scene from Richard Strauss’s Capriccio. Tenor Ramón Vargas and baritones Thomas Hampson and Dwayne Croft co-star. Met Music Director James Levine and Marco Armiliato conduct.

Woooooooooaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh... So just in case I can't get tickets to the actual opening night, I can either sit in the plaza/Times Square in the cold and watch it or I can sit in a nice warm movie theater. There is always the possibility that La Fleming will take a bow on the Grand Tier balcony a la Dessay this season, but we might have to take that chance.


Did I mention lately that Peter Gelb is my hero?

Happy Listening!!! =)

Let's Get Ready for HDDDDDDD!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, this list isn't official, but I'm going to put it here anyway so that we can plan our lives around it. Alright? Cool.

Saturday, October 11, 2008, 1:00 pm
Salome
Franck; Mattila, Komlósi, Begley, Kaiser, Uusitalo

Saturday, November 8, 2008, 1:00 pm
Dr. Atomic
Gilbert; Cooke, Arwady, Finley, Fink, Owens

Saturday, November 22, 2008, 1:00 pm
Le Damnation de Faust
Levine; Graham, Giordani, Relyea

Saturday, December 20, 2008, 12:00 pm
Thais
López-Cobos; Fleming, Schade, Hampson

Saturday, January 10, 2009, 1:00 pm
La Rondine
Armiliato; Gheorghiu, Oropesa, Alagna, Brenciu, Ramey

Saturday, January 24, 2009, 1:00 pm
Orfeo
Levine; de Niese, Murphy, Blythe

Saturday, February 7, 2009, 1:00 pm
Lucia di Lammermoor
Armiliato; Netrebko, Villazón, Kwiecien, Abdrazakov

Saturday, March 7, 2009, 1:00 pm
Madama Butterfly
Summers; Gallardo-Domâs , Zifchak, Giordani, Croft

Saturday, March 21, 2009, 1:00 pm
La Sonnambula
Pidò; Dessay, Flórez, Pertusi

Saturday, May 9, 2009
La Cenerentola
Benini; Garanca, Brownlee, Alberghini, Corbelli, Relyea


Right off the bat count me in for Cenerentola, Sonnambula, and Faust. The rest I'm planning on seeing anyway. My new season resolution (since my new year starts with the season/school) is to see all the HD transmissions and to see as many operas as possible!!!
I'll let you know when the official list is out. =)


Happy Listening!! =)

THE MET'S 2008-2009 SEASON!!!!! The 125th Season.

I gave a little preview before of the Met's new productions, but here's THE WHOLE LIST of next season's exciting and much anticipated operas.

OPENING NIGHT; Monday, September 22nd, 2008:

Renee Fleming in a gala performance (a la Volpe) featuring Ramon Vargas and Thomas Hampson. La Traviata Act II, Manon Act III, and the final scene of Capriccio.

THE 125th ANNIVERSARY GALA; March 15th, 2009:

(Also honoring Placido Domingo's 40th year with the company)

Details not given. Gasp.

NEW PRODUCTIONS:

Doctor Atomic: (Premiere) Starring Gerald Finely as J. Robert Oppenheimer; Production by Penny Woolcock

La Damnation de Faust: Starring Marcello Giordani, Susan Graham, and John Relyea; Production by Robert Lepage

Thais: Starring Renee Fleming and Thomas Hampson; Production by John Cox

La Rondine: Starring Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna, and Samuel Ramey; Production by Nicolas Joel

Il Trovatore: Starring Salvatore Licitra, Dolora Zajick, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky; Production by David McVicar

La Sonnambula: Starring Natalie Dessay and Juan Diego Florez; Production by Mary Zimmerman

THE RING CYCLE:

Wotan: James Morris/Albert Dohmen

Fricka: Yvonne Naef

Brunnhilde: Christine Brewer/Lisa Gasteen

Sieglinde: Waltraud Meier/Adrianne Pieczonka

Siegmund: Johan Botha/Plácido Domingo

Siegfried: Christian Franz/Jon Fredric West

REPERTORY:

Adriana Lecouvreur: Conducted by Placido Domingo; Starring Maria Guleghina, Olga Borodina, and Marcelo Alvarez

La Boheme: Conducted by Frédéric Chaslin; Starring Anna Netrebko, Ramon Vargas, Mariusz Kwiecien, and Paul Plishka

Cavalleria/Pagliacci: Conducted by Pietro Rizzo; Staring Andrea Gruber, Roberto Alagna, and Nuccia Focile

La Cenerentola: Conducted by Maurizio Benini; Starring Elina Garanca, Lawrence Brownlee, and John Relyea

Don Giovanni: Conducted by Louis Langrée/Lothar Koenigs; Starring Krassimira Stoyanova/Tamar Iveri/Barbara Frittoli, Susan Graham/Petra-Maria Schnitzer/Soile Isokoski, Isabel Leonard/Isabel Bayrakdarian, Matthew Polenzani, and Erwin Schrott/Peter Mattei
L'Elisir D'Amore: Conducted by Maurizio Benini; Starring Angela Gheorghiu/Nicole Cambell, Rolando Villazón/Joseph Calleja, and Bryn Terfel

Eugene Onegin: Conducted by Jiři Bělohlávek ; Starring Karita Mattila, Thomas Hampson, and James Morris

La Gioconda: Conducted by Daniele Callegari; Starring Deborah Voigt, Olga Borodina, Ewa Podles, Carlo Guelfi, and James Morris

Lucia Di Lamermoor: Conducted by Marco Armiliato; Starring Diana Damrau/Anna Netrebko, Rolando Villazon, and Mariusz Kwiecien

Madama Butterfly: Conducted by Patrick Summers; Starring Patricia Racette/Cristina Gallardo-Domâs, Marcello Giordani, and Dwayne Croft

The Magic Flute (English): Conducted by Asher Fisch; Starring Nicole Cambell, Cyndia Sieden, Rodion Pogossov, and Eric Owens

Orfeo ed Euridice: Conducted by James Levine; Starring Stephanie Blythe, Danielle de Niese, and Heidi Grant Murphy/Ying Huang

The Queen of Spades: Conducted by Seiji Ozawa; Starring Maria Guleghina, Felicity Palmer, Ben Heppner, and Vladimir Stoyanov

Rigoletto: Conducted by Riccardo Frizza; Starring Diana Damrau, Joseph Calleja, and Željko Lučić/Roberto Frontali

Rusalka: Conducted by Jiři Bělohlávek; Starring Renee Fleming, Stephanie Blythe and Kristin Sigmundsson

Salome: Conducted by Mikko Franck; Starring Karita Mattila and Joseph Kaiser

La Traviata: Conducted by Paolo Carignani; Starring Anja Harteros, Massimo Giordano, and Željko Lučić

Tristan und Isolde: Conducted by Daniel Barenboim; Starring Katarina Dalayman, Michelle DeYoung, Peter Seiffert, and Rene Pape

I'm really excited because I can pronounce everything correctly this year!

New Productions Comments: Well, they're trying Trovatore again. We'll see how that one goes. I'm super duper excited for Thais, Rondine, and Sonnambula. Not that the others don't look fabulous, I'm just a little partial towards those three.

Repertory Comments:

Excited For: Rusalka, Queen of Spades, Adriana Lecouvreur, Don Giovanni, and Salome.

Eh: The staples. As in everything we've all seen before. Still going to see them!

I'm very excited about the main production of next season:

YEA. WORK IT RENEE (love the hair). Thais is the coolest thing since sliced bread. Oh no, not that again!





Happy Listening!!! =)

08-09 MET SNEAK PEEK!

Besides the BEASTLY looking Renee Fleming there are other amazing pictures of next years new production at the Met! Renee with cornrows (shown above), Natalie Dessay walking off a diving board, Marcello Giordani as the black rider, and other pictures give us a look at next years treats!

I hereby establish BEASTLY as a compliment. It was made thus for Renee Fleming, but can be used in other circumstances. synonyms: amazing, beyond amazing, crazy good, all around fantastic, out of this world...etc.

Happy Listening!!! =)

NYC Opera's new season!

Just as exciting as the Met's new season is its next-door neighboor New York City Opera's 2007-2008 season!!

New Productions:

Margaret Garner- with a cast full of debuts!!
Cavalleria/Pagliacci double bill- with Carl Tanner in Pagliacci and Brandon Jovanovich in Cavalleria
Cendrillon- with Joyce Castle as Mme. de la Haltiere and Cassandre Berthon as Cinderella
Vanessa- with Lauren Flanigan and Rosalind Elias as The Old Baroness
King Arthur- with director/choreographer Mark Morris
Ragtime- as the musical theater production of the season

Repertoire:

Agrippina- starring Ruth Ann Swenson and Heidi Stober
La Boheme- with Inna Dukach and Dinyar Vania
Don Giovanni- with Aaron St. Clair Nicholson as the devious Don Giovanni and Julianna Di Giacomo as Donna Anna in Harold Prince's production
Carmen- starring Beth Clayton as Carmen and Scott Piper as Don Jose
Madama Butterfly- with Shu-Ying Li as Cio-Cio-San and James Valenti as Pinkerton
Falstaff- with Jan Opalach as Sir John Falstaff and Pamela Armstrong as Alice Ford
Tosca- starring Anna Shafajinskaia as Floria Tosca and Todd Thomas and Baron Scarpia

I'm hoping to make my own audience-member debut at the City Opera this season!!! There are four (count 'em, four!) operas that I wish the Met was doing that City Opera is doing! Falstaff, Carmen, Tosca, and Don Giovanni. I've been waiting to see all except Tosca live for a long time, because I've already seen Tosca. Next season, however, the Met is not doing Tosca so I thought maybe I'll stroll across the plaza to see how the City Opera singers are doing. "Yo!! NYCO! Sup, my peeps????" I was praying every night that Don Giovanni would be one of the operas they do at Lincoln Center. I was thinking the Metropolitan Opera, but I guess my prayers were answered! Thank you, NYC Opera! =)=) I just want to hear "Madamina, il catalogo e questo", "vedrai carino", and "La ci darem la mano" live, on stage, with real opera singers. And voila!! City Opera does it again!!!!!!!!

Met's new Season!!!!!!!!

Productions:

Lucia di Lammermoor (Natalie Dessay and Marcello Giordani)
Hansel and Gretel (Christine Schäfer and Alice Coote)
Iphigenie en Tauride (which I can't pronounce) (Susan Graham and Placido Domingo)
Satyagraha (Richard Croft)
Macbeth (Rene Pape and Andrew Gruber)
Peter Grimes (Patricia Racette)
La Fille du Regiment (Juan Diego Florez. Do I have to say any more?)

Repertory:

Manon Lescaut -with Karita Mattila and Marcello Giordani
Le Nozze di Figaro- with Bryn Terfel
Otello- with Renee Fleming and Johan Botha
La Traviata- with Renee Fleming and Matthew Polenzani

Il Barbiere di Siviglia- with Ruggero Raimondi and Jose Manuel Zapata
Un Ballo in Maschera- with Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Salvatore Licitra
Ernani- with Marcello Giordani and Thomas Hampson
Madama Butterfly- with Patricia Racette and Mr. Bedazzle, Roberto Alagna
The First Emperor- with Placido Domingo and Susanne Mentzer
War and Peace- conducted by Valery Gergiev with Samuel Ramey
Tristan und Isolde- with Deborah Voigt and Ben Heppner
The Gambler- also conducted by Valery Gergiev
Romeo et Juliette- with power duo Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon
Die Walkure- with Stephanie Blythe and James Morris
La Clemenza di Tito- with Ramon Vargas and Susan Graham
Les Contes d'Hoffmann- with Marcelo Alvarez
Die Entfuhrung ause des Serail- with Matthew Polenzani and Diana Damrau
Norma- with Maria Guleghina
Die Zauberflote- with Diana Damrau playing first Pamina and then switching roles to sing the Queen of the Night
La Boheme- with Mrs. Bedazzle, Angela Gheorghiu as Mimi

Operas that will be shown in movie theatres...

Romeo et Juliette- good news for Netrebko/Villazon fans!!!!
Hansel and Gretel
Macbeth
Manon Lescaut
Peter Grimes
Tristan und Isolde- ticket sale pending....
La Boheme- so that Ms. Gheorghiu (aka Mrs Alagna) may DAZZLE us with her brilliance AGAIN.... whoopdeedoo
La Fille du Regiment- with someone who is ALLOWED to dazzle us, Juan Diego Florez!!! Consider the tickets BOUGHT

What I'm most excited about and why.....

La Fille du Regiment - Juan Diego Florez, JuanD iegoF lorez, JuanDiegoF lorez, JuanDiegoFlorez, juandiegoflorezjuandiegoflorez!!!!! is that enough reason for you????
Lucia di Lammermoor- the mad scene! especially a non-Dame Joan mad scene!!!!! im very excited!
Otello- not only my favorite Shakespeare play, but Renee Fleming is Desdemona!!!
La Traviata- I missed it this season *grumbles at parents* but I'm happy that Renee Fleming is returning to Violetta so I have it to look forward to!!!!
Un Ballo in Maschera- I looooooove this opera sooooo much!!! To add to the excitement, Dmitri Hvorostovsky (who still isn't as handsome as Uncle Tommy lol =]) and Salvatore Licitra are singing the two lead male roles!!!!!
Le Nozze di Figaro- I can make a list of my favorite arias/scenes from this opera, but I will spare you the trouble and just say "Contessa perdono!!!!!!" =)
Tristan und Isolde- Look, Deborah Voigt and Ben Heppner on one stage, must I say more?
Romeo et Juliette- Come on, people! Anna Netrebko and Rolando Villazon!!!!! It's probably sold out already!!!!!

Things I am NOT looking forward to (and "why" of course!!!)...

• Roberto Alagna in Madama Butterfly (Love Couple strikes again because his wifelet is here too!)
• Angela Gheorghiu in La Boheme (are we to be invaded by EVERY Alagna in the country?)
• The continuation of Margret Juntwait's co-host. No one really likes him, no offence, so can't we just make it the Juntwait Show again????
• Andrea Gruber in Macbeth- the Met insists on hiring people who are (pardon my frank-ness) too old! Andrea Gruber herself is not too old, it's her voice! I saw her in Tosca and I was taken aback. No offence, once again.
• Going to see operas that I can't pronounce. Haha. I'll go see them, but by the time I get out, I still won't be able to pronounce it!
• NO TOSCA!!!!! Even though it's showed SOOO often, can't I see it again???? PLEASE??? I wanna just SEE the Zefferelli set one more time!!!!!!! Who KNOWS how much longer it's gonna be up there???????? I wanna see James Morris's Scarpia again! PLEASEEEEEE!!!!
• Not being able to go to all the operas I want this season =(

for more information visit the Met's website: metopera.org