Visit the completed 2011-2012 Metropolitan Opera Preview.
Five Things We're Looking Forward To:
1) The revival of The Makropoulos Case with Karita Mattila as Emilia Marty, a role that I'd travel across the country to see her sing. Luckily, I live in New York.
2) Benjamin Britten's powerful nautical drama Billy Budd, 'cos I've never seen it.
3) David Daniels in The Enchanted Island. The countertenor is among the greatest artists specializing in baroque repertory today.
4) Mussorgsky's Khovanschina, the powerful historic drama returning to the Met stage for the first time since 1999. Not as well known as Boris Godounov, this is the story of the Khovansky uprising against the Tsar Peter The Great. Needless to say, it doesn't end happily.
5) Anna sings Anna. (OK. Got the headline out of the way. Will try not to use it again.--Ed.) Ms. Netrebko sings the title role in Anna Bolena. Donizetti's drama of decapitation has never been performed at the Metropolitan Opera, and it's a century overdue. This David MacVicar production is the start of a trilogy of "Donizetti Queens", with Maria Stuarda scheduled for 2012 and Roberto Devereux planned for 2013.
Some Things We're Not Looking Forward To:
1) Higher ticket prices. The Met is raising its prices by 2.7% for subscribers and 4.2% for individual tickets. The $25 seats in the Family Circle will not go up in price.
2) Operas next season will start at 7:30pm at the latest in an effort to get everybody home on time--and keep the musicians union happy.
3) The atom bomb Faust. Not three words I ever want to put in the same sentence.
4) The revival of Philip Glass' Satyagraha, which was performed without Met titles in its initial run. The opera's in SANSKRIT, folks. A translation would be helpful.
5) The Met chorus' difficult balancing act in Act II of the new "machine" production of Götterdämmerung.
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| A young opera-goer prepares for the Met's new production of Siegfried in 3D. |
1) The revival of The Makropoulos Case with Karita Mattila as Emilia Marty, a role that I'd travel across the country to see her sing. Luckily, I live in New York.
2) Benjamin Britten's powerful nautical drama Billy Budd, 'cos I've never seen it.
3) David Daniels in The Enchanted Island. The countertenor is among the greatest artists specializing in baroque repertory today.
4) Mussorgsky's Khovanschina, the powerful historic drama returning to the Met stage for the first time since 1999. Not as well known as Boris Godounov, this is the story of the Khovansky uprising against the Tsar Peter The Great. Needless to say, it doesn't end happily.
5) Anna sings Anna. (OK. Got the headline out of the way. Will try not to use it again.--Ed.) Ms. Netrebko sings the title role in Anna Bolena. Donizetti's drama of decapitation has never been performed at the Metropolitan Opera, and it's a century overdue. This David MacVicar production is the start of a trilogy of "Donizetti Queens", with Maria Stuarda scheduled for 2012 and Roberto Devereux planned for 2013.
 |
| Violetta (Marina Poplavskaya) knows that the operas start 30 minutes earlier next year. Adjust your clocks accordingly. Photo by Ken Howard © 2011 The Metropolitan Opera |
1) Higher ticket prices. The Met is raising its prices by 2.7% for subscribers and 4.2% for individual tickets. The $25 seats in the Family Circle will not go up in price.
2) Operas next season will start at 7:30pm at the latest in an effort to get everybody home on time--and keep the musicians union happy.
3) The atom bomb Faust. Not three words I ever want to put in the same sentence.
4) The revival of Philip Glass' Satyagraha, which was performed without Met titles in its initial run. The opera's in SANSKRIT, folks. A translation would be helpful.
5) The Met chorus' difficult balancing act in Act II of the new "machine" production of Götterdämmerung.
