Met Opera in HD Season 4 BLURBS

IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA (Gioachino Rossini)

December 6, 2016 | 6:30 pm
Estimated HD runtime: 2 hrs. 45 min.

A youthful cast brings Rossini’s immortal comedy to sparkling life, led by Christopher Maltman
as Figaro, the resourceful barber and man-about-town of the title. The lovely Isabel Leonard is
Rosina, the clever young woman at the center of the story, and Lawrence Brownlee sings Count
Almaviva, the man who loves her and—with Figaro’s help—rescues her from the house of her
elderly and smitten guardian, Bartolo, played by Maurizio Muraro. Paata Burchuladze is the
bumbling music master Basilio, and rising conductor and bel canto specialist Michele Mariotti
leads the Met’s musical forces in Bartlett Sher’s lively production.

CAVALLERIA RUSTICANA (Pietro Mascagni) & PAGLIACCI (Ruggero Leoncavallo)

January 10, 2017 | 6:30 pm
Estimated HD runtime: 2 hrs. 53 min.

Director David McVicar’s new production brings opera’s favorite double bill to new life, setting
the two operas in the same Sicilian setting, separated by two generations. Marcelo Álvarez
takes on the rare feat of singing both leading tenor roles. In Cavalleria, he is Turiddu, the young
man who abandons Santuzza (Eva-Maria Westbroek) in his pursuit of the married Lola (Ginger
Costa-Jackson)—and ends up being killed in a duel with her husband, Alfio (George Gagnidze).
In Pagliacci, Álvarez is Canio, the leader of a traveling vaudeville troupe. Patricia Racette sings
Nedda, his unfaithful young wife, whose plans to run away with her lover are foiled by her
spurned admirer Tonio (George Gagnidze)—with equally tragic consequences. Met Principal
Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium.

COSÌ FAN TUTTE (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)

February 14, 2017 | 6:30 pm
Estimated HD runtime: 3 hrs. 22 min.

Met Music director James Levine conducts a cast of youthful stars in Mozart’s sophisticated
comedy about testing the ties of love. Susanna Phillips and Isabel Leonard are the sisters
Fiordiligi and Dorabella, who are led to believe their fiancés have gone off to war. Matthew
Polenzani and Rodion Pogossov are Ferrando and Guglielmo, the lovers who return in disguise
to test their girls' fidelity. Danielle de Niese sings the scheming maid Despina and Maurizio
Muraro is Don Alfonso, the philosopher and mastermind pulling the strings.
MADAMA BUTTERFLY (Giacomo Puccini)
March 14, 2017 | 6:30 pm
Estimated HD runtime: 3 hrs. 30 min.

Anthony Minghella’s beautiful, atmospheric production enhances Puccini’s drama of

unfortunate, doomed love. Soprano Kristine Opolais brings all of her passionate commitment to
her portrayal of Cio-Cio-San, the teenage geisha who gives up everything for Lt. Pinkerton.
Roberto Alagna is the American naval officer who does not understand the depth of Cio-Cio-
San’s love, and whose subsequent marriage to an American woman precipitates Butterfly’s
suicide. Maria Zifchak is Suzuki, Cio-Cio-San’s faithful servant, and Dwayne Croft plays the
American consul Sharpless, who tries to avert the tragedy. Karel Mark Chichon conducts.

TURANDOT (Giacomo Puccini)

April 4, 2017 | 6:30 pm
Estimated HD runtime: 3 hrs. 15 min.

Nina Stemme takes on the title role of the proud princess of ancient China, whose riddles doom
every suitor who seeks her hand, opposite Marco Berti as Calàf, the brave prince who sings
“Nessun dorma” and wins her love. Anita Hartig and Leah Crocetto share the role of Liù, the
faithful slave girl. Franco Zeffirelli’s golden production is conducted by Paolo Carignani.

TRISTAN UND ISOLDE (Richard Wagner)

May 9, 2017 | 6:30 pm
Estimated HD runtime: 5 hrs. 15 min.

A new production by Mariusz Treliński (the director responsible for the 2014–15 season’s
double bill of Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle), well served by a cast of outstanding Wagnerians:
Nina Stemme as Isolde, Stuart Skelton as Tristan, Ekaterina Gubanova as Brangäne, and René
Pape as King Marke, with Sir Simon Rattle conducting, in one of his rare appearances at the
Met.