Bradley Garvin

Following the success of his first foray into opera, Einstein on the Beach, revolutionary American composer and musician Philip Glass soon turned to another great figure of the 20th century for inspiration. Set to lines from the Hindu Bhagavad Gita, Satyagraha depicts scenes from the life of Gandhi as he developed his philosophy of non-violent resistance in South Africa between 1896 and 1913. The opera became the second installment of Glass’s Portrait Trilogy, focused on innovators from across history. Satyagraha arrived at the Met during the 2007–08 season, when director Phelim McDermott made his debut with a production that employed everyday materials like newspaper and corrugated tin to create towering puppets and striking tableaus. In 2011, his staging returned, this time recorded live in HD. In this performance, tenor Richard Croft gives a moving performance as Gandhi, leading a remarkable ensemble cast conducted by Dante Anzolini.

Ever since it opened the 2006–07 season, Anthony Minghella’s striking production of Madama Butterfly has been a Met classic. Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese theater, Minghella’s staging retells this heartbreaking tale with brilliant stagecraft, bold colors, and bunraku puppetry. In this Live in HD performance from the fall of 2019, Chinese soprano Hui He stars as Cio-Cio-San, the young geisha who puts her trust in a visiting American naval officer, only to later be abandoned by him. In a feat of operatic heroics, tenor Bruce Sledge appears as the callous Pinkterton, stepping into the role on short notice to replace an ailing colleague. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts one of opera’s most tragic masterpieces, leading a cast that also includes mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as Cio-Cio-San’s loyal companion, Suzuki, and Tony Award–winning baritone Paulo Szot as the U.S. consul Sharpless.

Star soprano Anna Netrebko scored a triumph in Laurent Pelly’s acclaimed 2012 production, singing the title heroine for the first time at the Met. Manon’s story—from innocent country girl to celebrated courtesan to destitute prisoner—is one of the great tragic tales in literature and music, and this performance brings out all of its colors, as seen through Massenet’s masterful score, from the comedic beginning to the heart-wrenching finale. Piotr Bezcala is des Grieux, Manon’s lover, who decides to become a priest when she leaves him, but ultimately is reunited with her, only to lose her again. Paulo Szot sings Lescaut, and Fabio Luisi conducts the Met Orchestra and Chorus.

Épopée biblique imposante, la version lyrique de Saint-Saëns de l'histoire de Samson et Dalila présente de nombreuses caractéristiques du grand opéra : des démonstrations vocales à couper le souffle, des chœurs palpitants et une intrigue captivante sur fond de vaste toile de fond pseudo-historique. Il est donc normal que Samson et Dalila ait été choisi pour célébrer l’ouverture de la saison du Met à quatre reprises , notamment lorsque la nouvelle production audacieuse de Darko Tresnjak a été créée lors de la première de la saison 2018-2019. Quelques semaines plus tard, l’opéra était projeté dans le cadre de la série de retransmissions cinéma en direct du Met, avec une distribution exceptionnelle. Le ténor Roberto Alagna était l'héroïque Samson, qui finit par devenir victime du pouvoir de séduction de Dalila, la captivante mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča. Le baryton-basse Laurent Naouri a chanté le sinistre Grand Prêtre de Dagon, avec le chef d'orchestre Sir Mark Elder sur le podium

Pandolfe regrette amèrement son remariage avec l’irascible comtesse de la Haltière, dont les deux méchantes filles persécutent sa propre fille Lucette sans qu’il ait voix au chapitre. La pauvre jeune fille surnommée « Cendrillon » n’est pas autorisée à participer au grand bal royal auquel toute la maisonnée se prépare activement. Heureusement, Cendrillon peut compter sur l’aide de la Fée, sa marraine, qui la transforme en une belle et mystérieuse inconnue. Magnifiquement parée, Lucette peut se rendre au bal où elle subjugue le Prince Charmant qui fera ensuite tout pour la retrouver.

Ever since it opened the 2006–07 season, Anthony Minghella’s striking production of Madama Butterfly has been a Met classic. Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese theater, Minghella’s staging retells this heartbreaking tale with brilliant stagecraft, bold colors, and bunraku puppetry. In this Live in HD performance from the fall of 2019, Chinese soprano Hui He stars as Cio-Cio-San, the young geisha who puts her trust in a visiting American naval officer, only to later be abandoned by him. In a feat of operatic heroics, tenor Bruce Sledge appears as the callous Pinkterton, stepping into the role on short notice to replace an ailing colleague. Pier Giorgio Morandi conducts one of opera’s most tragic masterpieces, leading a cast that also includes mezzo-soprano Elizabeth DeShong as Cio-Cio-San’s loyal companion, Suzuki, and Tony Award–winning baritone Paulo Szot as the U.S. consul Sharpless.