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• La Clemenza di ... (Dec. 1, 2012)

  

  La Clemenza di Tito
  (Dec. 1, 2012)

  Composer: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
  Librettist: Libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Pietro Metastasio
  

  Bicket; Frittoli, Garanča, Lindsey, Filianoti
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 35 min.

  Jean-Pierre Ponnelle’s dramatic production brings ancient Rome to life for this griping tale of revenge, terror, and attempted murder. Giuseppe Filianoti is the Emperor Tito who chooses Servilia (Lucy Crowe) to be his Empress. But when she tells him she is already in love with Annio (Kate Lindsey) he decides to wed Vitellia (Barbara Frittoli) inste...

• L'Elisir d'Amor... (Oct. 13, 2012)

  

  L'Elisir d'Amore
  (Oct. 13, 2012)

  Composer: Gaetano Donizetti
  Librettist: Felice Romani
  

  Benini; Netrebko, Polenzani, Kwiecien, Maestri
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 22 min.

  Anna Netrebko as the beautiful and wealthy Adina leads the cast in Barlett Sher’s production of Donizetti’s charming comedy, first seen on Opening Night of the Met’s 2012–13 season. Matthew Polenzani is Nemorino, the poor but good-hearted country boy who wins her love—with the help of the magic “elixir” sold by the quack Dulcamara, played by Ambrog...

• Otello (Oct. 27, 2012)

  

  Otello
  (Oct. 27, 2012)

  Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
  Librettist: Arrigo Boito, based on the play by William Shakespeare
  

  Bychkov; Fleming, Botha, Struckmann
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 46 min.

  In Verdi’s retelling of Shakespeare’s towering tragedy, Renée Fleming gives a captivating performance as the innocent Desdemona, a role long considered one of her calling cards. Johan Botha as the title hero delivers an imposing portrayal of a proud warrior brought down by jealousy, and Falk Struckmann is thrilling as the villainous Iago. James Mor...

• The Tempest (Nov. 10, 2012)

  

  The Tempest
  (Nov. 10, 2012)

  Composer: Thomas Adès
  Librettist: Libretto by Meredith Oakes, after the play by William Shakespeare
  

  Adès; Luna, Leonard, Oke, Shrader, Keenlyside
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 22 min.

  Composer Thomas Adès conducts the Met premiere of his powerful opera based on Shakespeare’s last play, in Robert Lepage’s brilliantly inventive production. Simon Keenlyside is the magician Prospero, who conjures the storm that shipwrecks his enemies and sets in motion the course of events. Rising Met stars Isabel Leonard and Alek Shrader are the yo...

The Met's New Ring

• Das Rheingold (Oct. 9, 2010)

  

  Das Rheingold
  (Oct. 9, 2010)

  Composer: Richard Wagner
  Librettist: Richard Wagner
  

  Levine; Terfel, Croft, Owens, Blythe
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

  Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 53 min.

  Robert Lepage’s landmark staging of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, unveiled over the course of the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, was the first new Met production of the complete cycle in more than 20 years. Combining state-of-the-art technology with traditional storytelling, it brings Wagner’s vision into the 21st century. In this first part of t...

• Die Walküre (May. 4, 2011)

  

  Die Walküre
  (May. 4, 2011)

  Composer: Richard Wagner
  Librettist: Richard Wagner
  

  Levine; Voigt, Westbroek, Blythe, Kaufmann, Terfel, König
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

  Approximate running time: 4 hrs. 20 min.

  Robert Lepage’s landmark staging of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, unveiled over the course of the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, was the first new Met production of the complete cycle in more than 20 years. Combining state-of-the-art technology with traditional storytelling, it brings Wagner’s vision into the 21st century. With Die Walküre, the s...

• Siegfried (Nov. 5, 2011)

  

  Siegfried
  (Nov. 5, 2011)

  Composer: Richard Wagner
  Librettist: Richard Wagner
  

  Luisi; Voigt, Hunter Morris, Terfel
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

  Approximate running time: 4 hrs. 25 min.

  Robert Lepage’s landmark staging of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, unveiled over the course of the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, was the first new Met production of the complete cycle in more than 20 years. Combining state-of-the-art technology with traditional storytelling, it brings Wagner’s vision into the 21st century. Jay Hunter Morris is th...

• Götterdämmerung (Feb. 11, 2012)

  

  Götterdämmerung
  (Feb. 11, 2012)

  Composer: Richard Wagner
  Librettist: Richard Wagner
  

  Luisi; Voigt, Morris, König, Meier, Paterson, Harmer
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 4 hrs. 45 min.

  Robert Lepage’s landmark staging of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, unveiled over the course of the 2010–11 and 2011–12 seasons, was the first new Met production of the complete cycle in more than 20 years. Combining state-of-the-art technology with traditional storytelling, it brings Wagner’s vision into the 21st century. The four-part epiccomes...

Audio-only Performances

• Carmen (Feb. 16, 1952)

  

  Carmen
  (Feb. 16, 1952)

  Composer: Georges Bizet
  Librettist: Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy
  

  Reiner; Conner, Stevens, Tucker, Silveri
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 30 min.

  For a generation of operagoers, there was only one Carmen: Risë Stevens. Her beguiling, smoky voice enticed listeners into Carmen’s sensual world, where gypsies smuggled contraband, then danced with soldiers and flirted with matadors. Richard Tucker is Don José, the man Carmen ruins. This broadcast captures the excitement of the then-new production...

• Lohengrin (Jan. 2, 1943)

  

  Lohengrin
  (Jan. 2, 1943)

  Composer: Richard Wagner
  Librettist: Richard Wagner
  

  Leinsdorf; Melchior, Varnay, Thorborg, Sved, Cordon
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 2 hrs. 58 min.

  Lauritz Melchior is the embodiment of the chivalrous knight Lohengrin who magically appears in answer to the prayers of pure Elsa (Astrid Varnay) that heaven send her a champion. The evil sorceress Ortrud (Kerstin Thorborg) and her husband Telramund (Alexander Sved) have accused Elsa of murder and even when Lohengrin defeats Telramund in combat the...

• Die Meistersing... (Jan. 10, 1953)

  

  Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
  (Jan. 10, 1953)

  Composer: Richard Wagner
  Librettist: Richard Wagner
  

  Reiner; de los Angeles, Schöffler, Hopf, Pechner, Greindl
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus

  Approximate running time: 3 hrs. 45 min.

  Legendary conductor Fritz Reiner leads a magical performance of Wagner’s only comic opera. Victoria de los Angeles is an enchanting Eva, the young woman whose husband must be a Mastersinger—so says her father Pogner (Josef Greindl). But the knight she loves, Walther (Hans Hopf), doesn’t know any of the Mastersinger Guild’s rules, and his pedantic r...

• Die Walküre (Feb. 17, 1940)

  

  Die Walküre
  (Feb. 17, 1940)

  Composer: Richard Wagner
  Librettist: Richard Wagner
  

  Leinsdorf; Flagstad, Melchior, Huehn, Lawrence, Branzell
  
  Metropolitan Opera Orchestra

  Approximate running time: 3 hrs. 16 min.

  This is the only Met Walküre broadcast before World War II with the legendary Kirsten Flagstad as Brünnhilde—an overwhelming portrayal that continues to grip listeners today. Fortunately, this uncut Walküre has a cast for the ages, all in prime form. Lauritz Melchior and Marjorie Lawrence are Siegmund and Sieglinde, twins who fall passionately in l...