Live in HD: Summer Encores

Carmen

US: June 19, 7 pm (local time)

Richard Eyre’s hit production stars Elīna Garanča as the seductive gypsy of the title, opposite Roberto Alagna as the obsessed Don José. Carmen "is about sex, violence, and racism—and its corollary: freedom," the director says about Bizet’s drama. "It is one of the inalienably great works of art. It's sexy, in every sense. And I think it should be shocking."

Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin; Production: Richard Eyre; Barbara Frittoli, Elīna Garanča, Roberto Alagna, Mariusz Kwiecien

Approximate Running Time 2:58

Original transmission: Saturday, January 16, 2010

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Il Trovatore

US: June 26, 2013, 7 pm (local time)

David McVicar’s stirring production of Verdi’s intense drama premiered at the Met in the 2008–09 season. This revival stars four extraordinary singers—Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky—in what might be the composer’s most melodically rich score.

Marco Armiliato; Sondra Radvanovsky, Dolora Zajick, Marcelo Álvarez, Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Apprixmate Running Time: 2:40

Original transmission: April 30, 2011

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Armida

US: July 10, 2013, 7 pm (local time)    

This mythical story of a sorceress who enthralls men in her island prison has inspired operatic settings by a multitude of composers, including Gluck, Haydn, and Dvořák. Renée Fleming stars in the title role of Rossini’s version, opposite no fewer than five tenors. Director Mary Zimmerman describes the work as “a buried treasure, a box of jewels.” Armida is a fanciful and magical tale with “an epic, enchanted quality and a tremendous visual element.”

Conductor: Riccardo Frizza; Production: Mary Zimmerman; Renée Fleming, Lawrence Brownlee, Bruce Ford, Barry Banks, Kobie van Rensburg

Approximate Running Time 3:05

Original transmission: Saturday, May 1, 2010

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La Traviata

US: July 17, 2013, 7 pm (local time)

Natalie Dessay stars as Verdi’s most beloved heroine in Willy Decker's stunning production, first seen at the Met in 2010. Matthew Polenzani is her lover, Alfredo, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings his stern father, Germont. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium.

Conductor: Fabio Luisi; Production: Willy Decker; Natalie Dessay, Matthew Polenzani, Dmitri Hvorostovsky

Approximate Running Time 2:28

Original transmission: April 14, 2012

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Additional Broadcasts

Please check local theater listings for availability

Il Barbiere di Siviglia

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One of the most beloved operatic comedies of all time, Rossini’s The Barber of Seville is presented in a production by director Bartlett Sher. Superstar tenor Juan Diego Flórez as Count Almaviva is joined by American mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato as Rosina and Peter Mattei in the title role of the swaggering barber.

Conductor: Benini; Production: Bartlett Sher; Joyce DiDonato, Juan Diego Flórez, Peter Mattei, John Del Carlo, John Relyea

Approximate Running Time: 2:57

Original transmission: March 24, 2007

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Turandot

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Director Franco Zeffirelli’s breathtaking production of Puccini’s last opera is a favorite of the Met repertoire. Maria Guleghina plays the ruthless Chinese princess of the title, whose hatred of men is so strong that she has all suitors who can’t solve her riddles beheaded. Marcello Giordani sings Calàf, the unknown prince who eventually wins her love and whose solos include the famous “Nessun dorma.”

Conductor: Andris Nelsons; Production: Franco Zeffirelli; Maria Guleghina, Marina Poplavskaya, Marcello Giordani, Samuel Ramey

Approximate Running Time 2:20

Original transmission: November 7, 2009

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