New York, NY (November 20, 2007) - Through an expanded partnership between the Metropolitan Opera and Rhapsody®, many of the greatest performances in the Met's past and recent history will now be available on-demand through the Rhapsody, digital music service. On Tuesday, November 20, Met on Rhapsody will launch with an initial 100 opera recordings (more than 3,600 tracks) from the Met's rich archive of broadcasts, ranging from Bizet's Carmen from 1937, starring Rosa Ponselle and conducted by Gennaro Papi, to Donizetti's Don Pasquale from 2006, starring Juan Diego Flórez and Anna Netrebko and conducted by Maurizio Benini-and including over 30 performances conducted by Met Music Director James Levine.
Along with the historic recordings of full operas, Met on Rhapsody, available at www.rhapsody.com/metropolitanopera, will feature a full Met Opera artist gallery of photos and a Met Opera-themed, pre-programmed Rhapsody internet radio channel. Additional opera performances are expected to be added on a monthly basis.
"Opera lovers never have enough opera," said Peter Gelb, the Met's General Manager. "Met on Rhapsody is yet another way in which opera fans may have increased access to the Met."
Rhapsody, a joint venture between MTV Networks® and RealNetworks®, offers unlimited access to millions of CD-quality songs in every genre of music from opera, baroque and 21st century classical to jazz, rock and pop. With Rhapsody, fans will have access to a wealth of favorite recordings to enjoy through popular devices like TiVo set-top boxes and in-home digital audio players, on any personal computer and on the go with a number of portable media players.
"The Rhapsody stage is a showcase for all types of music," said Michael Bloom, head of Rhapsody. "Met on Rhapsody lets music fans rediscover treasured recordings while inviting a whole new audience into the opera house."
Met on Rhapsody is part of the company's larger initiative to reach new audiences-a plan that also includes live opera transmitted in high-definition via satellite into movie theaters worldwide, which are later broadcast on public television and will be distributed on DVD. This partnership with Rhapsody marks an expansion of the Met's digital service, which began last year with free live streams of opera performances from its website once every week during the season, with support from RealNetworks.
About Met on Rhapsody
Highlights from Met on Rhapsody include legendary live performances from the Met's 76-year recording history, including: Puccini's Tosca, starring Renata Tebaldi and Richard Tucker, conducted by Dimitri Mitropoulos (1956); Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor, starring Maria Callas in her Met broadcast debut, conducted by Fausto Cleva (1956); Verdi's Il Trovatore, starring Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli in their Met debut roles, conducted by Cleva (1961); Wagner's Die Walküre, starring Birgit Nilsson, Leonie Rysanek, Christa Ludwig, Jon Vickers, and Thomas Stewart, conducted by Berislav Klobucar (1968); Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment, starring Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti, conducted by Richard Bonynge (1973); Verdi's Otello, starring Jon Vickers and Kiri Te Kanawa, conducted by Maestro Levine (1974); Rossini's L'Assedio di Corinto (The Siege of Corinth), starring Beverly Sills in her Met debut role, conducted by Thomas Schippers (1975); Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila, starring Plácido Domingo and Denyce Graves, conducted by Leonard Slatkin (1998); Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, starring Karita Mattila, Ben Heppner and James Morris, conducted by Levine (2001); and Verdi's La Traviata, starring Renée Fleming, Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ramón Vargas, conducted by Valery Gergiev (2004).
A complete list of titles available through Met on Rhapsody is attached. More information is available at www.metopera.org.
About Rhapsody
Rhapsody offers an integrated and immersive digital music experience accessible to consumers via their computer, portable music device and soon their mobile phone. Rhapsody is the exclusive digital music service in the United States for the music and pop culture brands of MTV Networks, a unit of Viacom (NYSE:VIA) (NYSE:VIA.B) and RealNetworks.
About the Met
Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company's repertory. The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world. Seven new productions debut at the Met in 2007-08, the most new productions the Met has presented in one season in 40 years.
The company has recently formed a groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York's Lincoln Center Theater, to provide renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater.
Building on its 76-year-old international radio broadcast history - heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network - the Met now uses advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world. "Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD," the company's series of live performance transmissions, shown in high definition (HD) in movie theaters around the world, will expand from six to eight opera transmissions in 2007-08, beginning with Roméo et Juliette on December 15. Global distribution of the series will triple in 2007-08 to reach over 700 participating venues in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. These performances will subsequently air on PBS, and a selection of these HD performances will be available on DVD beginning in 2008. Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS Satellite Radio (Channel 85) is a subscription-based audio service broadcasting both live and rare historical performances. In addition to providing on-demand audio recordings through the new Rhapsody service, the Met also presents free live audio streaming of performances on its website once every week during the opera season with support from RealNetworks®.
The Met has recently launched several audience development initiatives, including Open House dress rehearsals, the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met, reduced ticket prices-including an immensely popular new rush ticket program, and an annual Holiday Series presentation for families.
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Met on Rhapsody: The first 100 titles (in chronological order by date):
1/9/1937 Bizet: Carmen
Papi; Papi; Ponselle, Rayner, Bodanya, Huehn
12/2/1944 Wagner: Die Walküre
Szell; Traubel, Melchior, Bampton, Janssen, Thorborg
1/27/1945 Thomas: Mignon
Pelletier; Stevens, Melton, Benzell, Pinza
12/10/1949 Puccini: Manon Lescaut
Antonicelli; Kirsten, Björling, Valdengo
2/16/1952 Bizet: Carmen
Reiner; Stevens, Tucker, Conner, Silveri
11/29/1952 Verdi: La Forza del Destino
Stiedry; Milanov, Tucker, Warren, Hines, Miller
4/4/1953 Mascagni: Cavalleria Rusticana/Leoncavallo: Pagliacci
Erede; Milanov, Baum / Del Monaco, Rigal, Silveri
12/3/1955 Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Monteux; Tucker, Peters, Stevens, Amara, Singher
12/10/1955 Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera
Mitropoulos; Milanov, Peerce, Merrill Anderson, Peters
1/7/1956 Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Cleva; Callas, Campora, Sordello, Moscona
4/6/1957 Verdi: La Traviata
Cleva; Tebaldi, Campora, Warren
2/15/1958 Puccini: La Bohème
Schippers; Albanese, Bergonzi, Hurley, Sereni, Scott
3/8/1958 Verdi: Otello
Cleva; Del Monaco, de los Angeles, Warren
4/12/1958 Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila
Cleva; Del Monaco, Stevens, Singher
2/14/1959 Mozart: Don Giovanni
Böhm; London, Steber, Valletti, Della Casa, Hurley, Flagello
2/21/1959 Verdi: Macbeth
Leinsdorf; Warren, Rysanek, Hines, Bergonzi
4/16/1960 Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Mitropoulos; Kirsten, Fernandi, Roggero, Sereni
12/17/1960 Wagner: Tannhäuser
Solti; Hopf, Rysanek, Prey, Dalis, Hines
2/4/1961 Verdi: Il Trovatore
Cleva; Corelli, Price, Sereni, Dalis, Wilderman
3/3/1962 Verdi: Aida
Schick; Tucci, Corelli, Dalis, MacNeil, Tozzi
4/7/1962 Puccini: Tosca
Adler; Price, Corelli, MacNeil
3/30/1963 Bellini: La Sonnambula
Varviso; Sutherland, Gedda, Flagello, Scovotti
3/7/1964 Verdi: Don Carlo
Adler; Corelli, Rysanek, Herlea, Dalis, Tozzi
12/5/1964 Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Varviso; Sutherland, Kónya, Herlea, Giaiotti
1/9/1965 Donizetti: Don Pasquale
Varviso; Corena, Peters, Alva, Guarrera
1/22/1966 Beethoven: Fidelio
Böhm; Nilsson, King, Evans, Edelmann
2/25/1967 Verdi: Aida
Schippers; Price, Bergonzi, Bumbry, Merrill, Hines
3/18/1967 Puccini: Madama Butterfly
Molinari-Pradelli; Scotto, Shirley, Casei, Bottcher
12/16/1967 Verdi: Falstaff
Amaducci; Flagello, Curtin, Guarrera, Barbieri, Raskin
2/24/1968 Wagner: Die Walküre
Klobucar; Nilsson, Vickers, Rysanek, Stewart, Ludwig
3/2/1968 Ponchielli: La Gioconda
Cleva; Tebaldi, Bergonzi, Cossotto, MacNeil, Giaiotti
3/16/1968 Donizetti: L'Elisir d'Amore
Cleva; Peters, Kraus, Sereni, Corena
4/13/1968 Gounod's Roméo et Juliette
Molinari-Pradelli; Gedda, Freni, Macurdy, Baldwin
4/4/1970 Bellini: Norma
Bonynge; Sutherland, Bergonzi, Horne, Siepi
2/26/1972 Gounod: Faust
Rich; Domingo, Zylis-Gara, Tozzi, Sereni
4/15/1972 Weber: Der Freischütz
Ludwig; Kónya, Lorengar, Feldhoff, Mathis
1/6/1973 Donizetti: La Fille du Régiment
Bonynge; Sutherland, Pavarotti, Resnik, Corena
2/10/1973 Verdi: Rigoletto
Levine; Wixell, Grist, Pavarotti, Grillo, Macurdy
2/17/1973 Bellini: Norma
Cillario; Caballé, Cossotto, Cossutta, Tozzi
4/7/1973 Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Levine; Prey, Horne, Di Giuseppe, Corena, Tozzi
2/9/1974 Verdi: Otello
Levine; Vickers, Te Kanawa, Stewart
4/13/1974 Mozart: Don Giovanni
Levine; Milnes, Price, Burrows, Zylis-Gara, Stratas, Berry
4/19/1975 Rossini: L'Assedio di Corinto
Schippers; Sills, Verrett, Díaz, Theyard
3/6/1976 Verdi: Aida
Levine; Price, Domingo, Horne, MacNeil, Giaiotti
3/13/1976 Bellini: I Puritani
Bonynge; Sutherland, Pavarotti, Milnes, Morris
12/11/1976 Massenet: Esclarmonde
Bonynge; Sutherland, Aragall, Tourangeau, Grant
1/29/1977 Meyerbeer: Le Prophete
Lewis; McCracken, Scotto, Horne, Hines
3/12/1977 Verdi: La Forza del Destino
Levine; Price, Domingo, MacNeil, Talvela, Elias
1/27/1979 Verdi: Luisa Miller
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, Milnes, Giaiotti, Morris
2/3/1979 Massenet: Werther
Bonynge; Kraus, Crespin, Carlson, Battle
3/29/1980 Puccini: Manon Lescaut
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, Elvira
3/28/1981 Verdi: La Traviata
Levine; Cotrubas, Domingo, MacNeil
1/16/1982 Puccini: La Boheme
Levine; Stratas, Carreras, Scotto, Stilwell, Morris
1/23/1982 Verdi: Luisa Miller
Santi; Ricciarelli, Pavarotti, Nucci, Plishka, Cheek
12/18/1982 Verdi: Macbeth
Levine; Milnes, Scotto, Plishka, Jenkins
12/17/1983 Verdi: Ernani
Levine; Pavarotti, Mitchell, Milnes, Raimondi
4/7/1984 Zandonai: Francesca da Rimini
Levine; Scotto, Domingo, MacNeil
12/29/1984 Verdi: Simon Boccanegra
Levine; Milnes, Tomowa-Sintow, Moldoveanu, Plishka
12/7/1985 Mascagni/Leoncavallo: Cavalleria Rusticana/Pagliacci
Navarre; Behrens, Moldoveanu / Vickers, Pilou, Milnes
3/21/1987 Bizet: Carmen
Levine; Baltsa, Carreras, Cotrubas, Ramey
4/9/1988 Mozart: Cosi fan tutte
Epstein; Te Kanawa, Rendall, Montague, Hagegärd, Hong, Cheek
1/21/1989 Verdi: Il Trovatore
Levine; Pavarotti, Millo, Milnes, Cossotto, Plishka
3/25/1989 Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin
Levine; Hynninen, Freni, Hadley, Walker, Sotin
4/29/1989 Donizetti: L'elisir d'amore
Panni; Battle, Pavarotti, Quilico, Plishka
3/24/1990 Mozart: Die Entfuhrung aus dem serial
Levine; Devia, Heilmann, Mills, Magnusson, Moll
2/9/1991 Mozart: Die Zauberflote
Levine; Battle, Araiza, Serra, Moll, Hemm
1/18/1992 Wagner: Der Fliegende Hollander
Conlon; Morris, Behrens, Lakes, Salminen
1/15/1994 Verdi: I Lombardi
Levine; Pavarotti, Flanigan, Beccaria, Plishka
1/29/1994 Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Santi; Devia, Hadley, Pons, Plishka
2/12/1994 Mozart: Le Nozze di Figaro
Rudel; Morris, Fleming, McLaughlin, Croft, Bunnell
3/26/1994 Puccini: La Boheme
Rizzi; Gheorghiu, Leech, Litherland, Robertson, Short
4/1/1995 Puccini: Tosca
Oren; Holleque, Pavarotti, Pons
2/24/1996 Mozart: Cosi fan tutte
Levine; Vaness, Hadley, Mentzer, Croft, Bartoli, Allen
2/15/1997 Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera
Levine; Voigt, Pavarotti, Pons, Dever, Shin
2/7/1998 Offenbach: Les Contes D'Hoffmann
Young; Leech, Dessay, Larmore, Racette, Morris
2/28/1998 Saint-Saens: Samson ed Dalila
Slatkin; Domingo, Graves, Leiferkus
3/21/1998 Wagner: Lohengrin
Levine; Heppner, Voigt, Polaski, Ketelsen, Halfvarson
3/28/1998 Gounod: Romeo et Juliette
de Billy; Alagna, Gheorghiu, Lloyd, Jepson
4/10/1999 Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades
Gergiev; Gorchakova, Domingo, Söderström, Hvorostovsky, Putilin
12/18/1999 Wagner: Tristan und Isolde
Levine; Heppner, Eaglen, Ketelsen, Dalayman, Pape
3/25/2000 Wagner: Das Rheingold
Levine; Morris, Schwarz, Wlaschiha, Langridge
4/1/2000 Wagner: Die Walkure
Levine; Eaglen, Domingo, Voigt, Morris, Schwarz
4/15/2000 Wagner: Siegfried
Levine; Andersen, Eaglen, Morris, Svendén
4/22/2000 Wagner: Gotterdammerung
Levine; Eaglen, Andersen, Held, Radvanovsky, Halfvarson
1/6/2001 Beethoven: Fidelio
Levine; Mattila, Heppner, Leiferkus, Pape
4/7/2001 Wagner: Parsifall
Levine; Domingo, Urmana, Ketelsen, Wlaschiha, Tomlinson
12/8/2001 Wagner: Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg
Levine; Morris, Mattila, Heppner, Polenzani, Allen
12/29/2001 Humperdinck: Hansel und Gretel
Mackerras; Larmore, Upshaw, Blythe, Josephson, Forst
4/6/2002 Verdi: Falstaff
Levine; Terfel, Mescheriakova, Croft, Blythe, Tilling
2/8/2003 Bellini: Il Pirata
Campanella; Fleming, Giordani, Croft
2/15/2003 Mozart: Don Giovanni
Cambreling; Mattei, Radvanovsky, Trost, Diener, Netrebko, Furlanetto
12/13/2003 Halevy: La Juive
Viotti; Isokoski, Shicoff, Futral, Cutler, Furlanetto
3/6/2004 Verdi: La Traviata
Gergiev; Fleming, Vargas, Hvorostovsky
4/30/2005 Gounod: Faust
Levine; Alagna, Isokoski, Pape, Hvorostovsky
12/17/2005 Verdi: Rigoletto
Fisch; Guelfi, Netrebko, Villazón, Herrera, Halfvarson
3/4/2006 Gounod: Romeo et Juliette
de Billy; Vargas, Dessay, Sigmundsson, Goeldner
4/8/2006 Massenet: Manon
López-Cobos; Fleming, Giordano, Chaignaud
4/15/2006 Donizetti: Don Pasquale
Benini; Alaimo, Netrebko, Flórez, Kwiecien