Anna Netrebko, Elina Garanca & Jonas Kaufmann Headline Metropolitan Opera 2018-19 Season

By Francisco Salazar

The Metropolitan Opera has announced its 2018-19 season. Here is a rundown.

New Productions 

The Metropolitan Opera opens with Saint-Saëns’ “Samson et Dalila” in a new production by Darko Tresnjak. Roberto Alagna and Elina Garanca reunite for the production which is also set to star Laurent Naouri, Elchin Azizov, and Dmitry Belosselskiy. Anita Rachevlishvili and Aleksandrs Antonenko will sing a later run of the production.

Production Dates: Sept. 24, 2018-March 28, 2019 

New Year’s Eve kicks off with Cilea’s “Adriana Lecouvreur”  in a new production by David McVicar. Anna Netrebko takes on the title role alongside frequent on-stage partner Piotr Beczala and Anita Rachvelishvili as the villainous Princess de Bouillon. Ambrogio Maestri rounds out the star-studded cast which is conducted by Gianandrea Noseda. Jennifer Rowley also sings the title role.

Performance Dates: Dec. 31, 2018-Jan 26, 2019

Nico Muhly’s “Marnie” makes its American and Metropolitan Opera premiere with Isabel Leonard in the title role. Michael Mayer directs his visually stunning English National Opera production with Denyce Graves, Iestyn Davies, Christopher Maltman, and Janis Kelly.

Performance Dates: Oct. 19-Nov 10, 2018

Mayer also directs a new production of Verdi’s beloved “La Traviata” with music director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducting. Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Florez lead the cast with Quinn Kelsey singing the role of Germont. Anita Hartig and Stephen Costello also sing later performances. Arthur Rucinski and Plácido Domingo also sing.

Performance Dates: Dec. 4, 2018-April 27, 2019

Revivals

Verdi’s “Aida” returns with three superstar sopranos in the title role. Sondra Radvanovsky takes on the role alternating with Tamara Wilson and Marjorie Owens before Anna Netrebko sings her first North American performances as Aida. They are accompanied by Dolora Zajick, Olesya Petrova, and Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris. Aleksandrs Antonenko and Yonghoon Lee share the role of Radames while Vitalij Kowaljow, Dmitry Belosselskiy and Stefan Kocan share Ramfis. Quinn Kelsey and Roberto Frontali share the role of Amonasro. Domingo and Nicola Luisotti conduct the opera.

Performance Dates: Sept. 26, 2018-March 7, 2019

Ailyn Pérez and Nicole Car share the title role in Puccini’s beloved “La Bohème.” Angel Blue returns as Musetta, sharing the role with Susanna Phillips while Vittorio Grigolo and Michael Fabiano sing Rodolfo. James Gaffigan conducts.

Performance Dates: Sept. 25, 2018-Dec. 13, 2018

Yonghoon Lee and Roberto Alagna bring their signature Don José’s to Bizet’s “Carmen” alongside Aleksandra Kurzak, Guanqun Yu and Susanna Phillips as Michaëla. Clémentine Margaine sings her signature Carmen while Kyle Ketelsen, Alexander Vinogradov, and Michael Todd Simpson share the role of Escamillo. Omar Meir Wellber makes his Met debut conducting and Louis Langree also conducts.

Performance Dates: Oct. 30, 2018-Feb 8, 2019

Mozart’s “La Clemenza di Tito” gets a revival with Joyce DiDonato, Matthew Polenzani, Ying Fang, and Elza Van Den Heever. Loth Koenigs conducts the starry cast.

Performance Dates: March 30-April, 20, 2019

Karita Mattila, Isabel Leonard, Karen Cargill, Erin Morley Adreinne Pieczonka and David Portillo give life to Poulenc’s “Dialogues des Carmélites” with Nézet-Séguin conducting the work.

Performance Dates: May 3-11, 2019

Luca Pisaroni and Peter Mattei alternate the title role in Mozart’s “Don Giovanni” with Aida Garfullina in her Met debut, Stefan Kocan, Rachel Willis-Sorensen, Jennifer Check, Guanqun Yu, Susanna Phillips, Serena Malfi, Rhiab Chaieb, Pavol Breslik, Paul Appleby, Ildar Abdrazakov, and Adam Plachetka. Cornelius Meister conducts.

Performance Dates: Jan. 30-April 18, 2019

Verdi’s comic masterpiece “Falstaff” stars Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Juan Jesus Rodriguez, Ailyn Pérez, ambrogio Maestri, Golda Schultz, and Francesco Demuro. Richard Farnes conducts the production.

Performance Dates: Feb. 22-March 16, 2019

Jonas Kaufmann makes his long-awaited return to the Metropolitan Opera as Dick Johnson in “Puccini’s La Fanciulla del West.” Eva Maria Westbroek takes on the title role with Marco Armiliato conducting. Yusif Eyvazov also sings Dick Johnson in earlier performances. Željko Lučić sings Jack Rance with Marco Armiliato conducting.

Performance Dates: Oct. 4-27, 2018

Donizetti’s comic gem “La Fille du Régiment” returns with Javier Camarena singing the nine high Cs and Pretty Yende as Marie. Stephanie Blythe and Alessandro Corbelli bring their comic timing to the work which will be conducted by Enrique Mazzola.

Performance Dates: Feb. 7-March 2, 2019

The double of Tchaikovsky’s “Iolanta” and Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” will star Sonya Yoncheva, Matthew Polenzani, Alexey Markov, Elchin Azizov and Vitalij Kowaljow in “Iolanta.” Gerald Finley and Angela Denoke also star in the Bartok masterpiece.

Performance Dates: Jan. 24-Feb. 14, 2019

Erin Morley, Kathryn Lewek, Ben Bliss, Nathan Gunn, Duncan Rock and Morris Robinson sing the holiday special of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute.” Harry Bicket conducts.

Performance Dates: Dec. 19, 2018-Jan. 5, 2019

Boito’s “Mefistofele” returns to the stage with Angela Meade as Margherita, Jennifer Check as Helen of Troy, Michael Fabiano as Faust and Christian Van Horn in the title role.

Performance Dates: Nov. 8-Dec. 1, 2018

Verdi’s “Otello” returns with Sonya Yoncheva, Željko Lučić, and Stuart Skelton. Gustavo Dudamel makes his highly anticpated Met debut.

Performance Dates: Dec. 14, 2018-Jan. 10, 3019

Javier Camarena and Pretty Yende team up for Bizet’s “Les pêcheurs de perles” with Maurisz Kwiecien and Nicola Teste. Emmanuel Villaume conducts.

Performance Dates: Nov. 14-Dec. 8, 2018

Isabel Leonard and Paul Appleby star in Debussy’s “Pelléas et Mélisande” alongside Marie-Nicole Lemieux, Ferruccio Furlanetto and Kyle Ketelsen. Nezet Seguin conducts the production.

Performance Dates: Jan. 15-31, 2019

Rosa Feola, Nadine Sierra, Vittorio Grigolo, Bryan Hymel Roberto Frontali and George Gagnidze star in Michael Mayers’ Las Vegas “Rigoletto” with Nicola Luisotti conducting.

Performance Dates: Feb. 12-May 10, 2019

David McVicar’s “Tosca” returns with Sondra Radvanovsky and Jennifer Rowley taking on the title role and Joseph Calleja as Cavaradossi.Wolfgang Koch sings Scarpia while Carlo Rizzi conducts.

Performance Dates: Oct. 25, 2018-April 6, 2019

Puccini’s “Il Trittico” returns with Amber Wagner, Tatiana Melnychenko, Marcelo Alvarez, George Gagnidze and Lucio Gallo singing “Il Tabarro” and Kristine Opolais returning in the title role of “Suor Angelica.” Plácido Domingo sings Gianni Schicchi with Atalla Ayan and Kristina Mkhitaryan. Stephanie Blythe sings in all three operas while Bertrand de Billy conducts.

Performance Dates: Nov. 23-Dec. 15, 2018

The Ring Cycle 

For the first time since 2013 Wagner’s “Der Ring des Nibelungen” will be presented with Philippe Jordan conducting a star-studded cast that includes Christine Goerke, Eva-Maria Westbroek, Edith Haller, Michael Volle, Stuart Skelton, Jamie Barton, Greer Grimsley, Michael Volle, Gunther Groissbock, Erin Morley. Tomasz Konieczny, Evgeny Nikitin,  Andreas Schager, Stefan Vinke and Eric Owens.

Performance Dates: March 25-May 11, 2019

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