The Metropolitan Opera 2009 season
continues live on screen.
 As previously, the performances will
be transmitted directly from New York about once a month to
Cineplex facilities specially equipped to receive them by
satellite in Waterloo, Guelph, Hamilton, and Toronto—to name
just a few of hundreds locations in North America. The remaining
performance dates and times are listed below.
La Damnation de Faust, by Hector Berlioz. January 17, at
1:00 p.m. This is a repeat first shown here in November 2008 — a
rare and magical evocation of the battle for Faust’s soul
between the immortal forces of good and evil. It stars Canada’s
wonderful young bass-baritone John Relyea as Mefistopheles.
Wonderful production including wall climbing, all devils are
bare-chested males, all angels are modestly covered females and
Relyea is tall, young and handsome.
Orfeo ed Eurydice, by Gluck. January 24, at 1:00 p.m.
repeat performance on March 14. This moving story of the
deathless love of the ancient god of music for his wife Eurydice
remains two and half centuries later the oldest opera, and for
some the most beloved, in the world’s standard repertory. Its
magnificent music has been sung through the centuries by many of
the world great lyric mezzo-sopranos, among the most recent Risë
Stevens, Shirley Verrett, and Marilyn Horne. Now we can see and
hear the latest in this magnificent group, the Met’s Stephanie
Blythe, conducted by James Levine.
Lucia di Lammermoor, by Donizetti. February 7 at 1:00
p.m.; repeat on April 4. This remains for many the most
overwhelming of Donizetti’s tragedies, famous for its sextet and
the greatest, musically and dramatically, of all operatic mad
scenes. The tenor, too, has an unforgettable extended death
scene, filled with heartbreaking melody. In the Met’s production
are two of today’s most brilliant young singing actors, Anna
Netrebko, Rolando Villazon and Mariusz Kwiecien. It should not
be missed!
La Rondine, by Puccini. February 21 at 1:00 p.m. This is
a repeat performance, first shown on January 10. Puccini’s
charming work stars opera’s most famous married couple, Angela
Gheorghiu and Roberto Alagna. She performed Mimi in La Boheme last season, and he Romeo. A rare treat!
Madama Butterfly, by Puccini. March 7, at 1:00 p.m.;
repeated on April 18. This, of course, has remained for the last
hundred years one of the pillars of the operatic repertory, and
its leading role one of the greatest musical and dramatic
challenge for today’s lyric soprano – Patricia Racette. It is
perhaps the most moving of all of Puccini’s scores: once seen
and heard, unforgettable! If you have not seen it, this is your
chance!
La Sonnambula, by Bellini. March 21 at 1:00 p.m.; repeat
on April 25. It is a lyric tragic-comedy, the score both
touching and joyous. The Met’s cast is one for the ages: Natalie
Dessay and Juan Diego Florez, who together triumphed last season
in Donizetti’s superb La Fille du Regiment.
La Cenerentola, by Rossini. May 9, at 12:30 p.m.; repeat
on May 23. This is no less than Rossini’s humanizing treatment
of the Cinderella fairy tale, filled with both broad comedy and
lyric charm. Musically thrilling, too: Cinderella and Prince
Charming have music that is among the wittiest and most
difficult ever written!
Aside of the Met - Opera Kitchener is coming back
with four productions to Centre in the Square, good for them!
The Marriage of Figaro by Mozart on January 10, 2009.
La Traviata by Verdi – in concert – on February 15.
Kathleen Battle, a famous soprano comes with the recital of
Sacred Songs and Spirituals – March 21
Cinderella by Rossini, sung in English – April 5.
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