The Met: Live In HD's 2018–19 Season Kicks Off On October 6 With Anna Netrebko In The Title Role Of Verdi's AIDA

The Met: Live in HD, the Metropolitan Opera's award-winning series of live high-definition cinema simulcasts, will begin its 13th season on October 6, with the Met's grand production of Verdi's Aida, starring one of the world's most acclaimed sopranos, Anna Netrebko.

The company also announced that Yannick Nézet-Séguin will become the Met's Music Director for the start of the 2018-19 season, accelerating his arrival in the post by two seasons.

"It is wonderful for the entire company that Yannick Nézet-Séguin will assume the position of Music Director two seasons ahead of schedule," said General Manager Peter Gelb. "The orchestra loves him, the chorus loves him, everyone in the building loves him. He is a truly great artist under whom the Met will only thrive." It was also announced that the Neubauer Family Foundation, founding sponsors of the Met's Live in HD transmissions to movie theaters, has made a $15 million gift to name the Music Director position in honor of Nézet-Séguin's appointment. In recognition of this gift, the position will be called the Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director. Gelb said, "The Met is so fortunate to be the recipient of such enlightened and generous philanthropy from two of our most loyal supporters, who believe in the power of transformative gifts."

The 2018-19 Live in HD season features ten transmissions, including four new productions: Saint-Saëns's Samson et Dalila, directed by Darko Tresnjak and conducted by Sir Mark Elder with El?na Garan?a and Roberto Alagna in the title roles; the U.S. premiere production of Nico Muhly's Marnie, based on Winston Graham's suspenseful thriller, directed by Michael Mayer with Isabel Leonard as the title character; Mayer's new staging of Verdi's La Traviata, conducted by incoming Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin and starring Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez, and Quinn Kelsey; and Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur, starring Anna Netrebko in the title role, conducted by Gianandrea Noseda in Sir David McVicar's new staging. In addition to Aida and the four new productions, Live in HD audiences will have the chance to see Poulenc's 20th-century masterpiece Dialogues des Carmélites for the first time in cinemas, conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, along with classic revivals of Puccini's La Fanciulla del West, with Eva-Maria Westbroek as Minnie and Jonas Kaufmann as Dick Johnson; Richard Eyre's acclaimed production of Bizet's Carmen, starring Clémentine Margaine as the alluring gypsy, opposite Roberto Alagna as Don José; Laurent Pelly's whimsical reimagining of Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment, with Javier Camarena and Pretty Yende as Tonio and Marie; and the most popular of Wagner's four epic Ring operas, Die Walküre, with Christine Goerke as Brünnhilde.

The Met: Live in HD is the largest provider of alternative cinema content in the world, with more than 24 million tickets sold since the inception of the series in 2006. The series brings live Met performances to more than 2,200 movie theaters and performing arts centers in more than 70 countries.

Complete details, including casting, are available below.

Season at a Glance: The Met: Live in HD 2018-19

The Live in HD season will begin on Saturday, October 6 at 12:55PM with Aida. Future transmissions are as follows: Samson et Dalila (October 20 at 12:55PM); La Fanciulla del West (October 27 at 12:55PM); Marnie (November 10 at 12:55PM); La Traviata (December 15 at 12:55PM); Adriana Lecouvreur (January 12 at 12:55PM); Carmen (February 2 at 12:55PM); La Fille du Régiment (March 2 at 12:55PM); Die Walküre (March 30 at 12PM); and Dialogues des Carmélites (May 11 at 12PM). All ten operas will be Saturday matinee performances, transmitted live from the Met stage. All start times are Eastern Time. Please check local listings for rebroadcast dates and times.

The Met: Live in HD 2018-19 Schedule

Aida (Giuseppe Verdi)
REVIVAL

October 6, 2018 at 12:55PM ET

Conductor: Nicola Luisotti

Production: Sonja Frisell

Set Designer: Gianni Quaranta

Costume Designer: Dada Saligeri

Lighting Designer: Gil Wechsler

Cast: Aida (Anna Netrebko), Amneris (Anita Rachvelishvili), Radamès (Aleksandrs Antonenko), Amonasro (Quinn Kelsey), The King (Ryan Speedo Green)

Soprano Anna Netrebko sings her first Met Aida, with mezzo-soprano Anita Rachvelishvili as her formidable rival Amneris. Aleksandrs Antonenko is the warrior Radamès, and Nicola Luisotti takes the podium for the Met's monumental production.

Samson et Dalila (Camille Saint-Saëns)
NEW PRODUCTION

October 20, 2018 at 12:55PM ET FIRST TIME IN HD

Conductor: Sir Mark Elder

Production: Darko Tresnjak

Set Designer: Alexander Dodge

Costume Designer: Linda J. Cho

Lighting Designer: Donald Holder

Cast: Samson (Roberto Alagna), Dalila (El?na Garan?a), High Priest (Laurent Naouri), Abimélech (Elchin Azizov), The Old Hebrew (Dmitry Belosselskiy)

Saint-Saëns's biblical epic Samson et Dalila stars El?na Garan?a and Roberto Alagna in the title roles; the pair was last seen together by HD audiences in the acclaimed 2010 transmission of Bizet's Carmen. Laurent Naouri co-stars as the High Priest, with Elchin Azizov as the Philistine King Abimélech and Dmitry Belosselskiy as the Old Hebrew. Darko Tresnjak, the Tony Award-winning director of A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder, makes his Met debut directing the first new Met production of the opera in 20 years. Sir Mark Elder conducts.

La Fanciulla del West (Giacomo Puccini) REVIVAL
October 27, 2018 at 12:55PM ET

Conductor: Marco Armiliato

Production: Giancarlo Del Monaco

Set and Costume Designer: Michael Scott

Lighting Designer: Gil Wechsler

Cast: Minnie (Eva-Maria Westbroek), Dick Johnson (Jonas Kaufmann), Nick (Carlo Bosi), Jack Rance (?eljko Lu?i?), Sonora (Michael Todd Simpson), Ashby (Matthew Rose), Jake Wallas (Oren Gradus)

Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings Puccini's gun-slinging heroine in this romantic epic of the Wild West, alongside star tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the role of the outlaw Dick Johnson. Baritone ?eljko Lu?i? is the vigilante sheriff Jack Rance, and Marco Armiliato conducts.

Marnie (Nico Muhly/Libretto Nicholas Wright)
MET PREMIERE PRODUCTION

November 10, 2018 at 12:55PM ET FIRST TIME IN HD

Conductor: Robert Spano

Production: Michael Mayer

Set and Projection Designers: Julian Crouch and 59 Productions

Costume Designer: Arianne Phillips

Lighting Designer: Kevin Adams

Cast: Marnie (Isabel Leonard), Mrs. Rutland (Janis Kelly), Marnie's Mother (Denyce Graves), Terry Rutland (Iestyn Davies), Mark Rutland (Christopher Maltman)

Nico Muhly's Marnie, based on Winston Graham's novel, which in turn inspired Alfred Hitchock's suspenseful thriller, has its U.S. premiere at the Met this season. Isabel Leonard stars in the title role opposite Christopher Maltman as her blackmailing husband Mark Rutland, Iestyn Davies as his brother Terry, Janis Kelly as Mrs. Rutland, and acclaimed mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves as Marnie's mother. Robert Spano makes his company debut conducting.

Marnie is a co-commission and co-production with English National Opera, where the production premiered in 2017.

La Traviata (Giuseppe Verdi) NEW PRODUCTION

December 15, 2018 at 12:55PM ET

Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Production: Michael Mayer

Set Designer: Christine Jones

Costume Designer: Susan Hilferty

Lighting Designer: Kevin Adams

Cast: Violetta Valéry (Diana Damrau), Alfredo Germont (Juan Diego Flórez), Giorgio Germont (Quinn Kelsey)

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts Verdi's timeless tragedy La Traviata. Directed by Michael Mayer, this new production features a dazzling 18th-century setting that changes with the seasons. Diana Damrau is the doomed heroine Violetta, opposite Juan Diego Flórez as her lover, Alfredo, and Quinn Kelsey as Alfredo's protective father, Giorgio Germont.

Adriana Lecouvreur (Francesco Cilea)

NEW PRODUCTION

January 12, 2019 at 12:55PM ET FIRST TIME IN HD

Conductor: Gianandrea Noseda

Production: Sir David McVicar

Set Designer: Charles Edwards

Costume Designer: Brigitte Reiffenstuel

Lighting Designer: Adam Silverman

Cast: Adriana Lecouvreur (Anna Netrebko), The Princess of Bouillon (Anita Rachvelishvili), Maurizio (Piotr Becza?a), The Abbé (Carlo Bosi), Michonnet (Ambrogio Maestri), The Prince of Boullion (Maurizio Muraro)

For the first time at the Met, Anna Netrebko sings the title role of Adriana Lecouvreur, the great 18th-century actress in love with the military hero Maurizio, sung by Piotr Becza?a. Gianandrea Noseda conducts Cilea's tragedy, directed by Sir David McVicar, with the action partially set in a working replica of a Baroque theater. The cast also features Anita Rachvelishvili as the Princess of Bouillon, Adriana's rival for Maurizio's affections; Ambrogio Maestri as Michonnet, Adriana's faithful friend; and Carlo Bosi as the duplicitous Abbé.

Adriana Lecouvreur is a co-production of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; Gran Teatre del Liceu, Barcelona; Wiener Staatsoper; San Francisco Opera; and L'Opéra National de Paris.

Carmen (Georges Bizet)
REVIVAL

February 2, 2019 at 12:55PM ET

Conductor: Louis Langrée

Production: Sir Richard Eyre

Set and Costume Designer: Rob Howell

Lighting Designer: Peter Mumford

Cast: Carmen (Clémentine Margaine), Micaëla (Aleksandra Kurzak), Don José (Roberto Alagna), Escamillo (Alexander Vinogradov)

Clémentine Margaine is opera's ultimate seductress, opposite Roberto Alagna, who captivated Live in HD audiences as Don José in 2010. Louis Langrée conducts Sir Richard Eyre's lively production, a favorite in the Met's repertoire.

La Fille du Régiment (Gaetano Donizetti)
REVIVAL

March 2, 2019 at 12:55PM ET

Conductor: Enrique Mazzola

Production: Laurent Pelly

Set Designer: Chantal Thomas

Costume Designer: Laurent Pelly

Lighting Designer: Joël Adam

Cast: Marie (Pretty Yende), Tonio (Javier Camarena), Marquise of Berkenfield (Stephanie Blythe), Sulpice (Maurizio Muraro)

Bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena team up for a feast of vocal fireworks on the Met stage. Maurizio Muraro is Sergeant Sulplice, with Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield. Enrique Mazzola conducts.

La Fille du Régiment is a co-production of the Metropolitan Opera; the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London; and the Wiener Staatsoper, Vienna.

Die Walküre (Richard Wagner)
REVIVAL

March 30, 2019 at 12 PM ET

Conductor: Philippe Jordan

Production: Robert Lepage

Set Designer: Carl Fillion

Costume Designer: François St-Aubin

Lighting Designer: Etienne Boucher

Cast: Brünnhilde (Christine Goerke), Sieglinde (Eva-Maria Westbroek), Siegmund (Stuart Skelton), Fricka (Jamie Barton), Wotan (Greer Grimsley), Hunding (Günther Groissböck)

The second installment of Wagner's Ring cycle, Die Walküre, stars heroic soprano Christine Goerke as the warrior goddess Brünnhilde, whose encounter with the mortal twins Siegmund and Sieglinde, sung by Stuart Skelton and Eva-Maria Westbroek, leads her on a journey from Valhalla to earthbound humanity. Philippe Jordan conducts.

Dialogues des Carmélites (Francis Poulenc)
REVIVAL / FIRST TIME IN HD

May 11, 2019 at 12PM ET

Conductor: Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Production: John Dexter

Set Designer: David Reppa

Costume Designer: Jane Greenwood

Lighting Designer: Gil Wechsler

Cast: Blanche de la Force (Isabel Leonard), Mme. Lidoine (Adrianne Pieczonka), Constance (Erin Morley), Mère Marie (Karen Cargill), First Prioress (Karita Mattila), Chevalier de la Force (David Portillo), Marquis de la Force (Dwayne Croft)

Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads an accomplished ensemble in Poulenc's devastating modern masterpiece of faith and martyrdom. Isabel Leonard is the young Blanche de La Force, opposite Met legend Karita Mattila as the First Prioress.

HD Live in Schools

The Met's HD Live in Schools program will continue for its 12th season, as the company partners with 48 school districts across the country to bring Live in HD broadcasts to students and teachers. The Met's HD education program also includes backstage visits for students, who learn how costumes and scenery are constructed; Q&As with artists; access to final dress rehearsals; in-school workshops; and teacher training workshops. Program and curriculum guides are created for in-school use in conjunction with HD screenings. Program support for HD Live in Schools is provided through a partnership with the New York City Department of Education.

In the coming season, students will study Samson et Dalila, La Fanciulla del West, Marnie, La Traviata, Carmen, and La Fille du Régiment.

About The Met: Live in HD

The Met: Live in HD series, which now reaches more than 2,200 theaters in more than 70 countries, makes the Met the world's leading provider of alternative cinema content and the only arts institution with an ongoing global series of this scale. When the series launched in 2006, the Met was the first arts company to experiment with alternative cinema content. Since then, the program has grown every season, with more than 24 million tickets sold to date.

The Met: Live in HD series has increased accessibility to Met performances for audiences around the world. With a global average ticket price of $23, the series has made world-class performances accessible to millions of opera lovers each season.

Met stars serve as hosts for the HD series, conducting live interviews with cast, crew, and production teams and introducing popular behind-the-scenes features.

Tickets for the ten transmissions in the 2018-19 Live in HD season will go on sale on July 18, 2018 in the U.S. and Canada, with Met Members offered priority access to tickets before the general public. International ticket sales dates and details on ordering tickets for the 2018-19 Live in HD series vary from country to country and will be announced separately by individual distributors.

The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from its founding sponsor, The Neubauer Family Foundation. Digital support of The Met: Live in HD is provided by Bloomberg Philanthropies. Transmission of The Met: Live in HD in Canada is made possible thanks to the generosity of Jacqueline Desmarais, in memory of Paul G. Desmarais Sr.

Within months of their initial live transmissions, the Live in HD programs are shown on PBS. The PBS series Great Performances at the Met is produced in association with PBS and WNET, with support from Toll Brothers, America's luxury home builder. Additional funding is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts.

For more information about Live in HD, visit http://www.metopera.org/Season/In-Cinemas/.

Photo: A scene from Act 2 of Verdi's "Aida."
Photo by: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera (c) 2005

To post a comment, you must register and login.