Photo by Hiroyuki Ito
Before the Metropolitan Opera opened its 134th season yesterday, the 48th in its current home, there were months of feverish preparations (and a last-minute labor settlement), some of which are well captured in a brief video by The New York Times.
James Levine, 71, following a long period of debilitating illnesses, returned to lead the Met orchestra last year, and he conducted the season-opening Marriage of Figaro on Monday. Ex-Merolina Amanda Majeski made her Met debut as Countess Almaviva.
Some of the Met's long and rich season can actually be seen here in the West (and around the globe); here's the 2014 portion of the Live in HD Series, each simulcast starting at 9:55 a.m. Pacific Time, with encores at 6:30 p.m.:
Verdi, Macbeth — Anna Netrebko, Željko Lucic, Joseph Calleja, René Pape; Fabio Luisi conducts, production by Adrian Noble — Oct. 11, encore on Oct. 15 (running time 3:15).
Mozart, Le Nozze di Figaro — Ildar Abdrazakov, Marlis Petersen, Amanda Majeski, Isabel Leonard, Peter Mattei; James Levine conducts, new production by Richard Eyre — Oct. 18, encore on Oct. 22 (running time 4 hours).
Bizet, Carmen — Anita Rachvelishvili, Aleksandrs Antonenko, Ildar Abdrazakov; Pablo Heras-Casado conducts, production by Eyre — Nov. 1, encore on Nov. 5 (running time 3:40).
Rossini, The Barber of Seville — Isabel Leonard, Lawrence Brownlee, Christopher Maltman; Michele Mariotti conducts; Nov. 22, encore on Nov. 26 (running time 3:25).
Wagner, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg — Johan Reuter, Johan Botha, Annette Dasch; Levine conducts; Dec. 13, starting time at 9 a.m., encore on Dec. 17, still 6:30 p.m. (running time 6 hours).