The Metropolitan Opera & the Opera Club

DEC ’13-MAY: I caught only 15 performances at the Met this year, but they were notable ones with terrific guests, including: a new production of Verdi’s Falstaff with James Levine back in the pit; Renée Fleming in Dvořák’s Rusalka; with Joe & Marney Thomas for Anna Netrebko in Donazetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore; Michael & Adassa Richardson for the new Prince Igor by Borodin; Jonas Kaufmann in the new Werther by Massenet; Tom & Pat Shiah for Levine’s inspired conducting of Berg’s Wozzeck; the new Arabella by Strauss; Carolyn & Kevin McEnery and Margy & Randy Hatch for Puccini’s La Bohème; Joyce DiDonato in Rossini’s La Cenerentola; Newman & Sandy Marsilius for Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

SEP-NOV: The new season began with only a couple of interesting operas because of a threatened strike. Strike averted,
I got to invite Dominie & Adrian Tanovic, in from Copenhagen, with Michael Richardson for the new Le Nozze di Figaro by Mozart with Levine again at the helm; with the Shiahs again for Netrebko in the new Macbeth by Verdi; in white tie & tails with Augusta Riddy and Emily & Richy Petrina for Puccini’s La Bohème again -- always a pleasure, though to see the Met’s last remaining grand Franco Zeffirelli production; Gina & K.S. Liu for Bizet’s Carmen. Operas to get interesting again in 2015.