Images from the Met's productions of Medea, La Traviata, and The Champion (Photos courtesy of Met Opera) — Images from the Met’s productions of Medea, La Traviata, and Champion (Photos courtesy of Met Opera)

For opera fans who love to attend live performances but are not within easy travelling distance to an opera house, the Met Live in HD has been a wonderful alternative since its inception in December 2006. The largest and arguably the most prestigious opera company in North America, the Met offers a delectable lineup of great operas each season.

Experiencing these real-time transmissions in the movie theatre is almost as good as being there. Since 2006, almost 30 million Met Live in HD tickets have been sold. This season, the Met is taking it one step further. The Met is launching a new streaming platform, making live simulcasts available to home audiences.

According to a media release, “Using location services technology and geo-fencing, the streams will be available to opera-lovers and newcomers alike in the United States and Canada who do not live near movie theatres that carry the Met’s transmissions. In countries that do not have participating cinemas, the live programs will be available
nationwide.”

The Details

This is truly wonderful news for opera fans. This initiative expands the reach to 171 countries and territories, in addition to the more than 50 countries with some 2,000 cinemas currently receiving the Live in HD transmissions.
The price of the Live at Home transmissions, which include unlimited free viewings during a seven-day window, will be either $10 or $20, depending on the country.

There is a caveat — for viewers in US and Canada, Live at Home access is only possible if you live more than 15 miles away from a Met Live in HD cinema. I am told that this new geotargeting technology can even render VPN useless.

Tickets will be available for sale starting October 17.
The 2022-23 season starts on October 22.
All performances begin at 12:55 p.m. Saturdays, New York time.
Encore performances will be available and more information can be found on the Cineplex website here.
For the list of countries with access to these transmissions, see here.

The Operas

Cherubini: Medea (October 22)

A co-production with Greek National Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, and the Canadian Opera, it stars the fabulous Canadian/American soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in the title role. Few singers dare to challenge the fabled Maria Callas in this role, but Radvanovsky had a huge success on opening night. Tenor Matthew Polenzani is Giasone, with a great supporting cast of soprano Janai Brugger (Glauce), bass Michele Pertusi (Creonte), and mezzo Ekaterina Gubanova (Neris). Carlo Rizzi conducts. Talk about starting off the series with a bang!

Verdi: La Traviata (November 5)

Michael Mayer’s new production has replaced the much-loved Zeffirelli production. In fact, the tendency of phasing out super-realism in opera productions has finally hit the Met. Nadine Sierra is Violetta; opposite her is the Alfredo of tenor Stephen Costello. Papa Germont is Luca Salsi, with Daniele Callegari on the podium.

Puts: The Hours (December 10)

Several major points of interest in this show. Renée Fleming fans will rejoice in her coming out of retirement to return to the Met in this operatic version of Michael Cunningham’s novel, which previously had been made into a movie starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman. Now it’s composer Kevin Puts’s turn. It’s a story of “three women from different eras who each grapple with their inner demons and their roles in society,” according to the Met’s description. Joining Fleming are Kelli O’Hara and Joyce DiDonato. Canadian and Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.

Giordano: Fedora (January 14)

Giordano’s other opera, Fedora, is not often performed, so this is a rare chance to catch this work. Bulgarian soprano Sonya Yoncheva sings Fedora, a Russian princess who falls in love with her fiancé’s murderer, Count Loris, sung by Polish tenor Piotr Beczała. Soprano Rosa Feola is the Countess Olga, Fedora’s confidante, and baritone Artur Ruciński is the diplomat De Siriex. Italian conductor Marco Armiliato is on the podium.

Wagner: Lohengrin (March 18)

A revival after an absence of a long 17 years, this new Lohengrin is directed by Canadian François Girard, and conducted by fellow Canuck Yannick Nézet-Séguin. Polish tenor Piotr Beczala is Lohengrin, opposite the Elsa of Tamara Wilson, well known and loved by Toronto opera audiences. Soprano Christine Goerke takes on the mezzo villainess Ortrud. This fantastic cast also stars bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin (Telramund) and bass Günther Groissböck (Heinrich). Not to be missed.

Verdi: Falstaff (April 1)

Verdi’s last opera and considered by many to be his greatest. German baritone Michael Volle is Falstaff, in one of his rare outings in a comedic role. Daniele Rustioni conducts a fabulous cast that also includes Korean soprano Hera Hyesang Park as Nannetta. Park won the Montreal Vocal Competition a few years ago and has gone on to a big career. Ailyn Perez (Alice Ford), Christopher Maltman (Ford), and Canadian mezzo Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Dame Quickly).

Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier (April 15)

This great Richard Strauss opera stars sensational Norwegian soprano Lise Davidsen as the Marschallin, opposite mezzo Isabel Leonard in her Met role debut as Octavian. Soprano Erin Morley sings Sophie. Bass Günther Groissböck returns as Baron Ochs. Maestra Simone Young conducts. Production by Canadian director Robert Carsen.

Blanchard: Champion (April 29)

Following his triumph in Fire Shut Up in My Bones, composer Terence Blanchard brings Champion to the Met, starring African American bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green as the young boxer Emile Griffith, who rises from obscurity to become a world champion. Bass-baritone Eric Owens portrays older Griffith. Soprano Latonia Moore is Emelda Griffith, the boxer’s estranged mother, and mezzo Stephanie Blythe is the bar owner Kathy Hagan. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. Stage director is James Robinson, who also directed Fire Shut Up in My Bones two seasons ago.

Mozart: Don Giovanni (May 20)

A new production directed by Tony Award–winning director Ivo van Hove in his Met debut. Well known mezzo Nathalie Stutzmann has switched to conducting these days, and this is her Met conducting debut. Baritone Peter Mattei is Don Giovanni, his sidekick Leporello is Czech bass-baritone Adam Plachetka. The three women are Federica Lombardi (Donna Anna), Ana María Martínez (Donna Elvira), and Ying Fang (Zerlina). Tenor Ben Bliss sings Don Ottavio.

Mozart: Die Zauberflöte (June 3)

Nathalie Stutzmann conducts a new production of Die Zauberflöte, by director Simon McBurney in his Met debut. Terrific cast, with soprano Erin Morley (Pamina), tenor Lawrence Brownlee (Tamino), baritone Thomas Oliemans (Papageno), soprano Kathryn Lewek (Queen of the Night), and bass Stephen Milling (Sarastro).

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Joseph So

Joseph So is Professor Emeritus at Trent University and Associate Editor of Opera Canada.He is also a long-time contributor to La Scena Musicale and Opera (London, UK). His interest in music journalism focuses on voice, opera as well as symphonic and piano repertoires. He appears regularly as a panel member of the Big COC Podcast.He has co-edited a book, Opera in a Multicultural World: Coloniality, Culture, Performance, published by Routledge (Taylor & Francis Group).

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