{"id":99764,"date":"2023-10-20T15:18:43","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T19:18:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=99764"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:18:43","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T19:18:43","slug":"preview-met-live-hd-2023-24-season-brings-opera-screen-october-2023-june-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2023\/10\/20\/preview-met-live-hd-2023-24-season-brings-opera-screen-october-2023-june-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"PREVIEW | Met Live in HD 2023-24 Season Brings Opera To The Screen October 2023 To June 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Image courtesy of Met Live in HD<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

For opera lovers who don\u2019t live in a big city with an opera company, the Metropolitan Opera\u2019s Live in HD is a Godsend. It all began on December 30, 2006, as part of its effort to attract new audiences and improve its bottom line, the Met broadcast a series of six performances live to select movie theatres in the States and in Canada.<\/p>\n

I have very fond memories of seeing that abridged version of The Magic Flute in the cinema – what marvellous sets, and whimsical costumes for all the characters, human and otherwise! Gary Halvorson directed the wonderful American tenor Matthew Polenzani and the Chinese soprano Ying Huang as the young lovers Tamino and Pamina. This abridged version is still revived at Christmas time.<\/p>\n

Many of the live transmissions were later rebroadcast through the PBS television network as part of the Great Performances at the Met series. That said, seeing it live, in real time, is a luxury for those of us not able to travel to New York to see it. At $28 ($25 for seniors) a Cineplex ticket, it is a fraction of what one would have to pay in-person, yet you still get all the excitement. There are also encores. Details here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The 2023-24 season Met HD lineup has nine operas, always the Saturday matin\u00e9e performance starting at 12:55 pm, unless otherwise noted. Encore times vary, do consult the website. The season begins on October 21 with Jake Heggie\u2019s Dead Man Walking, and ends with Madama Butterfly on May 11.<\/p>\n

A few observations. At nine operas, it\u2019s one shorter than the last couple of seasons. For the first time in memory, there are three contemporary works in a single season, ie. Dead Man Walking, X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, and Florencia en el Amazonas. It\u2019s a sign that the notably tradition-bound Met Opera is changing. The casting also shifts to include more artists of colour, while not sacrificing the all-important musical and artistic excellence.
\nWith such a short season, notably there\u2019s no German opera, and no Mozart! Here\u2019s my personal take on this year\u2019s offerings. No matter what\u2019s your preference, you can be sure it\u2019ll be opera at the highest level, always an experience to cherish:<\/p>\n

Dead Man Walking (Heggie) October 21, 2023 (Encore: November 4, 2023)<\/h3>\n

The Jake Heggie opera is touted as the most performed 21st century opera. The story is well known in popular culture, thanks to the movie starring Susan Sarandon. Heggie\u2019s opera is tonal and accessible. You won\u2019t leave the cinema humming a tune, but the work is deeply moving. It\u2019s based on Sister Helen Prejean\u2019s book about her attempt to save the soul of Joseph De Rocher, a murderer on death row. I saw it at Opera Montreal some years ago with mezzo Allyson McHardy and baritone Etienne Dupuis, and it moved me to tears. Met Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts, with an exceptional cast of Joyce DiDonato (Sister Helen Prejean), Ryan McKinney (De Rocher), and Susan Graham, the original Sister Prejean, now singing the role of De Rocher\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s Joyce DiDonato singing Sister Helen\u2019s heartfelt Act 1 aria:<\/p>\n