Metropolitan Opera announces 2003-2004 Season
Lucio PERES
COMPANY PREMIERE OF "BENVENUTO CELLINI,"
NEW PRODUCTIONS OF "LA JUIVE,""DON GIOVANNI," AND "SALOME"
THREE COMPLETE "RING" CYCLES
DURING 32-WEEK SEASON
The Metropolitan Opera premiere of Hector Berlioz' "Benvenuto
Cellini," new productions of Fromental Halévy's "La Juive," Wolfgang
Amadeus Mozart's "Don Giovanni" and Richard Strauss' "Salome," and
three complete "Ring" cycles highlight the repertory for the
Metropolitan Opera's 32-week 2003-2004 season, announced today by
Joseph Volpe, general manager, and James Levine, artistic director.
The Metropolitan Opera continues its two-season-long commemoration of
the 200th anniversary of the birth of Hector Berlioz with the company
premiere of "Benvenuto Cellini" on December 4, 2003. Maestro Levine
conducts, with Isabel Bayrakdarian as Teresa, Kristine Jepson as
Ascanio, Marcello Giordani in the title role, Alan Opie as Fieramosca,
John Del Carlo as Giacomo Balducci, and Robert Lloyd as Pope Clement
VII. The production is directed by Andrei Serban in his Metropolitan
Opera debut, with sets designed by George Tsypin, costumes designed by
Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili, lighting designed by James F. Ingalls, and
choreography by Nikolaus Wolcz in his Met debut.
"La Juive" returns to the repertory on November 6, 2003, for its first
performance by the company since the 1935-36 season. Soile Isokoski is
Rachel, Elizabeth Futral is Princess Eudoxie, Neil Shicoff is Eléazar,
Eric Cutler is Léopold, Ferruccio Furlanetto is Cardinal Brogni, and
Marcello Viotti conducts. The production is from the Vienna State
Opera, and making their Met debuts will be the director Günter Krämer,
the set designer Gottfried Pilz, and the costume designer Isabel Ines
Glathar. The lighting will be designed by Wayne Chouinard.
James Levine conducts the premiere of the new production of "Don
Giovanni" on March 1, 2004, with Thomas Hampson in the title role,
Anja Harteros as Donna Anna, Christine Goerke as Donna Elvira,
Hei-Kyung Hong as Zerlina, Gregory Turay as Don Ottavio, René Pape as
Leporello, Ildar Abdrazakov in his company debut as Masetto, and
Phillip Ens as the Commendatore. Director Marthe Keller makes her
company debut with the production, with sets designed by Michael
Yeargan and lighting designed by Jean Kalman.
Valery Gergiev, principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera,
is on the podium for the new production of "Salome," opening on March
15, 2004. Karita Mattila takes the title role, with Larissa Diadkova
as Herodias, Siegfried Jerusalem as Herod, Matthew Polenzani as
Narraboth, and Albert Dohmen in his company debut as Jochanaan. The
production is by Jürgen Flimm, with sets and costumes designed by
Santo Loquasto, lighting designed by James F. Ingalls, and
choreography by Doug Varone.
The 2003-2004 season opens on September 29, 2003, with Renée Fleming
singing Violetta in "La Traviata" for the first time at the Met.
Maestro Gergiev conducts with Ramón Vargas as Alfredo and Dmitri
Hvorostovsky as Germont.
"Stravinsky," a triple-bill of works by Igor Stravinsky last performed
by the Metropolitan Opera during the 1983-84 season, returns to the
repertory on October 4, 2003, conducted by Maestro Gergiev. Unique to
the Met, this production is by John Dexter with sets and costumes by
David Hockney, and consists of the ballet Le Sacre du Printemps with
new choreography by Doug Varone, the "lyric tale" Le Rossignol, and
the opera-oratorio Oedipus Rex. Among the cast will be singers Olga
Trifonova, Stephanie Blythe, Robert Gambill, Barry Banks, and Evgenij
Nikitin, and dancers Julie Kent and Damian Woetzel.
Notable among revivals are Strauss' "Die Frau ohne Schatten," in the
production by Herbert Wernicke introduced during the 2001-02 season,
with Deborah Voigt as the Empress, Deborah Polaski as the Dyer's Wife,
Richard Margison as the Emperor, Wolfgang Brendel as Barak, and
Philippe Auguin conducting. Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov" returns for
the first time in six years, with James Morris in the title role,
Irina Mishura as Princess Marina, Sergej Larin as Dimitri, and Semyon
Bychkov who makes his Met debut conducting. Wagner's "Tristan und
Isolde" returns to the repertoire for the first time in four years
with James Levine conducting, Ben Heppner and Jane Eaglen in the title
roles, Katarina Dalayman as Brangäne, Richard Paul Fink as Kurwenal,
and René Pape as King Marke. Also returning are Schoenberg's "Moses
und Aron" with Maestro Levine on the podium and John Tomlinson and
Philip Langridge; Massenet's "Werther" with Roberto Alagna in the
title role, Vesselina Kasarova as Charlotte, and Michel Plasson
conducting; Rossini's "L'Italiana in Algeri" with Olga Borodina and
Juan Diego Flórez as Isabella and Lindoro; Tchaikovsky's "The Queen of
Spades" with Plácido Domingo as Ghermann; and Dvorák's "Rusalka" with
Renée Fleming in the title role.
The "Ring" cycles will be conducted by James Levine with leading roles
sung by Jane Eaglen, Lisa Gasteen, Yvonne Naef, Gabriele Schnaut,
Deborah Voigt, Elena Zaremba, Plácido Domingo, Richard Paul Fink,
Sergei Koptchak, Philip Langridge, Evgenij Nikitin, James Morris,
Matti Salminen, and Gerhard Siegel in his Metropolitan Opera debut.
Additional revivals heard during the season are Lehár's "The Merry
Widow" with Susan Graham and Bo Skovhus; Mozart's "Le Nozze di
Figaro"; Puccini's "La Bohème," "Madama Butterfly," and "Tosca";
Rossini's "Il Barbiere di Siviglia"; and Verdi's "Nabucco" and
"Rigoletto."
Among those making debuts during the season are Antonino Siragusa as
Count Almaviva in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia," Julia Juon and Jane
Henschel as the Nurse in "Die Frau ohne Schatten," Marco Berti as
Pinkerton in "Madama Butterfly," Anja Harteros as the Countess,
Dorothea Röschmann as Susanna and Magdalena Kozená as Cherubino in "Le
Nozze di Figaro," Adrianne Pieczonka as Lisa in "The Queen of Spades,"
Ines Salazar in the title role of "Tosca," and Rolando Villazon as
Alfredo in "La Traviata."
Also heard during the season are Samuel Ramey as Scarpia in "Tosca";
Bryn Terfel as Jochanaan in "Salome"; Dwayne Croft as the Count in "Le
Nozze di Figaro" and Figaro in "Il Barbiere di Siviglia"; Andrea
Gruber and Maria Guleghina as Abigaille, and Leo Nucci and Mark
Delavan as Nabucco in "Nabucco"; Richard Leech as Pinkerton in "Madama
Butterfly"; John Relyea as Figaro in "Le Nozze di Figaro"; Andrea Rost
as Gilda, Frank Lopardo as the Duke, and Juan Pons in the title role
of "Rigoletto"; Ruth Ann Swenson as Gilda in "Rigoletto" and Rosina in
"Il Barbiere di Siviglia"; Veronica Villarroel as Cio-Cio-San in
"Madama Butterfly"; and Dolora Zajick as Jezibaba and Willard White as
the Water-Gnome in "Rusalka."
Complete repertoire and casting for the 2003-2004 season follow:
METROPOLITAN OPERA PREMIERE
BENVENUTO CELLINI: James Levine; Isabel Bayrakdarian, Kristine
Jepson/Katharine Goeldner, Marcello Giordani/Jianyi Zhang, Alan
Opie/Peter Coleman-Wright, John Del Carlo/Richard Bernstein, Robert
Lloyd/Eric Halfvarson
Dec. 4, 8, 12, 15, 18, 24, 27 mat, Jan. 1
NEW PRODUCTIONS
LA JUIVE: Marcello Viotti; Soile Isokoski, Elizabeth Futral/Olga
Makarina, Neil Shicoff, Eric Cutler/Jianyi Zhang, Ferruccio Furlanetto
Nov. 6, 10, 14, 20, Dec. 5, 9, 13 mat, 19
DON GIOVANNI: James Levine/Gareth Morrell/Andrew Davis; Anja
Harteros/Alexandra Deshorties, Christine Goerke/Solveig Kringelborn,
Hei-Kyung Hong/Nicole Heaston/Camilla Tilling, Gregory Turay/Matthew
Polenzani, Thomas Hampson/Peter Mattei, René Pape/Michele Pertusi,
Ildar Abdrazakov*/Patrick Carfizzi/Richard Bernstein, Phillip
Ens/Stephen West/Sergei Koptchak
Mar. 1, 5, 9, 13 mat, 16, 20, 24, 27, Apr. 15, 19, 21, 24, 28, May 1
mat, 7
SALOME: Valery Gergiev; Karita Mattila/Sue Patchell, Larissa
Diadkova/Victoria Livengood, Siegfried Jerusalem, Matthew Polenzani,
Albert Dohmen*/Bryn Terfel
Mar. 15, 19, 23, 27 mat, 31, Apr. 3, 7, 10
REPERTORY
IL BARBIERE DI SIVIGLIA: Bruno Campanella; Susanne Mentzer/Paula
Almerares/Ruth Ann Swenson/Theodora Hanslowe, Antonino Siragusa*/Juan
Diego Flórez, Russell Braun/Dwayne Croft, John Del Carlo/Alfonso
Antoniozzi*, Vladimir Ognovenko/Erwin Schrott
Oct. 20, 24, 27, 30, Nov. 1, 4, 8, 13, Dec. 17, 20, 26, 30, Jan. 3
mat, 8
LA BOHÈME: Daniel Oren; Hei-Kyung Hong/Elena Evseeva/Cristina
Gallardo-Domas, Zvetelina Vassileva/Emily Pulley, Roberto
Aronica/Aquiles Machado*/Vincenzo La Scola, Richard Zeller/Mariusz
Kwiecien
Oct. 18 mat, 22, 25, 28, 31, Nov. 3, 7, 12, 15 mat, 18, 22, 25, 28,
Dec. 1
BORIS GODUNOV: Semyon Bychkov*; Irina Mishura/Mzia Nioradze, Sergej
Larin, David Kuebler, Sergei Leiferkus/Yuri Nechaev*, James Morris,
Vladimir Matorin*, Vladimir Ognovenko/Paul Plishka
Jan. 23, 27, 31 mat, Feb. 3, 6, 10, 14
DIE FRAU OHNE SCHATTEN: Philippe Auguin; Deborah Voigt/Sue Patchell,
Deborah Polaski/Audrey Stottler, Julia Juon*/Jane Henschel*, Richard
Margison/John Horton Murray, Wolfgang Brendel, Mark Delavan
Nov. 17, 21, 24, 29 mat, Dec. 3, 6 mat, 10, 13
L'ITALIANA IN ALGERI: James Levine; Olga Borodina, Juan Diego
Flórez/Barry Banks, Earle Patriarco, Mariusz Kwiecien/Patrick
Carfizzi, Ferruccio Furlanetto/Simone Alaimo
Feb. 13, 16, 20, 25, 28 mat, Mar. 4, 8, 11, 17
MADAMA BUTTERFLY: Plácido Domingo/Julius Rudel; Veronica
Villarroel/Cynthia Lawrence/Cristina Gallardo-Domas, Marco
Berti*/Richard Leech/Eduardo Villa, Bruno Caproni/Louis Otey/Dwayne
Croft/Kim Josephson
Jan. 12, 16, 20, 24 mat. 28, 31, Mar. 25, 30, Apr. 2, 8, 13, 16
THE MERRY WIDOW: Kyrill Petrenko*; Susan Graham/Sally Burgess,
Jennifer Welch-Babidge, Bo Skovhus, Paul Groves, James Courtney
Dec. 22, 27, 29, 31, Jan. 3, 7, 10, 14, 17 mat.
MOSES UND ARON: James Levine; Philip Langridge, John Tomlinson
Dec. 16, 20 mat, 23
NABUCCO: Carlo Rizzi; Andrea Gruber/Susan Neves/Maria Guleghina,
Marina Domashenko/Elizabeth Bishop, Gwyn Hughes Jones/Jianyi Zhang,
Leo Nucci/Mark Delavan, Samuel Ramey
Apr. 5, 10 mat, 14, 17, 20, 23
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO: James Levine/Scott Bergeson; Anja
Harteros*/Alexandra Deshorties/Hei-Kyung Hong, Dorothea
Röschmann*/Korliss Uecker, Katarina Karnéus/Jossie Pérez/Magdalena
Kozená*/Katharine Goeldner, Dwayne Croft, John Relyea/Ferruccio
Furlanetto
Oct. 1, 4, 7, 10, 15, 18, Nov. 19, 22 mat, 26, 29, Dec. 2, 6, 11
DER RING DES NIBELUNGEN: James Levine; Jane Eaglen/Gabriele Schnaut,
Deborah Voigt/Lisa Gasteen, Margaret Jane Wray, Yvonne Naef, Elena
Zaremba/Jill Grove, Plácido Domingo, Jon Fredric West, Philip
Langridge, Mark Baker, Gerhard Siegel*/David Cangelosi*, Alan Held,
James Morris, Richard Paul Fink, Evgenij Nikitin, Sergei Koptchak,
Matti Salminen
CYCLE I: Broadcast Cycle: Mar. 20 mat, April 3 mat, 17 mat, 24 mat
CYCLE II: Apr. 26, 27, 29, May 1
CYCLE III: May 3, 4, 6, 8
DAS RHEINGOLD: Apr. 22
DIE WALKÜRE: Mar. 29, Apr. 12
THE QUEEN OF SPADES: Vladimir Jurowski; Katarina Dalayman/Adrianne
Pieczonka*, Elena Zaremba, Felicity Palmer, Plácido Domingo, Nikolai
Putilin/Frederick Burchinal, Vladimir Chernov/Dmitri Hvorostovsky
Feb. 7, 11, 14 mat, 17, 21, 24, 27, Mar. 3
RIGOLETTO: Marco Armiliato; Andrea Rost/Olga Makarina/Ruth Ann
Swenson, Marina Domashenko*/Mzia Nioradze/Irina Mishura, Frank
Lopardo/Ramón Vargas, Juan Pons/Frederick Burchinal/Franz Grundheber,
Julian Konstantinov*/Rosendo Flores/Stephen Milling*
Jan. 5, 9, 13, 17, 21, 24, 29, Feb. 4, 7 mat, Mar. 12, 18, 22, 26,
Apr. 1, 6, 9
RUSALKA: Andrew Davis; Renée Fleming, Eva Urbanová, Dolora Zajick,
Sergej Larin, Willard White
Apr. 30, May 5, 8 mat
STRAVINSKY:
LE SACRE DU PRINTEMPS: Valery Gergiev; Metropolitan Opera Ballet
LE ROSSIGNOL: Valery Gergiev; Olga Trifonova/Olga Makarina, Julie
Kent*, Barry Banks, Damian Woetzel
OEDIPUS REX: Valery Gergiev; Stephanie Blythe, Robert Gambill/Clifton
Forbis, Barry Banks, Evgenij Nikitin, Eric Halfvarson/Phillip Ens
Oct. 4 mat, 9, 13, 16, 23, Feb. 18, 21 mat.
TOSCA: John Fiore; Ines Salazar*/Cynthia Lawrence/Daniela Dessì,
Franco Farina/Francisco Casanova/Fabio Armiliato, Samuel Ramey
Jan. 26, 30, Feb. 2, 5, 9, 12, 19, 23, 26, Mar. 6, 10, 13
LA TRAVIATA: Valery Gergiev/Paul Nadler; Renée Fleming/Ruth Ann
Swenson, Ramón Vargas/Rolando Villazon*, Dmitri Hvorostovsky/Bruno
Caproni/Dwayne Croft
Sept. 29, Oct. 2, 8, 11, 17, 21, 25 mat. 29, Nov. 1 mat, 5, 8 mat, 11,
15, Feb. 28, Mar. 2, 6 mat.
TRISTAN UND ISOLDE: James Levine; Jane Eaglen, Katarina Dalayman, Ben
Heppner, Richard Paul Fink/Greer Grimsley, René Pape
Sept. 30, Oct. 3, 6, 11 mat, 14
WERTHER: Michel Plasson; Lyubov Petrova, Vesselina Kasarova, Roberto
Alagna, Christopher Schaldenbrand/John Hancock, Paul Plishka/Thomas
Hammons
Jan. 2, 6, 10 mat, 15, 19, 22
* Debut
Monday, March 10, 2003