The Metropolitan Opera introduced immediately its 2026-27 season. A fast look over the small print prompts me to search out all of it in all a pleasing shock.
When the corporate lately disclosed particulars of its dire monetary standing, it talked about that it was suspending its deliberate new manufacturing of Mussorgsky’s Khovanshchina, so there can be simply 5 new productions starting with a brand new Macbeth on Opening Night time directed by Louisa Proske starring Lise Davidsen in her first staged Woman conspiring with Quinn Kelsey. The pair will preview their collaboration in Could with two live performance performances underneath Sir Antonio Pappano in Copenhagen.
As I really like Puccini’s greatest (?) opera, I’m excited that Sondra Radvanovsky will undertake what she has mentioned can be her remaining new function when the Met mounts a brand new La fanciulla del West for her co-starring SeokJong Baek and Christopher Maltman, performed by Keri-Lynn Wilson. Richard Jones’s manufacturing was as soon as scheduled for the Detroit Opera however canceled there attributable to that firm’s rocky funds.
On Could 25, an all-star gala will have fun 60 years at Lincoln Middle and earlier within the season Asmik Grigorian will sing a recital accompanied by a piano-duo. Claus Guth’s manufacturing of Janacek’s wonderful Jenufa involves the Met after performances in London and Chicago, performed by Tomas Hanus with Grigorian and Nina Stemme heading an outstanding forged that additionally consists of Allan Clayton and Sean Panikkar.
I eagerly anticipating the primary opera by Missy Mazzoli to come back to the Met; will probably be the world premiere of Lincoln on the Bardo based mostly on the novel by George Saunders. Director Lileana Blain-Cruz’s forged can be headed by Peter Mattei within the title function and Christine Goerke as The Reverend.
Kevin Places’s standard 2011 Silent Night time will come to the Met from the Houston Grand Opera in a James Robinson manufacturing which premiered there simply final month. Its eclectic stellar forged consists of Elza van den Heever, Ben Bliss, Rolando Villazon, Kyle Ketelsen and tenor Ben Reisinger who lately gained the Hildegard Behrens Basis Award. Dalia Stasevska in her Met debut conducts.
As somebody who went bonkers over Elina Garanca’s Amneris, I’m thrilled to notice that she can be bringing her Kundry to New York when François Girard’s Parsifal returns as soon as once more with the wonderful Mattei as Amfortas. The title function can be taken by Piotr Beczala whose latest Met historical past has been clouded by pressure and sickness however this Wagner half ought to go well with him admirably. Jongmin Park, who has sung eighteen Collines with the Met since 2019, jumps into the highlight as Gurnemanz whereas Ryan Speedo Inexperienced repeats Klingsor, a task with which he had nice success on the Glyndebourne Pageant.
In addition to Lincoln and Parsifal, YNS additionally leads Der Rosenkavalier whereas Principal Visitor Conductor Daniele Rustioni in control of simply Otello, Tosca and Bohème revivals.
The season’s different German opera can be Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier with Rachel Willis-Sørensen, Emily D’Angelo, and Ying Fang having to cope with the inevitable Günther Groissböck.
Nineteenth century French opera can be represented by Massenet’s Manon starring Nadine Sierra reverse not the anticipated Benjamin Bernheim however veteran Matthew Polenzani as her Des Grieux. Darko Tresnjak‘s garish Samson et Dalila manufacturing returns with the doubtless thrilling pairing of Aigul Ackmetshina and debuting Clay Hilley within the title roles with Kelsey taking up the Grand-Priest for the primary time.
Having impressed audiences as Donna Anna, the Countess and Elettra, Federica Lombardi provides Fiordiligi to her Met Mozart roles when the corporate’s extensively disliked Coney Island manufacturing of Così fan Tutte returns with Samantha Hankey as Dorabella and Ana Maria Martinez‘s Despina plotting with Gerald Finley‘s Don Alfonso.
The annual vacation run of Julie Taymor’s Magic Flute manufacturing permits Kathryn Lewek the chance to sing Pamina for a change in addition to a number of extra Queens of the Night time and Musetta.
Two runs of Otello embody Michael Fabiano and Angel Blue making Met function debuts together with Amartushvin Enhkbat as Iago. Brian Jagde who first sang the title function of Otello in Madrid this season brings his Moor to the Met for the opera’s first performances there since 2019 partnered with Ailyn Pérez and Artur Rucinski performed by Mario Mariotti who has been absent from the Met since 2015. Quite a few performances of Michael Mayer’s Aida will function shock return of Judit Katasi as Amneris and Anna Pirozzi and Leah Hawkins sharing the title function with Angel Blue. Michael Fabiano sings Radames for the primary time with the corporate.
Bel canto is represented by a revival of Sir David McVicar’s manufacturing of Maria Stuarda with Lisette Oropesa and Angela Meade featured in its central cat-fight. And the wildly uneven Sonia Yoncheva sang Cherubini’s Médée in its authentic French model on the Berlin Staatsoper. However for the Met she’ll flip to the yukky 19th century Italian adaption during which she’ll homicide Michael Spyres‘s youngsters.
Umpteen performances of Puccini’s La Bohème and Tosca will function numerous forged adjustments and embody notable debuts by Erika Grimaldi as Mimi, Saoia Hernandez and Natalya Romaniw as Tosca, Gabriele Viviani as Scarpia. And but extra Stephen Costello Rodolfos!
Along with Parsifal, I’m most keen to search out out whether or not I’ll like Silent Night time greater than I did the composer’s The Hours and to expertise my first Mazzoli work in individual. I’m going to essentially miss Khovanshchina and pray that Simon McBurney’s manufacturing can be shortly rescheduled. Jenufa is a favourite opera and Janacek has been absent too lengthy from the Met and the doubtless electrical pairing of Grigorian and Stemme may very well be actually thrilling. I really like Macbeth and actually stay up for Davidsen and Kelsey.
What’s unmissable for you subsequent season at Lincoln Middle?
Christopher Corwin
Christopher Corwin started writing for parterre field in 2011 underneath the pen title “DeCaffarrelli.” His work has additionally appeared in , The New York Instances, Musical America, The Observer, San Francisco Classical Voice and BAMNotes. Like many, he got here to opera through the Saturday Met Opera broadcasts which he started listening to at age 11. His explicit enthusiasm is seventeenth and 18th century opera. Since 2015 he has curated the weekly podcast Trove Thursday on parterre field presenting reside recordings.
