Lulu With a globally anticipated production of Alban Berg’s Lulu with the great singing-actress Marlis Petersen in the title role and directed by the South African star artist William Kentridge, the Metropolitan Opera “again sets new artistic standards” (Kurier). Kentridge’s production creates an independent work of art that nevertheless always serves the opera. The result is a masterful production, “serious art, on many levels” (The Washington Post). Madama Butterfly
With this transmission the box office in Germany and Austria exceeded for the first time the limit of 1.1 million euro. Nearly 40.000 opera fans came to the movie theaters to witness Kristine Opolais in her heartbreaking interpretation of the title role of Madama Butterfly. Roberto Alagna sings Lieutenant Pinkerton, the callous officer who crushes Butterfly's dreams of love in Anthony Minghella’s critically acclaimed production. Roberto Devereux
For the final opera in Donizetti’s “Tudor trilogy”, the Met has assembled an ideal cast with an insightful conductor, Maurizio Benini: Sondra Radvanovsky “expresses tortured feelings of love with the most delicate phrasing and jealous rage with a fire that can make one tremble” (Huffington Post). Great mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča brings “her sumptuous voice and charisma” (The New York Times) to the role of the retiring, love-struck Sara opposite Matthew Polenzani as the title character. Elektra
In this production of Strauss’s blazing tragedy, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts an extraordinary cast headed by Nina Stemme as the obsessed and bloodthirsty title character: “To call her merely magnetic would be rude, also silly” (Financial Times). Waltraud Meier sings Klytämnestra, Elektra’s mother and the object of her fury, with Adrianne Pieczonka as Elektra’s sister, Chrysothemis and Eric Owens as her exiled brother, Orest. All titles from the “Met live in HD” series are available for TV, distributed by Clasart Classic.