Matthew Rose

The Metropolitan Opera: Agrippina

David McVicar, Gary Halvorson

Joyce DiDonato, Nicholas Tamagna

As the imperious title empress, mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato leads the Met premiere of Handel’s tale of deception and deceit. Harry Bicket conducts Sir David McVicar’s wry new production, which gives this Baroque black comedy a politically charged, modern updating.

Met Opera — Donizetti: Maria Stuarda

David McVicar, Gary Halvorson

Joyce DiDonato, Elza van den Heever

Joyce DiDonato gives a sensational performance as Mary, Queen of Scots, in Donizetti’s bel canto drama, opposite Elza van den Heever as Queen Elizabeth. This Live in HD presentation of David McVicar’s acclaimed 2012 production also stars Matthew Polenzani as Leicester, the man caught between the rival queens. Maurizio Benini conducts.

Faust

David McVicar, Robin Lough

Angela Gheorghiu, Roberto Alagna

David McVicar's spectacular production of Charles Gounod’s Faust, featuring a divine cast of opera’s superstars: Roberto Alagna, Angela Gheorghiu, Bryn Terfel, Simon Keenlyside and Sophie Koch – recorded at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 19 June 2004.

Carmen

Jonathan Haswell

Anna Caterina Antonacci, Jonas Kaufmann

Jonas Kaufmann and Anna Caterina Antonacci bring rare erotic intensity to the drama of Don José and Carmen in this darkly passionate reading of one of the most popular operas. Kaufmann uses his burnished tenor and smouldering good looks to portray the man undone by Carmen's love. As the object of his desire, Antonacci gives a physical and compelling performance.

Billy Budd

Michael Grandage

John Mark Ainsley, Michael Wallace

Captain Vere, an old man, is haunted by a moment in his life when he was tested and found wanting. Based on Herman Melville's novella of naval life in the late 18th Century, Benjamin Britten's 'Billy Budd' is a gripping reflection on good and evil, innocence and corruption.

Met Opera Live: Norma

David McVicar, Gary Halvorson

Sondra Radvanovsky, Joyce DiDonato

Deep in a forest where druids and warriors seek revenge against the conquering Romans, Norma is scorned by the Roman proconsul Pollione, with whom she has two children. Her kindness turns to fury when she discovers that Pollione has taken Adalgisa, a novice priestess, as his new lover. When Pollione loses his high rank in the army and is offered as a sacrifice, Norma promises him freedom under one condition.

Acis and Galatea (The Royal Ballet / The Royal Opera)

Jonathan Haswell

Danielle de Niese, Lauren Cuthbertson

The Royal Ballet and the Royal Opera collaborate in Wayne McGregor's production of Handel and Gay's classic opera, in which the nymph Galatea falls in love with a shepherd named Acis.

The Metropolitan Opera: Don Giovanni

Matthew Diamond

Adam Plachetka, Hibla Gerzmava

Simon Keenlyside smolders dangerously in the title role of Mozart’s version of the legend of Don Juan, creating a vivid portrait of a man who is a law unto himself, and all the more dangerous for his eternally seductive allure. Adam Plachetka is his occasionally unruly servant Leporello. It’s when Giovanni tangles with Donna Anna (Hibla Gerzmava) that things start to unravel, aided by the reappearance of Donna Elvira (Malin Byström), who is determined not to let her seducer go. With Paul Appleby as Don Ottavio, Donna Anna’s eternally steadfast fiancé. Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads the Met Orchestra and Chorus.

Donizetti: Poliuto

Mariame Clément, François Roussillon

Michael Fabiano, Ana María Martínez

Glyndebourne has brought to light a long-overlooked winner in Donizetti's Poliuto, delivering a superb musical performance (The Telegraph) offering lucent accounts of the principal roles and an incandescent London Philharmonic Orchestra, under Enrique Mazzola (New York Times). This first-ever professional UK staging of the story of third-century Armenian martyr St Polyeuctus features a trio of world-class young singers with Beverly Sills- and Richard Tucker-award-winning Fabiano displaying a thrilling, vibrant tone in the title role, Martínez providing Paolina with pinging coloratura and Golovatenko giving a radiant-toned voice to Severo (The Guardian )

The Rake's Progress

Miah Persson, Topi Lehtipuu

The devil is hard at work in Stravinsky’s The Rake’s Progress! The three-act opera was premiered at Venice’s La Fenice in 1951 and is whimsically staged and performed in this production from the 2010 Glyndebourne opera festival.

Met Opera Live: Puccini's La Fanciulla del West

Gary Halvorson

Eva-Maria Westbroek, Jonas Kaufmann

Soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek sings Puccini’s gun-slinging heroine in this romantic epic of the Wild West, with the heralded return of tenor Jonas Kaufmann in the role of the outlaw she loves. Tenor Yusif Eyvazov also sings some performances. Baritone Željko Lučić is the vigilante sheriff Jack Rance, and Marco Armiliato conducts.

Puccini: La bohème

Franco Zeffirelli, Matthew Diamond

Sonya Yoncheva, Michael Fabiano

Puccini’s timeless love story, which includes some of its composer’s most beloved music, has moved generations of opera lovers since its 1896 world premiere. It has also proved incredibly popular with the Met’s global HD audiences and has been featured in three live high-definition transmissions since 2008. The most recent, presented during the 2017–18 season, includes a cast of celebrated young artists. Soprano Sonya Yoncheva is the fragile seamstress Mimì, who instantly falls in love with the passionate poet Rodolfo, sung by tenor Michael Fabiano. Soprano Susanna Phillips and baritone Lucas Meachem trade both spars and kisses as the on-again-off-again lovers Musetta and Marcello, with bass Matthew Rose and baritone Alexey Lavrov rounding out the rambunctious gang of bohemian friends. Maestro Marco Armiliato takes the podium to lead Franco Zeffirelli’s picturesque staging.

Poliuto

Mariame Clément

Michael Fabiano, Ana María Martínez

New production. UK professional premiere May 21, 2015. Live from Glyndebourne.