Opera Abbreviated

Some operas inspire reverence beyond who gets kissed and who gets killed. Francis Poulenc’s The Dialogues of the Carmelites is chief among them.

In 1972, I saw a production of Gaetano Donizetti's opera La Fille du Regiment ("The Daughter of the Regiment"), starring Joan Sutherland and Luciano Pavarotti. And in 1972, there were no two opera singers more famous, more skilled or greater. 

Fifty years ago, a teacher gave me two tickets to see Renata Tebaldi and Franco Corelli in Francesco Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur. 

The Metropolitan Opera's new production of Giuseppe Verdi's La Traviata will be screened live in cinemas worldwide at 1 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 15. Staged by Michael Mayer, the show features sets by Christine Jones and costumes by Susan Hilferty. 

Bring on the dancing. The Metropolitan Opera has a hot new production of Camille Saint-Saens' Samson et Dalila (Samson and Delilah) complete with bacchanal.

The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD presentations, beamed into cinemas worldwide, begins a new season Saturday, Oct. 6. Anna Netrebko stars in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's Aida.

The Metropolitan Opera presents a new production of Jules Massenet's Cendrillon, screened live in HD at movie theaters worldwide at 1 p.m. Saturday, April 28.

The Metropolitan Opera presents Gioachino Rossini's Semiramide, broadcast live from New York in HD to movie theaters worldwide at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10.

Say this title fast three times: Semiramide (She-mir-AH-mee-day).

The Columbus Symphony and Opera Columbus present Giuseppe Verdi's Aida at the Ohio Theatre, at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. Rossen Milanov conducts.

I'm delighted that two fine local artists are playing featured roles: Brian Banion (Ramfis) and Robert Kerr (Pharaoh) — not to mention the superb all-volunteer Columbus Symphony Chorus, conducted by Ronald Jenkins.

This production of Aida will be broadcast at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29 on Classical 101.

Opera Abbreviated is a Classical 101 podcast that previews The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD series of performances beamed into cinemas worldwide.

The Met's new production of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, everyone's favorite operatic potboiler, is the next feature, showing at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27. Staged by David McVicar, the production is conducted by Emmanuel Villaume and stars Sonya Yoncheva, Vittorio Grigolo and  Zelkjo Lucic.

The Metropolitan Opera's next performance of Mozart's Idomeneo will be seen Live in HD in cinemas all over the world at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25.

Opera Abbreviated presents a 10-minute podcast, giving you my take on this great opera seria.

Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco will be transmitted live from the stage of The Metropolitan Opera in New York to movie theaters around the world at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7. James Levine conducts, with Plácido Domingo in the title role.

Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera for the opening of the new opera house at Lincoln Center in 1966. The opera's world premiere, fifty years ago, was reviled by the newspapers and judging from the opening night broadcast, enjoyed by the audience. 

The Metropolitan Opera presents Puccini's Turandot live in HD in movie theaters worldwide on Saturday, January 30th at 1:00 PM. Don't miss Franco Zeffirelli's magnificent production!

The Metropolitan's Opera's live in HD season gets underway this weekend with Giuseppe Verdi's Il trovatore. Opera Abbreviated will be your well-intended-- if cheeky-- guide to the operas on offer by the Met.