Great Performances at the Met Season 6

Synopsis

The sixth season premieres with Donizetti’s Anna Bolena starring soprano Anna Netrebko. The highlight of the season is Robert Lepage’s acclaimed new production of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen. The season also features new productions of three repertory classics by outstanding directors—Mozart’s Don Giovanni by Michael Grandage, Gounod’s Faust by Des McAnuff, and Massenet’s Manon by Laurent Pelly.

Main Cast

Episodes

Episode 1

20 January 2012 - Anna Bolena

Season 6 opens with Gaetano Donizetti's "Anna Bolena," based on the last days of Anne Boleyn (Anna Netrebko), the second wife of British monarch Henry VIII (Ildar Abdrazakov). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 2

26 February 2012 - Don Giovanni

Baritone Mariusz Kwiecien stars as the serial seducer "Don Giovanni," who swaggers his way to eternal damnation in this production of Mozart's 1787 masterpiece, which costars soprano Barbara Frittoli as the fiery Donna Elvira and tenor Ramón Vargas as the nobleman Don Ottavio. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 3

25 March 2012 - Satyagraha

A performance of Philip Glass' "Satyagraha," about the early years of Mahatma Gandhi (Richard Croft). The production costars Rachelle Durkin, Alfred Walker and Kim Josephson; and features large-scale puppetry and sets made of corrugated metal and newspaper. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 4

22 April 2012 - Rodelinda

Renée Fleming stars in the title role of Handel's "Rodelinda," a baroque opera about a queen and her assumed-dead husband (Andreas Scholl), and the usurper (Joseph Kaiser) who wants Rodelinda for his wife. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 5

13 May 2012 - Faust

A production of Gounod's "Faust" updates the story to the mid-20th century, with Faust (Jonas Kaufmann) now a nuclear scientist who strikes a deal with the devil (René Pape) in order to win the affections of a young woman (Marina Poplavskaya). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 7

17 June 2012 - Ernani

A production of Verdi's "Ernani," about a maiden (Angela Meade) who is romantically pursued by her uncle (Ferruccio Furlanetto), the Spanish king (Dmitri Hvorostovsky) and a bandit (Marcello Giordani). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 8

05 August 2012 - Manon

Soprano Anna Netrebko stars in Jules Massenet's "Manon," about a country girl who, while on her way to a convent, falls for a young man (Piotr Beczala) before succumbing to a promise of a luxurious life offered by a rich nobleman (Christophe Mortagne). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 9

26 August 2012 - La Traviata

Soprano Natalie Dessay stars in Willy Decker's stylized production of Verdi's "La Traviata," about a frail courtesan who sacrifices her happiness in order to spare her beloved (Matthew Polenzani) and his family any strife her reputation could cause them. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

Episode 10

11 September 2012 - Wagner's Ring Cycle: Das Rheingold (The Rhine Gold)

The first opera in Richard Wagner's "Ring" cycle, about a power struggle between gods and mortals over a magic ring, begins with the evil dwarf Alberich (Eric Owens) forging a ring of unimaginable power from gold pilfered from the Rhine. When it's stolen by Wotan (Bryn Terfel), the king of the gods, Alberich curses it so that it brings misery to whoever wears it.

Episode 11

12 September 2012 - Wagner's Ring Cycle: Die Walküre (The Valkyrie)

The second opera in Richard Wagner's "Ring" cycle finds a traveler seeking shelter at the home of a warrior and his wife. When Brünnhilde, the daughter of the god Wotan, intervenes in the earthly affairs that follow, Wotan has little choice but to punish his daughter for her transgression.

Episode 12

13 September 2012 - Wagner's Ring Cycle: Siegfried

The third opera in Richard Wagner's "Ring" cycle finds the young Siegfried being raised by Alberich's conniving brother Mime, who hopes to use the lad to gain possession of the magical ring from the dragon Fafner.

Episode 13

14 September 2012 - Wagner's Ring Cycle: Götterdämmerung (Twilight of the Gods)

In the final installment in Richard Wagner's "Ring" cycle, the love between Siegfried and Brünnhilde is torn asunder by a trio of scheming humans who want the magical ring for themselves.

Crew

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