He thrilled our audiences as the four villains in The Tales of Hoffmann in his 2012 COC debut and he will make a welcome return to the COC in a high-profile role in a future season. Appearing alongside her as the Water Gnome is the great Canadian bass-baritone John Relyea, one of the opera world’s most in-demand singers. This revival of the beloved Otto Schenk production features superstar soprano Renée Fleming in the title role.

Racette is one of the world’s most riveting singing actresses whose artistry Toronto audiences will soon get to experience first-hand!Ĭanadian director Robert Carsen’s new production has already appeared at Teatro alla Scala, Milan and Royal Opera House, Covent Garden where it was praised as “an intricate, closely observed Falstaff - witty, charming and human from start to finish.” ( Opera News) This transmission provides hometown audiences with the rare opportunity to preview a future COC production which will arrive in Toronto with a spectacular all-star Canadian cast. By the time it was revived in April of that season with a different cast, it was pronounced a triumph! This was in large part due to American soprano Patricia Racette who 'brought a richly expressive voice and raw emotion to her wrenching portrayal of Tosca' ( The New York Times). When this Luc Bondy production premiered at the Metropolitan Opera in September 2009, it was greeted by boos. The upcoming Met Live in HD season features a large number of artists and productions which have specific COC connections – here are some of the highlights: You can also buy your tickets online, choosing the specific seat you want to sit in – but don’t dawdle as theatres sell out quickly. Many local HD enthusiasts still do things “old school”, lining up very early in the morning for tickets at venues across the Greater Toronto Area. This year those dates are Wednesday, August 14 (for Met Members, and for Cineplex Odeon SCENE cardholders) and Wednesday, August 21 for the general public. By Gianmarco Segato, Adult Programs ManagerĪs opera lovers the world over eagerly anticipate the return of live opera with the start of the fall season, increasingly, fans are also learning to anticipate a specific date each August: the day tickets go on sale for the Metropolitan Opera’s series of live HD transmissions.

Met opera schedule november 2014