A new Met production

For years, the world's leading opera houses have vied to have Kristine Opolais sing Puccini roles. Now, however, we'll hear the Latvian soprano in the same opera house where she first revealed her extraordinary dramatic and vocal abilities. Since 2006, her portrayals of the tragically fated water nymph have been considered to be among the very finest everywhere from Berlin to Vienna and from Milan to Munich.
The exciting new production of the Rusalka fairy tale is the work of Mary Zimmerman, who has already staged grand operas by Donizetti, Bellini and Rossini in the New York opera house to mixed critical response and huge ticket sales: her productions arouse the passions as they both engage and divide audiences. Although Sir Mark Elder has been the principal conductor of John Barbirolli's legendary Manchester orchestra, the Hallé, for more than 15 years, prior to that he had spent nearly as long as music director of London's English National Opera, where he conducted the entire operatic literature.
Portraying the prince who captures Rusalka's fairy spirit is the American Brandon Jovanovich, for whom performing in Slavic operas is a great passion - although he has also taken the stage in other title roles at La Scala, as well as in Munich, Beijing and Chicago. It was 15 years ago when Katarina Dalayman, now appearing as the foreign princess who serves as a rival to the title character, made her début at the Met, where she has sung some of the most difficult roles in the operatic literature (including Marie in Wozzeck and Isolde, Brangäne and Kundry in operas by Wagner). The role of the Vodnik - the Water Sprite - will be sung by Eric Owens, now in his third decade in the opera world's front rank, and that of the treacherous and scheming witch Ježibaba by the - likewise internationally renowned and American - mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton.

For information about the entire 2016/17 season schedule for the Metropolitan Opera Live in HD series, click here.

The „Metropolitan Opera Live in HD” transmissions have been made possible through the cooperation of our partner, Cikánek Management.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest