This week on Sirius/XM: DON’T MISS the broadcast of Verdi’s “Attila” on Saturday, March 6 at 1pm

Don’t miss the hype that has surrounded the recent production of Verdi’s Attila.  Only ONE performance is being broadcast, so don’t miss it on Friday, March 6, 1pm.


La Boheme: Tues, Mar. 2, 2010. 8pm

Gerald Finley is Marcello in this seasons’s “La Boheme”

ConductorMarco Armiliato
MimìAnna Netrebko
MusettaNicole Cabell
RodolfoPiotr Beczala
MarcelloGerald Finley
SchaunardMassimo Cavalletti
CollineOren Gradus
Benoit/AlcindoroPaul Plishka

Production: Franco Zeffirelli
Set Designer: Franco Zeffirelli
Costume Designer: Peter J. Hall
Lighting Designer: Gil Wechsler

The Nose: Thur., Mar. 5, 2010. 8pm

Gordon Gietz is “The Nose”

ConductorValery Gergiev
Police InspectorAndrei Popov
The NoseGordon Gietz
KovalyovPaulo Szot

Production: William Kentridge
Set Designers: William Kentridge, Sabine Theunissen
Costume Designer: Greta Goiris
Lighting Designer: Urs Schönebaum
Associate Director: Luc De Wit

Attila: Sat., Mar. 6, 2010. 1pm (Toll Bros.)

Violetta Urmana is Odabella in Verdi’s “Attila”

ConductorRiccardo Muti
OdabellaVioleta Urmana
ForestoRamón Vargas
Ezio: Giovanni Meoni
AttilaIldar Abdrazakov

Production: Pierre Audi
Set and Costume Designers: Miuccia Prada, Herzog & de Meuron
Lighting Designer: Jean Kalman

Zeffirelli’s indispensable “Boheme” returns to the Met

Il Maestro

After the outright scandalous “new” production of Tosca that opened the 2009/2010 season at the Metropolitan Opera with booing and catcalls, audiences are thankful that Mr. Gelb didn’t also dispense with Franco Zeffirelli’s production of Puccini’s well-loved masterpiece, “La Boheme.”  Imbued with grandeur, scenic realism, and a broad colour palate; not to mention, a significant spacial quality, Mr. Zeffirelli’s productions have been staples at the Met and are strongly linked to Puccini’s operas on an international level.

The cast has soprano, Anna Netrebko in her second stint as Mimi at the Met, the polish tenor, Piotr Beczala, Canadian baritone Gerald Finley as Marcello, and Nicole Cabell as Musetta.  There will be nine performances into March.

A recent review:  Netrebko, Beczala a Winning Couple in  ‘La Boheme’ (The Associated Press)

Franco Zeffirelli’s magnificent production of “La Boheme”