Roméo et Juliette Is the Jan. 21, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: The Jan. 21, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is Roméo et Juliette, a five-act, Shakespeare-based opera by Charles-François Gounod.

Gounod's Roméo et Juliette airs as the Jan. 21, 2017, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: New York Times Arts @nytimesarts via Twitter Jan. 1, 2017

Roméo et Juliette, a five-act opera, based on William Shakespeare’s tragedy concerning young love, by French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893) is the Jan. 21, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast.

French librettists Paul Jules Barbier (March 8, 1825-Jan. 16, 1901) and Michel Carré (Oct. 20, 1821-June 27, 1872) wrote the French libretto. The literary source is The Tragedie of Romeo and Juliet by English actor, playwright and poet William Shakespeare (baptized Aprl 26, 1564-April 23, 1616). Shakespeare is thought to have written the famous tragedy between 1591 and 1595.

The premiere of Gounod’s ninth opera took place April 27, 1867. The venue was Théâtre du Châtelet, the opera house of Théâtre Lyrique, a mid-19th century Parisian opera company.

Théâtre du Châtelet was located on the east side of Place du Châtelet, on the borderline between Paris’s 1st and 4th arrondissements (le 1er et le 4e arrondissements de Paris), on the right bank of the Seine.

Designed by French architect Jean-Antoine-Gabriel Davioud (Oct. 30, 1824-April 6, 1881), Théâtre du Châtelet replaced Théâtre Historique, the company’s previous opera house. Located on Boulevard du Temple, which separates the 3rd arrondissement from the 11th (le 3e arrondissment du 11e), Théâtre Historique was destroyed in 1863 to make way for the Place de la République, as part of the Second French Empire renovation of Paris by Baron Georges-Eugène Haussmann (March 27, 1809-Jan. 11, 1891).

On May 21, 1871, Théâtre du Châtelet, also known as Salle du Théâtre Lyrique, was almost completely destroyed by a fire during the Paris Commune’s rule over Paris from March 18 to May 28, 1871. Rebuilt and reopened in 1874, but no longer used as Théâtre Lyrique’s opera house, the building underwent names changes until acquiring its current name, Théâtre de la Ville, in 1968.

As with Shakespeare’s tragedy, Gounod and his librettists set Roméo et Juliette in Verona, Veneto, northeastern Italy. For the 2016-2017 season’s production of the tragic opera, the Metropolitan Opera fast forwards the time to the 18th century.

The Saturday matinee broadcast of Roméo et Juliette begins at 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (6 p.m. Coordinated Universal Time). The estimated run time for the performance is about 2 hours 56 minutes. The performance, sung in the original French, comprises five acts and one intermission.

Acts I, II and III/1 are timed at 75 minutes. A 30-minute intermission follows Act III/1.

Acts III/2, IV and V timed at 71 minutes. The Saturday matinee broadcast performance ends with Act V’s final notes.

Gianandrea Noseda conducts December and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of Roméo Juliette. His birthplace is Milan, Lombardy, northwestern Italy. The Milanese conductor debuted in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2002 production of War and Peace by Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev (April 23, 1891-March 5, 1953).

Gianandrea Noseda shares the Roméo et Juliette conductor’s baton this season with Emmanuel Villaume, who conducts the opera’s March performances. Emmanuel Villaume was born in Strasbourg, Grand Est, northeastern France. The French conductor debuted in the Metropolitan Opera’s 2004 production of Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Antonio Domenico Michele Secondo Maria Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Diana Damrau appears as star-crossed Juliette. Her birthplace is Günzburg, Bavaria, southeastern Germany. The German operatic soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2005 as Zerbinetta in Ariadne auf Naxos (“Ariadne on Naxos”) by German composer Richard Georg Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949). This season Diana Damrau also appears Elvira in I Puritani by Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (Nov. 3, 1801-Sept. 23, 1835).

Diana Damrau shares the role of Juliette this season with Amanda Woodbury and Pretty Yende. Diana Damrau appears in the December and most of the January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast.

Amanda Woodbury appears in the Jan. 25 performance. She was born in Crestwood, Oldham County, northern Kentucky. The American soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2015 as Tebaldo in Don Carlo by Italian operatist Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

Pretty Yende appears in the March performances of Roméo et Juliette. Her birthplace is Piet Retief, Mpumalanga province, eastern South Africa. The South African operatic soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2013 as Adèle in Le Comte Ory by Gioachino Antonio Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868). This season Pretty Yende also appears as Rosina in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and as Elvira in Bellini’s I Puritani.

Vittorio Grigolo appears as star-crossed Roméo. He was born in Arezzo, Toscana (Tuscany), north central Italy. The Italian operatic tenor debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2010 as Rodolfo in Puccini’s La Bohème. This season Vittorio Grigolo also appears in the title role of Werther by Jules Émile Frédéric Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912).

Vittorio Grigolo shares the role of Roméo this season with Stephen Costello. Vittorio Grigolo appears in the December and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of Gounod’s ninth opera.

Stephen Costello appears in the opera’s March performances. His birthplace is Philadelphia, southeastern Pennsylvania. The American operatic tenor debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2007 as Arturo in Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Domenico Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848). This season Stephen Costello also appears as the womanizing Duke of Mantua in Verdi’s Rigoletto.

Elliot Madore appears as Mercutio, Roméo’s friend. He was born Toronto, southern Ontario, east central Canada. The Canadian lyric baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2011 as Lysander in The Enchanted Island, a pastiche (pasticcio) of baroque composers’ music by British theatre director and lyricist Jeremy Sams.

Elliot Madore shares the role of Mercutio this season with Yunpeng Wang. Elliot Madore appears in the December and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast, of Roméo et Juliette.

Yunpeng Wang appears as Mercutio in the opera’s March performances. His birthplace is Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, southeastern China. The Chinese baritone debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2014 as Fiorello in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia.

Virginie Verrez appears in the trouser role of Stéphano, Roméo’s page. She was born in Saint-Denis, Réunion, southwestern Indian Ocean. The French mezzo-soprano debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2016 as the Musician in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. She also appears this season as Enrichetta in Bellini’s I Puritani.

Virginie Verrez shares the trouser role this season with Paula Murrihy. Virginia Verrez appears in the opera’s December and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast.

Paula Murrihy appears in the opera’s March performances. Her birthplace is County Kerry, South West Ireland. The Irish mezzo-soprano’s appearance as Stéphano marks her Metropolitan Opera debut.

Mikhail Petrenko appears as Frère Laurent, the Franciscian friar who conducts the secret marriage of Roméo and Juliette and who provides Juliette with the sleeping draught that temporarily places her in a deathlike state. He was born in St. Petersburg, northwestern Russia. The Russian bass debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2002 as Bolkonsky’s Valet in Prokofiev’s War and Peace. This season Mikhail Petrenko also appears as Don Basilio in Rossini’s Il Barbiere di Siviglia and as the First Nazarene in Richard Strauss’s Salome.

Mikhail Petrenko shares the role of Frère Laurent this season with Matthew Rose. Mikhail Petrenko appears in the opera’s December and January performances, including the Saturday matinee broadcast.

Matthew Rose appears as Frère Laurent in the opera’s March performances. His birthplace is Brighton, East Sussex, South East England. The English operatic bass debuted at the Metropolitan Opera in 2011 as Colline in Puccini’s La Bohème. He also appears this season as Leoporello and as Masetto in Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Operabase, an online database, places Charles-François Gounod at number 21 in a ranking of 1,281 most popular composers for the five seasons from 2011/2012 to 2015/16. Roméo et Juliette places at 65 in the list of 2,658 most popular operas.

The Metropolitan Opera’s 2016 Repertory Report gives performance statistics through Oct. 31. Roméo et Juliette holds place 23. Roméo et Juliette's Metropolitan Opera debut took place April 16, 1884. Prior to the 2016-2017 Met Opera season, the Metropolitan Opera's most recent staging took place during the 2010-2011 Met Opera season.

The takeaway for Roméo et Juliette as the Jan. 21, 2017, Metropolitan Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is the young couple’s unfortunate sacrifice of their unifying love occasioned by the endless feuding of their families, the Capulets and the Montagues.

The 2016-2017 Met Opera season debuts Bartlett Sher's new staging of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Jan. 16, 2017

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Gounod's Roméo et Juliette airs as the Jan. 21, 2017, Saturday matinee broadcast during the 2016-2017 Met Opera season: New York Times Arts @nytimesarts via Twitter Jan. 1, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/nytimesarts/status/815695863276306432

The 2016-2017 Met Opera season debuts Bartlett Sher's new staging of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera via Facebook Jan. 16, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10158207249965533/

For further information:

"Composers: Composers Ranked by the Number of Performances of Their Operas Over the Five Seasons 2011/2012 to 2015/16." Operabase > Opera Statistics.
Available @ http://operabase.com/top.cgi?lang=en

Gervais, Suzanne. “Virginie Verrez, une Française en Amérique.” La Lettre du Musicien > 481. June 29, 2016.
Available @ https://www.lalettredumusicien.fr/s/articles/4999_261_virginie-verrez-une-francaise-en-amerique

Metropolitan Opera. “Gallery Met Shorts: Roméo et Juliette.” YouTube. Jan. 21, 2017.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCw-p6qY7H4

Metropolitan Opera. “Roméo et Juliette: Trailer.” YouTube. Dec. 30, 2016.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFPxprxisjc

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo in the title roles of Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. Learn more at bit.ly/2i06ikb. Photo by Ken Howard/Met Opera." Facebook. Jan. 16, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10158207249965533/

New York Times Arts @nytimesarts. “Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo combine chemistry, passion and vocal prowess in 'Roméo et Juliette' at the Met.” Twitter. Jan. 1, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/nytimesarts/status/815695863276306432

“Performances Statistics Through October 31, 2016.” MetOpera Database > The Metropolitan Opera Archives > Repertory Report.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/Database%20Opera%20Statistics.xml