2017-2018 Met Opera Season Premiere of Turandot Is Thursday, Oct. 12

Summary: The 2017-2018 Met Opera season premiere of Turandot is Thursday, Oct. 12. Puccini’s La Bohème and Bellini, Mozart and Offenbach operas also play.

Franco Zeffirelli's staging of Puccini's Turandot debuted at Met Opera as a new production March 12, 1987: Beth Levin @op109, via Twitter March 30, 2017

The 2017-2018 Met Opera season premiere of Turandot is Thursday, Oct. 12. Bellini’s Norma, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Puccini’s La Bohème also play in October’s second week, which is the season’s third week.

The 2017-2018 Met Opera season premiere of Turandot by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924) takes place Thursday, Oct. 12, at 8 p.m. EDT (Eastern Daylight Time). Five more performances are given in October.

Met Opera’s Turandot revives the production designed and directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The Italian film, opera and television director’s staging debuted Thursday, March 12, 1987. The Christian Science Monitor music critic, Thor Eckert Jr., described the 1986-1987’s new production as supplying an “often stunning framework” to Puccini’s last, unfinished opera.

Zeffirelli’s production team comprises Italian costume designers Dada Saligeri and Anna Anni (Nov. 21, 1926-Jan. 1, 2011); Gil Wechsler, lighting designer; Chiang Ching, choreographer.

In addition to the 2017-2018 season premiere, October’s performances of Turandot take place Tuesday, Oct. 17, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Oct. 28, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Oct. 31, at 7:30 p.m.

Of the opera’s 15 performances for the 2017-2018 season, four are given in November, four in March and one in April.

November’s performances take place Saturday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. EDT; Wednesday, Nov. 8 at 7:30 p.m. EST (Eastern Standard Time); Saturday, Nov. 11, at 8 p.m.; Thursday, Nov. 16, at 8 p.m.

March’s performances are scheduled for Wednesday, March 21, at 7:30 p.m. EDT; Saturday, March 24, at 1 p.m.; Wednesday, March 28, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, March 31, at 8:30 p.m.

April’s single performance takes place Thursday, April 5, at 8 p.m.

October’s second week, which marks the 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s third week, includes another Puccini opera, La Bohème, and also offers Bellini, Mozart and Offenbach operas.

Puccini’s La Bohème frames October’s second week. On Monday, Oct. 9, La Bohème begins at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 14, La Bohème starts at 8 p.m.

The 2017-2018 Met Opera season premiere of La Bohème took place Monday, Oct. 2. This season’s performances revive Zeffirelli’s classic production, which debuted Monday, Dec. 14, 1981, for the 1981-1982 Met Opera season.

Two performances of Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791) are offered during October’s second week. On Tuesday, Oct. 10, Die Zauberflöte begins at 7:30 p.m. An afternoon performance starts Saturday, Oct. 14, at 1 p.m.

The 2017-2018 Met Opera season premiere of Die Zauberflöte occurred Wednesday, Sept. 27. With a run of five dates, Die Zauberflöte closes for the season with Saturday, Oct. 14’s performance at 1 p.m.

This season’s performances revive Julie Taymor’s production. The American film, opera and theater director debuted her production Friday, Oct. 8, 2004, for Met Opera’s 2004-2005 season.

One performance of Norma by Italian opera composer Vincenzo Bellini (Nov. 3, 1801-Sept. 23, 1835) is scheduled for October’s second week. On Wednesday, Oct. 11, Norma begins at 7:30 p.m.

On Monday, Sept. 25, Bellini’s Druid-themed opera opened the 2017-2018 Met Opera season. Opening night marked the season premiere of Scottish opera and theatre director Sir David McVicar’s new production. A total of 12 performances are slated for the 2017-2018 Met Opera season. The closing performance takes place Saturday, Dec. 16, at 1 p.m.

October’s second week offers one performance of Les Contes d’Hoffmann by German-born French composer Jacques Offenbach (June 20, 1819-Oct. 5, 1880). Friday, Oct. 13’s performance starts at 8 p.m.

Nine performances of Offenbach’s opéra fantastique (“fantasy opera”) are scheduled for the 2017-2018 Met Opera season. The closing performance takes place Saturday, Oct. 28, at 12 p.m.

The 2017-2018 Met Opera season’s presentation of Les Contes d’Hoffmann revives Bartlett Sher’s production. The American theater director’s production debuted Thursday, Dec. 3, 2009, at the Metropolitan Opera.

The takeaways for the 2017-2018 Met Opera season are that the season premiere of Giacomo Puccini’s last, unfinished opera is Thursday, Oct. 12, and that October’s second week also includes Bellini’s Norma, Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, Offenbach’s Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Puccini’s La Bohème.

The 2017-2018 Met Opera season's performances of Puccini's Turandot revive Italian film, opera and theater director Franco Zeffirelli's staging, with Zeffirelli-designed sets: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 15, 2017

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Franco Zeffirelli's staging of Puccini's Turandot debuted at Met Opera as a new production March 12, 1987: Beth Levin @op109, via Twitter March 30, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/op109/status/847385506371338241

The 2017-2018 Met Opera season's performances of Puccini's Turandot revive Italian film, opera and theater director Franco Zeffirelli's staging, with Zeffirelli-designed sets: Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 15, 2017, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10158357868585533.1073741928.20807115532/10158357948680533/

For further information:

Beth Levin @op109. “Franco Zeffirelli’s set design for Turandot.” Twitter. March 30, 2017.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/op109/status/847385506371338241

Eckert, Thor, Jr. “Met’s Slavic Connection: A Parade of Strong Guests.” The Christian Science Monitor > Archives > 1987. Dec. 24, 1987.
Available @ https://www.csmonitor.com/1987/1224/lms24.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2017-2018 Met Opera Season Opens Sept. 25 With Bellini’s Norma.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 18, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/09/2017-2018-met-opera-season-opens-sept.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2017-2018 Met Opera Season Premiere of La Bohème Is Monday, Oct. 2.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 25, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/09/2017-2018-met-opera-season-premiere-of.html

Metropolitan Opera. "Turandot: Trailer." YouTube. Feb. 15, 2017.
Available @ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNJ6-wLXOzo

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Puccini’s Turandot October 12 – April 5 bit.ly/2kxRGG6." Facebook. Feb. 15, 2017.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10158357868585533.1073741928.20807115532/10158357948680533/

“New Production: Turandot." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 287710 New Production Turandot {132} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/12/1987.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=287710

Simonetti, Albarosa. “The Velvet Lady.” Brillante Interiors. Aug. 21, 2016.
Available @ https://brillanteinteriors.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-velvet-lady.html