La Traviata Is the Dec.15, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Verdi’s La Traviata is the Dec. 15, 2018, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, numbering third of 24 in the 2018-2019 season’s schedule.

Verdi’s La Traviata airs Saturday, Dec. 15, as the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s third of 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcoasts: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 19, 2018

Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata is the Dec. 15, 2018, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the third of 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcasts during the 2018-2019 Met Opera season.

Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) set his musical score for La Traviata to an Italian libretto by Italian opera librettist Francesco Maria Piave (May 18, 1810-March 5, 1876). Piave’s literary source was La Dame aux Camélias, a stage adaptation by Alexandre Dumas, fils (July 27, 1824-Nov. 27, 1895), of his semi-autobiographical, same-named novel. Dumas’s play premiered Feb. 2, 1852. The play’s novel namesake was first published in 1848.

La Traviata premiered March 6, 1853, at Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Veneto region, northeastern Italy. La Traviata opened as the fourth Verdi opera to premiere at La Fenice. Ernani opened March 9, 1844, as La Fenice’s first Verdi opera premiere. Attila’s La Fenice premiere happened March 17, 1846. Rigoletto’s opening March 11, 1851, marked La Fenice’s third Verdi opera premiere.

La Traviata’s Metropolitan Opera premiere took place Monday, Nov. 5, 1883. Six performances were given during the 1883-1884 season.

Fifteen performances of La Traviata are scheduled for the 2018-2019 Met Opera season. The season premiere occurs Tuesday, Dec. 4, 2018, at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Performances by the 2018-2019 season’s winter cast take place in December. Beyond the Dec. 4 premiere, seven more performances are scheduled for December. The month’s additional performances take place Friday, Dec. 7, at 8 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 11, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 15, at 1 p.m.; Tuesday, Dec. 18, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 22, at 1 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 26, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 29, at 8 p.m.

The Metropolitan Opera airs the Saturday, Dec. 15, performance as third in the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s Saturday matinee radio broadcast series.

Performances by the 2018-2019 spring cast take place in April. April’s seven performances are slated for Friday, April 5, at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time; Wednesday, April 10, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 13, at 8:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 17, at 8 p.m.; Saturday, April 20, at 8 p.m.; Wednesday, April 24, at 7:30 p.m.; and Saturday, April 27, at 8:30 p.m.

La Traviata has an estimated running time of 3 hours 7 minutes. Act I spans 30 minutes, followed by a 30-minute intermission. Act II runs for 64 minutes. The intermission between Act II and Act III is estimated at 30 minutes. Act III lasts for 33 minutes.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts La Traviata’s winter performances, including the Dec. 15 Saturday matinee radio broadcast. The French Canadian conductor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Dec. 31, 2009, in the opera house’s performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Maestro Nézet-Séguin became the new Met Music Director in September 2018. La Traviata is the first of three operas under his conductorship in the 2018-2019 season. He also is scheduled to conduct Pelléas et Mélisande by French Impressionist music composer Achille-Claude Debussy (Aug. 22, 1862-March 25, 1918) and Dialogues des Carmélites by French composer and pianist Francis Poulenc (Jan. 7, 1899-Jan. 30, 1963).

Maestro Nézet-Séguin shares La Traviata’s conductor baton with Nicola Luisotti, who conducts La Traviata’s spring performances. The Italian conductor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Oct. 28, 2006, in the opera house’s 881st performance of Tosca by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Nicola Luisotti conducts two more Verdi operas, Aida and Rigoletto.

Diana Damrau appears in all winter performances, including the Dec. 15 Saturday matinee broadcast, in the title role of Violetta Valéry. The German operatic soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened as Zerbinetta in the opera house’s 79th performance of Ariadne auf Naxos by German composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949).

Anita Hartig appears as Violetta Valéry in all spring performances of La Traviata. The Romanian operatic soprano’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened March 19, 2014, as Mimì in the opera house’s 1,251st performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Juan Diego Flórez appears in all winter performances, including the Dec. 15 Saturday matinee broadcast, as Alfredo Germont. The Peruvian operatic tenor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Jan. 10, 2002, as Count Almaviva in the opera house’s 511th performance of Il Barbiere di Siviglia by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

(Update per The Metropolitan Opera @MetOPera via Twitter Dec. 24, 2018: Stephen Costello replaces Juan Diego Flórez, who is ill, for the Wednesday, Dec. 26, performance.)

Stephen Costello appears as Alfredo Germont in all spring performances. The American operatic tenor’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Sept. 24, 2007, as Arturo in the opera house’s 558th performance of Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Domenico Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Quinn Kelsey appears in all winter performances, including the Dec. 15 Saturday matinee broadcast, as Giorgio Germont. The American baritone’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened March 29, 2008, as Schaunard in the opera house’s 1,194th performance of Puccini’s La Bohème. In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Quinn Kelsey also appears as Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida.

Artur Rucinski appears as Giorgio Germont in the first two spring performances. His Giorgio Germont performances are scheduled for Friday, April 5, and Wednesday, April 10. The Polish baritone’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Feb. 19, 2016, as Sharpless in the opera house’s 857th performance of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly.

Plácido Domingo appears as Giorgio Germont in the last five spring performances. His Giorgio Germont performances are scheduled for Saturday, April 13; Wednesday, April 17; Saturday, April 20; Wednesday, April 24; and closing night, Saturday, April 27. The Spanish opera singer’s Metropolitan Opera house debut happened Sept. 28, 1968, as Maurizio in the opera house’s 16th performance of Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur. In the 2018-2019 Met Opera season, Plácido Domingo also in the title role of Il Trittico’s Gianni Schicchi segment by Puccini.

The 2018-2019 Met Opera season debuts a new staging of Verdi’s La Traviata. Michael Mayer directs the new production. The American film and stage director’s production team comprises Christine Jones, set designer; Susan Hilferty, costume designer; Kevin Adams, lighting designer; and Lorin Latarro, choreographer.

The Metropolitan Opera’s last staging of La Traviata occurred during the 2016-2017 season as the fourth revival of Willy Decker’s production. The German theatre director’s staging debuted Dec. 31, 2010, as a new production in the opera house’s 961st performance of Verdi’s La Traviata.

The takeaway for La Traviata as the third 2018-2019 Saturday matinee broadcast, airing Dec. 15, is that the season’s performances debut a new production, directed by American film and stage director Michael Mayer.

Diana Damrau revisits the title role in Michael Mayer’s new production of Verdi’s La Traviata, four years after the German operatic soprano sang in Met Opera’s second revival of Willy Decker’s 2010-2011 La Traviata staging: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook June 25, 2018

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Verdi’s La Traviata airs Saturday, Dec. 15, as the 2018-2019 Met Opera season’s third of 24 scheduled Saturday matinee radio broadcoasts: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 19, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10160146381895533/

Diana Damrau revisits the title role in Michael Mayer’s new production of Verdi’s La Traviata, four years after the German operatic soprano sang in Met Opera’s second revival of Willy Decker’s 2010-2011 La Traviata staging: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook June 25, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10160695491820533/

For further information:

“Debut: Nicola Luisotti.” MetOpera Database > “Debut: Nicola Luisotti.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351618 Tosca {881} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/28/2006.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351618

“Debut: Plácido Domingo.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 216130 Adriana Lecouvreur {16} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/28/1968.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=216130

“Debut: Quinn Kelsey.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352451 La Bohème {1194} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/29/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352451

“Debut: Stephen Costello, Mary Zimmerman, Daniel Ostling, Mara Blumenfeld, T. J. Gerckens, Daniel Pelzig.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352065 New Production Lucia di Lammermoor {558} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/24/2007.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352065

“Debuts: Anita Hartig, Jennifer Rowley, Nicolas Testé.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355378 La Bohème {1251} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/19/2014.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355378

“Debuts: Jon Villars, Diana Damrau, Christopher Maltman.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351297 Ariadne auf Naxos {79} Matinee ed. Metropolitan Opera House: 09/24/2005.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351297

“Debuts: Karel Mark Chichon, Artur Rucinski.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356328 Madama Butterfly {857} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/19/2016.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356328

“Debuts: Paula Almerares, Juan Diego Flórez, Rodion Pogossov .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 350187 Il Barbiere di Siviglia {511} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/10/2002.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=350187

“Debuts: Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Richard Eyre, Rob Howell, Irene Bohan, Elizabeth Caballero, Maria Kowroski, Martin Harvey.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353274 New Production Carmen {946} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353274

Marriner, Derdriu. “2018-2019 Met Opera Season Premiere of Il Trittico Is Friday, Nov. 23.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 12, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/11/2018-2019-met-opera-season-premiere-of_12.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2018-2019 Metropolitan Opera Season Presents Four New Productions.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 25, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/06/2018-2019-metropolitan-opera-season_25.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “La Traviata Is March 11, 2017, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, March 6, 2017.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2017/03/la-traviata-is-march-11-2017.html

Metropolitan Opera ‏@MetOpera. "For the performance of La Traviata on 26 December 2018, Alfredo will be sung by Stephen Costello, replacing Juan Diego Flórez, who is ill. #castchange." Twitter. Dec. 24, 2018.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1077322636504559617

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Live in HD December 15. Music Director Yannick Nezet-Seguin conducts Michael Mayer’s richly textured new production, featuring a dazzling 18th-century setting that changes with the seasons . . .” Facebook. Feb. 19, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10160146381895533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Tickets to the 2018–19 season are now on sale! The new season features four new productions -- including the highly anticipated new staging of Verdi’s La Traviata, starring Diana Damrau and Juan Diego Flórez. . . .” Facebook. June 25, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532.229232.20807115532/10160695491820533/

“Metropolitan Opera Premiere: La Traviata.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 1080 Metropolitan Opera Premiere La Traviata {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/5/1883.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=1080

“New Production: La Traviata.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353718 New Production La Traviata {961} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/2010.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353718