2019-2020 Met Opera Season’s Sixth Week Offers Gluck and Puccini

Summary: The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s sixth week offers Gluck and Puccini operas of Orfeo ed Euridice, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly and Turandot.

Italian director Franco Zeffirelli's set sketch for Puccini's La Bohème, Act II: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 1, 2018

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s sixth week offers Gluck and Puccini operas in continuing performances of Orfeo ed Euridice, La Bohème, Madama Butterfly and Turandot.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s sixth week does not begin until Tuesday. No performances are scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27, or for Monday, Sept. 28.

The season’s sixth week begins with Orfeo ed Euridice by German Classical Era composer Christoph Gluck (July 2, 1714-Nov. 15, 1787). The week offers two performances of Gluck’s Greek myth-inspired opera. The week’s first performance takes place Tuesday, Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The week’s second performance of Orfeo ed Euridice is slated for Friday, Nov. 1, at 8 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season premiere of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice occurred in the season’s fifth week. The revived production of Orfeo ed Euridice happened as the Metropolitan Opera’s second Sunday matinee performance of a staged opera. Orfeo ed Euridice opened Sunday, Oct. 20, at 3 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s performances of Gluck’s Greek-themed opera revive staging by Mark Morris. The American choreographer, dancer and director’s staging debuted May 2, 2007, as a new production in Met Opera’s 83rd performance of the opera.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s sixth week spotlights three operas by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). The week’s Puccini operas appear as the first three of five Puccini operas performed in the 2019-2020 Met Opera season.

The week’s first Puccini opera is La Bohème. The Paris-themed opera’s first performance in the sixth week takes place Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. The week’s second performance of La Bohème is slated for Saturday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season premiere of La Bohème occurred in the season’s fifth week. The debut of the revived production of La Bohème took place Friday, Oct. 25, at 7:30 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s performances of La Bohème revive staging by Franco Zeffirelli. The Italian film, opera and television director’s staging debuted Dec. 14, 1981, as a new production in Met Opera’s 823rd performance of the opera.

The sixth week’s second Puccini opera is Turandot. Puccini’s riddle-themed opera receives one performance in the 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s sixth week. The week’s performance of Turandot happens Thursday, Oct. 31, 2019, at 7:30 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season premiere of Turandot occurred in the season’s third week. The debut of the revived production of Turandot took place Thursday, Oct. 3, at 7:30 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s performances of Turandot revive staging by Franco Zeffirelli. Zeffirelli’s staging debuted March 12, 1987, as a new production in Met Opera’s 132nd performance of the opera.

The third Puccini opera performed in the 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s sixth week is Madama Butterfly. The sixth week offers one performance of Puccini’s Japan-themed opera. The week’s performance of Madama Butterfly is slated for Saturday, Nov. 2, at 8 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season premiere of Madama Butterfly occurred in the season’s third week. The debut of the revived production of Madama Butterfly took place Friday, Oct. 11, at 7:30 p.m.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s performances revive staging by Anthony Minghella (Jan. 6, 1954-March 18, 2008). The Italian film, opera and television director/producer’s staging debuted Sept. 25, 2006, as a new production in Met Opera’s 799th performance of the opera.

The takeaways for the 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s sixth week are that the week continues performances of the opera house’s revived production of Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice; that two of the week’s Puccini operas, La Bohème and Turandot, are performed as revivals of productions directed by Franco Zeffirelli; and that the third Puccini opera, Madama Butterfly, revives Anthony Minghella’s production.

Catalan operatic tenor José Carreras sang Rodolfo to Canadian operatic soprano Teresa Stratas' Mimì in the premiere of Italian director Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Puccini's La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera Dec. 14, 1981: Ophelia Bochy @IGOR4736, via Twitter Feb. 12, 201

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Italian director Franco Zeffirelli's set sketch for Puccini's La Bohème, Act II: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook Feb. 1, 2018, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10160070759380533/

Catalan operatic tenor José Carreras sang Rodolfo to Canadian operatic soprano Teresa Stratas' Mimì in the premiere of Italian director Franco Zeffirelli's new production of Puccini's La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera Dec. 14, 1981: Ophelia Bochy @IGOR4736, via Twitter Feb. 12, 2019, @ https://twitter.com/IGOR4736/status/1095373806099681282

For further information:

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera Season Opens Monday, Sept. 23, With Porgy and Bess.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 16, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/2019-2020-met-opera-season-opens-monday.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera Season’s Fifth Week Has Gluck, Massenet and Puccini.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 14, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/10/2019-2020-met-opera-seasons-fifth-week.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera Season’s Fourth Week Has Gershwin, Massenet and Puccini.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 7, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/10/2019-2020-met-opera-seasons-fourth-week.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera Season’s Second Week Has Gershwin, Puccini and Verdi.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 23, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/2019-2020-met-operas-second-week-has.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “La Bohème Is Feb. 24, 2018, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 19, 2018.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2018/02/la-boheme-is-feb-24-2018-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “2019-2020 Met Opera Season’s Third Week Has Gershwin, Massenet, Puccini, Verdi.” Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 30, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/09/2019-2020-met-opera-seasons-third-week.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "New during the 2019–20 season: We’re presenting 16 Sunday matinee performances, giving you more opportunities to enjoy opera on the weekend. Explore the full season: http://bit.ly/2VdNCNL. Photo by Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera." Facebook. Feb. 24, 2019.
Available @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1099763017854738433