Simon Boccanegra Was To Be April 18, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Broadcast

Summary: Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra was to be the April 18, 2020, Met Opera Saturday broadcast, airing as 20th in the season’s 23 radio matinees.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season revives Giancarlo del Monaco’s Simon Boccanegra production, which was last performed in the 2015-2016 season; sets and costumes designed by Michael Scott: Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor, via Facebook March 22, 2016

Giuseppe Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra was to be the April 18, 2020, Met Opera Saturday broadcast, airing at 12:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) and numbering as the 20th of 23 scheduled Saturday radio matinees during the 2019-2020 Met Opera season.

Nineteenth-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) set his musical score for Simon Boccanegra to an Italian libretto by Italian opera librettist Francesco Maria Piave (May 18, 1810-March 5, 1876). Piave based his libretto upon Simón Bocanegra, a five-act historical play published in 1843 by Spanish Romantic dramatist Antonio María de los Dolores García Gutiérrez (July 5, 1813-Aug. 6, 1884). Gutiérrez’s play concerned Simone Boccanegra (1301-March 14, 1363), the first Doge of Genoa.

Verdi’s opera about the 14th century historical figure premiered March 12, 1857, at Teatro La Fenice (The Phoenix Theatre) in northeastern Italy’s canal capital, Venice, in the Veneto region. The premiere took place in the second of three opera houses sited on rio de la Fenice in Venice’s San Marco district, or neighborhood (sestiere di San Marco).

Verdi’s publisher, Italian editor and musician Giulio Ricordi (Dec. 19, 1840-June 6, 1912), convinced him to revisit his Genoese opera and to allow Italian composer and librettist Arrigo Boito (Feb. 24, 1842-June 10, 1918) to make revisions to the libretto. Verdi’s revised Simon Boccanegra premiered March 24, 1881, at Teatro alla Scala in north central Italy’s fashionable capital, Milan, in the Lombardy region.

The Metropolitan Opera hosted the United States premiere of Simon Boccanegra on Jan. 28, 1932. The opera received seven performances in the 1931-1932 season.

In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Simon Boccanegra receives five performances. The season’s first performance took place Friday, April 10, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). The four other performances are all offered in April. The month’s last four performances are scheduled for Tuesday, April 14, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday matinee broadcast, April 18, at 12:30 p.m.; Wednesday, April 22, at 7:30 p.m.; and closing night, Saturday, April 25, at 8 p.m.

Update: The Metropolitan Opera announced via Facebook Thursday, March 12, 2020, the cancellation of the rest of the 2019-2020 season due to the Covid-19 virus pandemic. The Metropolitan Opera Archives Database (MetOpera Database) entry of March 12, 2020, noted the cancellation of 58 performances. Operas affected by the cancellation were identified as La Bohème, La Cenerentola, Così Fan Tutte, Der Fliegende Holländer, Kát'a Kabanová, Madama Butterfly, Manon Lescaut, Maria Stuarda, Simon Boccanegra, Tosca, La Traviata, Turandot and Werther.

Update: The opera company's coronavirus-occasioned closure affected all performances of Simon Boccanegra scheduled for the 2019-2020 season. The opera was not performed in the 2019-2020 season.

The three-act opera has an estimated run time of 3 hours 13 minutes. The prologue and Act I are estimated at 94 minutes. An intermission of 38 minutes follows. Acts II and III run for 61 minutes.

Carlo Rizzi had been scheduled to conduct all performances of Simon Boccanegra. The Italian conductor made his Metropolitan Opera debut Oct. 29, 1993, in the opera company’s 989th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Carlo Rizzi also conducts Puccini’s Turandot.

Ailyn Pérez had been scheduled to appear as Amelia Grimaldi, who is actually Maria Boccanegra, Simon Boccanegra’s daughter and granddaughter of Simon’s aristocratic enemy, Jacopo Fiesco. The American operatic soprano made her Metropolitan Opera debut Feb. 6, 2015, as Micaëla in the opera company’s 994th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875). During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Ailyn Pérez also performs as Mimì in Puccini’s La Bohème.

Joseph Calleja had been scheduled to appear as Gabriele Adorno, a Genoese nobleman who, with the blessings of Amelia/Maria’s father and grandfather, marries her and becomes Simon Boccanegra’s designated successor as Doge of Genoa. The Maltese tenor would have reprised his role debut as Adorno from the 2015-2016 season’s revival of Simon Boccanegra.

Joseph Calleja’s Metropolitan Opera debut happened Oct. 25, 2006, as the Duke of Mantua in the opera house’s 806th performance of Verdi’s Rigoletto. In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Joseph Calleja also had been scheduled as Rodolfo for the season's last three performances of Puccini’s La Bohème.

Carlos Álvarez had been scheduled to appear in the title role as Simon Boccanegra. The Spanish baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut Oct. 2, 1996, as Germont in the opera company’s 805th performance of Verdi’s La Traviata. During the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Carlos Álvarez also performs as Marcello in Puccini’s La Bohème.

Elchin Azizov had been scheduled to appear as Paolo Albiani, Simon Boccanegra’s councilor, whose rejection by Amelia infuriates him and impels him to poison the Doge. The Azerbaijani operatic baritone made his Metropolitan Opera debut Jan. 29, 2015, as Ibn-Hakia in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Iolanta by Russian late-Romantic composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893). In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Elchin Azizov also had been scheduled to perform as Lescaut in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut.

Dmitry Belosselskiy had been scheduled to appear as Jacopo Fiesco, who learns in reconciling with dying, poisoned Simon Boccanegra that his adopted daughter, Amelia, is really his granddaughter, Maria. The Ukrainian bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut Nov. 5, 2011, as Zaccaria in the opera company’s 54th performance of Verdi’s Nabucco.

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season’s presentation of Simon Boccanegra would have marked the sixth revival of staging by Giancarlo del Monaco. The Italian stage director’s new production of Simon Boccanegra for the Metropolitan Opera debuted Jan. 19, 1995, in the opera company’s 105th performance of the opera.

The first staging’s first revival took place in the 1998-1999 season. Four subsequent revivals were launched in the 2006-2007, 2009-2010, 2010-2011 and 2015-2016 seasons.

Giancarlo del Monaco’s production team comprises set and costume designer Michael Scott and lighting designer Wayne Chouinard.

The takeaway for Simon Boccanegra as the April 18, 2020, Met Opera Saturday matinee broadcast is that Verdi’s opera about opposition and reconciliation would have aired as the 20th of 23 Saturday matinees broadcast weekly through Saturday, May 9, 2020.

In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja reprises his 2015-2016 season role debut as Verdi’s Gabriele Adorno: Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor, via Facebook April 1, 2016

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

The 2019-2020 Met Opera season revives Giancarlo del Monaco’s Simon Boccanegra production, which was last performed in the 2015-2016 season; sets and costumes designed by Michael Scott: Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor, via Facebook March 22, 2016, @ https://www.facebook.com/JosephCalleja.tenor/photos/a.333138150034929/1292995170715884/

In the 2019-2020 Met Opera season, Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja reprises his 2015-2016 season role debut as Verdi’s Gabriele Adorno: Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor, via Facebook April 1, 2016, @ https://www.facebook.com/JosephCalleja.tenor/photos/a.398691393479604/1305578702790864/

For further information:

“Debut: Carlo Rizzi.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 314310 > La Bohème {989} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/29/1993.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=314310

“Debut: Dmitry Belosselskiy.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354136 Nabucco {54} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/05/2011.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354136

“Debuts: Ailyn Pérez, Gábor Bretz.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355797 Carmen {994} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/06/2015.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355797

“Debuts: Ekaterina Siurina, Joseph Calleja, Friedrich Haider.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351611 Rigoletto {806} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/25/2006.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351611

“Debuts: Ilya Bannik . . . Eichin [sic] Azizov.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355785 Metropolitan Opera Premiere (Iolanta) New Production (Bluebeard’s Castle) Iolanta {1} Bluebeard’s Castle {25} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/29/2015.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355785

“Debuts: Victoria Loukianetz, Carlos Alvarez, Vaclovas Daunoras .” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 326020 La Traviata {805} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/2/1996.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=326020

Gutiérrez, Antonio García. Simón Bocanegra: Drama en cuatro actos, precedido de un prólogo. Madrid, Spain: Imprenta de Yenes, 1843.
Available via Internet Archive @ https://archive.org/details/simnbocanegradr00goog/

helcatj. "The Metropolitan Opera Company 2019-2020 Season." Showcase Opera and Events blog. Aug. 13, 2019.
Available @ https://showcaseoperaandeventsblog.wordpress.com/2019/08/13/the-metropolitan-opera-company-2019-2020-season/

Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor. “First stage orchestra of Simon Boccanegra The Metropolitan Opera this is a spectacular production -- run to the box office...” Facebook. March 25, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1296753823673352

Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor. “Last time I'm in this armour! The Metropolitan Opera #simonboccanegra.” Facebook. April 16, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/JosephCalleja.tenor/photos/a.333138150034929/1318014078213993/

Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor. “My office for today... #boccanegramet #delmonacoproduction.” Facebook. March 22, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/JosephCalleja.tenor/photos/a.333138150034929/1292995170715884/

Joseph Calleja @JosephCalleja.tenor. “Updated their cover photo. (Photo: Ken Howard / The Metropolitan Opera).” Facebook. April 1, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/JosephCalleja.tenor/photos/a.398691393479604/1305578702790864/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Der Fliegende Holländer Was To Be March 14, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, March 9, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/04/kata-kabanova-is-may-2-2020-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "La Cenerentola Was To Be March 21, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, March 16, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/orfeo-ed-euridice-is-april-4-2020-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Orfeo ed Euridice Was To Be April 4, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, March 30, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/orfeo-ed-euridice-is-april-4-2020-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Tosca Was To Be April 11, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, April 6, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/04/tosca-is-april-11-2020-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Werther Was To Be March 28, 2020, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, March 23, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/03/werther-is-march-28-2020-met-opera.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “A scene from "Orfeo ed Euridice. http://www.metoperafamily.org/metop…/season/production.aspx… Photo: Marty Sohl/Met Opera.” Facebook. Dec. 18, 2008.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.63777700532/104674870532/

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “Ferruccio Furlanetto and Joseph Calleja in a scene from Simon Boccanegra, opening April 1. bit.ly/1VVpvQB.” Facebook. April 1, 2016.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.10156852113780533/10156852116520533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "In light of the circumstances involving the coronavirus and in consultation with the Office of the Mayor of New York City, we regret to inform our audience that all Met performances have been canceled through March 31, including tonight’s planned performance of La Cenerentola. This Saturday’s Live in HD cinema presentation of Der Fliegende Holländer has also been canceled. Thank you for your understanding. Learn More: www.metopera.org/updates." Facebook. March 12, 2020.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/10163327604920533

“New Production: Simon Boccanegra.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351862 New Production Simon Boccanegra {105} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/19/1995.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351862

"Season Cancellation." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357448 Season Cancellation March 12-May 9, 2020. Metropolitan Opera House: 03/12/2020.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357448

“United States Premiere: Simon Boccanegra.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 110120 United States Premiere Simon Boccanegra {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/28/1932.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=110120helcatj. "The Metropolitan Opera Company 2019-2020 Season." Showcase Opera and Events blog. Aug. 13, 2019.
Available @ https://showcaseoperaandeventsblog.wordpress.com/2019/08/13/the-metropolitan-opera-company-2019-2020-season/

Woolfe, Zachary. "The Metropolitan Opera Season That Vanished." The New York Times > Arts > Music. May 13, 2020.
Available @ https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/13/arts/music/metropolitan-opera-coronavirus.html