Met Opera's 2021-2022 Season Has 28 Saturday Matinee Broadcasts

Summary: Met Opera's 2021-2022 season has 28 Saturday matinee broadcasts, from Aucoin's Eurydice on Dec. 4 to Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress on June 11.

Met Opera's 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast season opens Dec. 4 with Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera and LA Opera and co-produced with LA Opera: New York Times Arts @nytimesarts, via Twitter Feb. 3, 2020

Met Opera's 2021-2022 season has 28 Saturday matinee broadcasts, starting Dec. 4 with Aucoin's Eurydice and ending June 11 with Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress.

The 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast season's 28 dates includes four specially themed broadcasts. The Christmas airing, Dec. 25, considers "Aida at the Met." The Feb. 5 Saturday matinee broadcast reviews "The Met’s First Decade on the Air." The Feb. 12 installment airs the opera house's Saturday, Sept. 11, special performance of Verdi's Requiem in commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the four Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks against the United States. The March 5 Saturday matinee broadcast concerns "Listeners’ Choice: Great Met Broadcasts."

Operas claim 24 of the 2021-2022 season's 28 Saturday matinee broadcasts. The 24 opera dates present 23 operas, as the winter and spring casts of Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro receive two separate Saturday matinee broadcasts (Jan. 15; April 9).

Seventeen composers are represented in the 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast season. Giacomo Puccini dominates the Saturday matinee broadcasts with four operas: La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Turandot. Two operas each come from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (The Magic Flute, Le Nozze di Figaro), Richard Strauss (Ariadne auf Naxos, Elektra) and Giuseppe Verdi (Don Carlos, Rigoletto).

Nineteen conductors are represented in the 24 opera dates. Six of the Saturday matinee broadcasts are under the conductorship of Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Met Opera's third music director.

Except for three operas, the Saturday matinee opera broadcasts begin at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time. The Saturday matinee broadcasts of Handel's Rodelinda on March 19, Verdi's Don Carlos on March 26 and Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg begin at noon, 12 p.m. Eastern Time.

Eurydice by American composer, conductor and pianist Matthew Aucoin (born April 4, 1990) opens the 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast season as a Network Broadcast Premiere on Dec. 4. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the opera, with American coloratura soprano Erin Morley and Canadian baritone Joshua Hopkins as Greek mythology's Hades-separated couple.

Tosca by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924) is the Dec. 11 Saturday matinee broadcast. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts, as American-Canadian soprano Sondra Radvanovsky, American operatic tenor Brian Jagde and Russian bass-baritone Evgeny Nikitin sing the emotional triangle of Tosca, Cavaradossi and Scarpia.

The Magic Flute, the abridged English-language version of Die Zauberflöte by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791), airs Dec. 18 under the baton of British maestro Jane Glover (born May 13, 1949). American lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani and South Korean-American lyric soprano Hera Hyesang Park respectively sing Tamino and Pamina to Mexican operatic tenor Rolando Villazón's Papageno, American bass Morris Robinson's Sarastro and American coloratura soprano Kathryn Lewek's Queen of the Night.

Cinderella, the abridged English-language version of Cendrillon by French Romantic Era composer Jules Massenet (May 12, 1842-Aug. 13, 1912), airs New Year's Day, Jan. 1. French maestro Emmanuel Villaume (born 1964) conducts. American operatic mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard sings the title role to Canadian-Italian mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo's trouser role as Prince Charming.

Fire Shut Up in My Bones by American jazz musician and composer Terence Blanchard (born March 13, 1962) is the Jan. 8 Saturday matinee broadcast. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. American operatic baritone Will Liverman's Charles finds redemptive love with American operatic soprano Angel Blue's Greta.

Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro airs Jan. 15 as the first of the opera's two Saturday matinee broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. American lyric bass-baritone Ryan McKinny's Figaro, English soprano Lucy Crowe's Susanna, South African soprano Golda Schultz's Countess Almaviva and German baritone Christian Gerhaher's Count Almaviva discover love's ultimately happy reign.

Puccini's La Bohème is the Jan. 22 Saturday matinee broadcast. Italian maestro Carlo Rizzi (born July 19, 1960) conducts. Italian soprano Maria Agresta sings sweet Mimì to American operatic tenor Charles Castronovo's Rodolfo.

Rigoletto by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) airs Jan. 29, under the conductorship of Italian maestro Daniele Rustioni (born 1983). American baritone Quinn Kelsey's Rigoletto is powerless to prevent the besotted self-sacrifice by Italian operatic soprano Rosa Feola's Gilda for Polish operatic tenor Piotr Beczała's lascivious Duke of Mantua.

Boris Godunov by Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (March 21, 1839-March 28, 1881) airs Feb. 19. The Saturday matinee broadcast plays the opera's Oct. 9 Saturday matinee performance. German maestro Sebastian Weigle (born 1961) conducts, as German operatic bass René Pape sings the demanding title role.

Iphigénie en Tauride by German classical composer Christoph von Gluck (July 2, 1714-Nov. 15, 1787) airs Feb. 26. The Saturday matinee broadcast plays the opera's Oct. 2 Saturday matinee performance. French contralto and conductor Nathalie Stutzmann (born May 6, 1965) conducts. American mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsey and French-Canadian baritone Etienne Dupuis sing the shipwreck-reunited siblings, Iphigénie and Oreste.

Ariadne auf Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sept. 8, 1949) airs March 12, under the baton of Polish-born German maestro Marek Janowski (born Feb. 18, 1939). Norwegian lyric dramatic soprano Lise Davidsen sings Ariadne to American operatic tenor Brandon Jovanovich's Bacchus in the opera within an opera.

Rodelinda by German-British baroque composer George Frideric Handel (Feb. 23, 1685-April 14, 1759) airs March 19 at 12 p.m. noon Eastern Time. British maestro and baroque interpreter Harry Bicket (born 1961) conducts. South African soprano Elza van den Heever sings Rodelinda to British classical countertenor Iestyn Davies' Bertarido as American operatic tenor Paul Appleby sings Grimoaldo to American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton's Eduige.

Verdi's Don Carlos airs March 26 at 12 p.m. noon Eastern Time, under the conductorship of Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. American lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani's Don Carlos, Bulgarian operatic soprano Sonya Yoncheva's Élisabeth de Valois, Austrian bass Günther Groissböck's Philippe II and Latvian operatic mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča's La Princesse Eboli exemplify thwarted royal love during the 16th century's Spanish Inquisition.

Eugene Onegin by Russian late Romantic era composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (May 7, 1840-Nov. 6, 1893) airs April 2. American maestro James Gaffigan (born 1979) conducts. Russian baritone Igor Golovatenko's previously love-faltered Onegin is rebuffed by American operatic soprano Ailyn Pérez's Tatiana in favor of her husband, Estonian operatic bass Ain Anger's Prince Gremin.

Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro airs April 9 as the opera's second Saturday matinee broadcast in the 2021-2022 season. Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts. American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn's Figaro, Russian lyric soprano Aida Garifullina's Susanna, Italian operatic soprano Federica Lombardi's Countess Almaviva and Canadian operatic baritone Gerald Finley's Count Almaviva traverse obstacles that dissipate into happy endings.

Strauss's Elektra airs April 16. Scottish maestro Donald Runnicles (born Nov. 16, 1954) conducts. Swedish dramatic soprano Nina Stemme's Elektra rejoices that matricide of German operatic soprano Michaela Schuster's Klytämnestra by Austrian bass Greer Grimsley's Orest exempts her from executing revenge against her mother.

Porgy and Bess by American composer and pianist George Gershwin (Sept. 26, 1898-July 11, 1937) is the April 23 Saturday matinee broadcast. American maestro David Robertson (born July 19, 1958) conducts. Eric Owens and American operatic soprano Angel Blue sing the title roles.

Puccini's Madama Butterfly airs April 30, under the conductorship of British maestro Alexander Soddy (Dec. 20, 1982) conducts. Italian soprano Eleonora Buratto's Cio-Cio-San tragedizes rejection by American operatic tenor Brian Jagde's Pinkerton.

Puccini's Turandot is the May 7 Saturday matinee broadcast. Italian maestro Marco Armiliato (born 1967) conducts. Russian operatic soprano Anna Netrebko's Turandot has a happy ending with South Korean operatic tenor Yonghoon Lee's riddle-solving Calàf.

Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg ("The Master-Singer of Nuremburg") by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883) airs May 14 at 12 p.m. noon Eastern Time, under the conductorship of English-Italian maestro Sir Antonio Pappano (born Dec. 30, 1959) conducts. German operatic baritone Michael Volle's master-singing cobbler Hans Sachs rapidly teaches rule-driven master-singing to German operatic tenor Klaus Florian Vogt's knightly Walther Von Stolzing) so he qualifies as husband for Norwegan lyric dramatic soprano's Lise Davidsen's Eva.

Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848) is the May 21 Saturday matinee broadcast. Italian maestro Riccardo Frizza (born Dec. 14, 1971) conducts. American soprano Nadine Sierra sings unhinged Lucia to her true love, Mexican operatic tenor Javier Camarena's Edgardo.

Akhnaten by American composer Philip Glass (born Jan. 31, 1937) airs May 28. American orchestral and opera maestro Karen Kamensek (born Jan. 2, 1970) conducts. The monotheistic plans of American countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo's Akhnaten, supported by his wife, Canadian-Tunisian mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb's Nefertiti, and his mother, Icelandic soprano Disella Lárusdóttir's Queen Tye, ultimately enemize Queen Tye's brother and Queen Nefertiti's father, American bass Richard Bernstein's Aye.

Hamlet by contemporary Australian composer, violist and conduct Brett Dean (born Oct. 23, 1961) is the June 4 Saturday matinee broadcast. Australian maestro Nicholas Carter conducts. British tenor Allan Clayton's grief-maddened Hamlet fatally unhinges American operatic soprano Brenda Rae's Ophelia after he questions the hasty marriage of American operatic baritone Rod Gilfry's Claudius to English mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly's Gertrude.

The Rake's Progress by Russian-born composer, conductor and pianist Igor Stravinsky (June 17, 1882-April 6, 1971) airs June 11 as the 2021-2022 season's last Saturday matinee broadcast. Finnish maestro Susanna Mälkki (born 13 March 1969) conducts. American bass-baritone Christian Van Horn's devilish Nick Shadow obstructs the happy courtship of South African soprano Golda Schultz's Anne Trulove by American tenor Ben Bliss's manipulatable Tom Rakewell.

The takeaways for Met Opera's 2021-2022 season of 28 Saturday matinee broadcasts are that four of the dates are specially-themed events; that the 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast season opens Dec. 4 with Aucoin's Eurydice and closes June 11 with Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress; that the 24 Saturday matinee broadcasts play 23 operas, with Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro receiving two Saturday matinee broadcasts; that Met Opera's third music director, Yannick Nézet-Séguin, is the conductor for six Saturday matinee broadcasts; and that Giacomo Puccini contributes the most operas to the 24 Saturday matinee broadcasted operas with four airings: La Bohème, Madama Butterfly, Tosca and Turandot.

Jonathan Miller's production of Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress receives its second Saturday matinee broadcast via the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network Broadcast, airing June 11, 2022, as the 2021-2022 season's last Saturday matinee broadcast: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook May 9, 2015

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Met Opera's 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast season opens Dec. 4 with Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice, commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera and LA Opera and co-produced with LA Opera: New York Times Arts @nytimesarts, via Twitter Feb. 3, 2020, @ https://twitter.com/nytimesarts/status/1224396931264339973

Jonathan Miller's production of Igor Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress receives its second Saturday matinee broadcast via the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network Broadcast, airing June 11, 2022, as the 2021-2022 season's last Saturday matinee broadcast: The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Facebook. May 9, 2015, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10155609244110533/

For further information:

Marriner, Derdriu. "Tosca's Last Two Acts Jan. 12, 1910, Aired as First Met Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 4, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/10/toscas-last-two-acts-jan-12-1910-aired.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera Has Tallied 21 Borises in 273 Performances of Boris Godunov." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 20, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/09/met-opera-has-tallied-21-borises-in-273.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera Staged Thomas's Hamlet Feb. 21, 1884, as First Hamlet Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-opera-staged-thomass-hamlet-feb-21.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Cav Pag Aired Thursday, Jan. 13, 1910, as Second Met Broadcast." Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 11, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/10/cavpag-aired-thursday-jan-13-1910-as.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera Staged L'Orfeo April 1912 as Second Orfeo and Euridice Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 1, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-opera-staged-lorfeo-april-1912-as.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera First Staged Greek Myth of Orfeo ed Euridice in April 1885." Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 18, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/08/met-opera-first-staged-greek-myth-of.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Caurier and Leiser Debuted New Met Staging of Thomas's Hamlet in 2010." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 15, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/caurier-and-leiser-debuted-new-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera Most Recently Staged Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice in 2019-2020." Earth and Space News. Monday, Oct. 25, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/10/met-opera-most-recently-staged-glucks.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "René Pape Added Boris Godunov to His Met Opera Portfolio Oct. 11, 2010." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sept. 27, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/09/rene-pape-added-boris-godunov-to-his.html

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Stravinsky's The Rake's Progress." Facebook. Oct. 31, 2018.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10161201443410533/

The Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Today's Toll Brothers-Met Opera Radio broadcast is Stravinsky's THE RAKE'S PROGRESS. Tune-in at 1:00 pm ET! Find your station here: http://bit.ly/18vJT67." Facebook. May 9, 2015.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/photos/a.134969600532/10155609244110533/

New York Times Arts @nytimesarts. "Matthew Aucoin, just 29, is one of the leading young opera composers. “Eurydice” premiered in Los Angeles and comes to the Met next year. Here's our review." Twitter. Feb. 3, 2020.
Available @ https://twitter.com/nytimesarts/status/1224396931264339973