Fedora by Giordano Is Jan. 14, 2023, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Fedora by Giordano is the Jan. 14, 2023, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the fifth of the 2022-2023 season's 24 Saturday radio broadcasts.

Sonya Yoncheva (Princess Fedora Romazov), wearing Fedora's infamous poison-containing, jeweled Byzantine cross, poses with Rosa Feola (Countess Olga Sukarev), Lucas Meachem (Giovanni De Siriex) and Piotr Beczała (Count Loris Ipanov) four days before the New Year's Eve debut of Sir David McVicar's new production of Umberto Giordano's Fedora: costumes designed by German designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel: Lucas Meachem, via Facebook Dec. 27, 2022

Fedora by Giordano is the Jan. 14, 2023, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing at 1:00 p.m., Eastern Time, as the fifth of the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Italian composer Umberto Giordano (Aug. 28, 1867-Nov. 12, 1948) based his fifth opera, Fedora, on the same-named, French-language play, Fédora, by Victorien Sardou (Sep. 5, 1831-Nov. 8, 1908). The four-act drama had opened, under the author's directorship, Monday, Dec. 11, 1882, at Théâtre du Vaudeville's third location, at the corner of le boulevard des Capucines and la rue de la Chaussée-d'Antin, in the ninth arrondissment (9e, or IXe, arrondissment), on the Seine's right bank (le rive droite de la Seine). Italian journalist and librettist Arturo Colautti (Oct. 9, 1851-Nov. 9, 1914) created the Italian-language libretto for Giordano's operatic adaptation of Sardou's Fédora.

Giordano's Fedora premiered Thursday, Nov. 17, 1898, at Teatro Lirico in Milan, capital of north central Italy's Lombardy region. Italian verismo ("realism") soprano Gemma Bellincioni (born Matilda Cesira Bellincioni; Aug. 18, 1864-April 23, 1950) and Italian operatic tenor Enrico Caruso (Feb. 25, 1873-Aug. 2, 1921) sang the title and leading male roles, respectively.

Fedora's United States premiere took place Wednesday, Dec. 5, 1906, at the Metropolitan Opera House, then located at 1411 Broadway, between West 39th and West 40th streets, in Midtown Manhattan's Garment District. Fedora received five performances in its Met premiere season. Italian operatic dramatic soprano Lina Cavalieri (born Natalina Adelina Cavalieri; Dec. 25, 1874-Feb. 7, 1944) and Enrico Caruso sang the title and leading male roles, respectively. Lina Cavalieri made her Met Opera debut in Fedora's U.S. premiere. Enrico Caruso had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 23, 1903, as the Duke of Mantua in the opera company's 35th performance of Rigoletto by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901).

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's staging of Giordano's Fedora debuts a new production under the directorship of Sir David McVicar. The Scottish opera and theatre director had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, in the opera company's 600th performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore.

Sir David's new production ends Fedora's 25-year absence from Met Opera's performance rosters. Fedora was last performed in the 1996-1997 Met Opera season.

Fedora receives eight performances in the 2022-2023 season. The new production debuted New Year's Eve, Saturday, Dec. 31, at 6:30 p.m. Eastern Time. Fedora's second through fourth performances took place Wednesday, Jan. 4, at 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 7, at 8:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Jan. 11, at 7:00 p.m.

The season's fifth Fedora performance is offered Saturday, Jan. 14, at 1:00 p.m., as the 2022-2023 season's fifth Saturday matinee broadcast. Fedora's sixth through eighth, closing performances are scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 19, at 8:00 p.m.; Sunday matinee, Jan. 22, at 3:00 p.m.; Saturday, Jan. 28, at 8:00 p.m.

Marco Armiliato conducts all eight Fedora performances in the 2022-2023 season. The Italian conductor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 9, 1998, in the opera company’s 1,048th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Sonya Yoncheva appears in all performances as Princess Fedora Romazov, whose jeweled Byzantine cross symbolizes her emotional arc as the object over which she makes her hate-filled avowal of avengement for her fiancé Count Vladimiro Andrejevich's murder in the first act and as the container of poison for her redemptive suicide in the third act. The Bulgarian operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Nov. 21, 2013, as Gilda in the opera company’s 859th performance of Verdi's Rigoletto.

Rosa Feola performs on all dates as Fedora's cousin, Countess Olga Sukarev, whose travels with Fedora from St. Petersburg to Paris and then to the Swiss Alps culminate in her possible happiness with French diplomat Giovanni De Siriex and Fedora's guilt-driven suicide for the collateral deaths ensuing from her earlier vengeful betrayal of her lover, Count Loris Ipanov. The Italian operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, April 26, 2019, as Gilda in the opera company's 895th performance of Rigoletto.

Piotr Beczała appears in all performances as Count Loris Ipanov, whose tragedy includes fatally shooting in self-defense his wife's lover, Fedora's fiancé Count Vladimiro Andrejevich; his wife's death; his brother's and mother's deaths, collaterally ensuing from Fedora's earlier betrayal; and Fedora's suicidal end of their love affair. The Polish operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Dec. 19, 2006, as the Duke of Mantua in the opera company’s 814th performance of Verdi's Rigoletto.

Lucas Meachem appears in the first seven performances as French diplomat Giovanni De Siriex, who had discovered Fedora's bloody, near-death fiancé Count Vladimiro Andrejevich in the first act and whose love for Fedora's cousin, Countess Olga Sukarev, seems to be reciprocated in a bicycle ride in the mountains in the third act. The American baritone had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Dec. 10, 2007, as General Rayevsky in the opera company’s 11th performance of War and Peace by Soviet composer, conductor and pianist Sergei Prokofiev (April 23, 1891-March 5, 1953).

Lucas Meachem shares De Siriex with Sergio Vitale, who sings the role in the 2022-2023 season's eighth, closing performance of Fedora. The Italian baritone's appearance Saturday, Jan. 28, marks his Met Opera debut.

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the Jan. 14, 2023, airing of Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore. The heartwarming comic opera is scheduled as the sixth of the season's 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Rehearsals for the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's new production of Umberto Giordano's Fedora take place on sets by English stage designer Charles Edwards; (upper left) Sonya Yoncheva (Fedora), (upper left) Sonya Yoncheva (Fedora) and Piotr Beczała (Count Loris Ipanov); (lower left) Rosa Feola (Countess Olga Sukarev); (lower right) Lucas Meachem (Govanni Di Siriex): Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Dec. 20, 2022

Acknowledgment

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

Image credits:

Sonya Yoncheva (Princess Fedora Romazov), wearing Fedora's infamous poison-containing, jeweled Byzantine cross, poses with Rosa Feola (Countess Olga Sukarev), Lucas Meachem (Giovanni De Siriex) and Piotr Beczała (Count Loris Ipanov) four days before the New Year's Eve debut of Sir David McVicar's new production of Umberto Giordano's Fedora: costumes designed by German designer Brigitte Reiffenstuel: Lucas Meachem, via Facebook Dec. 27, 2022.
Available via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/LucasBaritone/posts/pfbid0TC5Wh1vYnXmon1reZdayMc3TmBxTnKdEVeFte5jxRFgK6nznaDQfYVPgtDqmcdHzl

Rehearsals for the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's new production of Umberto Giordano's Fedora take place on sets by English stage designer Charles Edwards; (upper left) Sonya Yoncheva (Fedora), (upper left) Sonya Yoncheva (Fedora) and Piotr Beczała (Count Loris Ipanov); (lower left) Rosa Feola (Countess Olga Sukarev); (lower right) Lucas Meachem (Govanni Di Siriex): Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera, via Twitter Dec. 20, 2022, @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1605355958246539267

For further information:

"Debut: Lina Cavalieri, Tullio Voghera." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 38090 United States Premiere Fedora {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/5/1906. Debut: Lina Cavalieri, Tullio Voghera.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=38090

"Debut: Rosa Feola." MetOpera Database > Met Performance] CID: 357221 Rigoletto {895} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/26/2019.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357221

“Debut: Sonya Yoncheva.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355145 Rigoletto {859} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/21/2013.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355145

"Debuts: David McVicar, Charles Edwards, Brigitte Reiffenstuel, Leah Hausman." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353605 New Production Il Trovatore {600} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/16/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353605

"Debuts: Enrico Caruso, Ellen Förnsen, Arturo Vigna, Karl Schroeder, Baruch & Co." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 32000 New production Rigoletto {35} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/23/1903. (Opening Night {19} Heinrich Conried, General Manager.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=32000

“Debuts: Gregory Lorenz, Marco Armiliato.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 331123 La Bohème {1048} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/09/1998.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=331123

“Debuts: Piotr Beczala, Kate Aldrich.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351731 Rigoletto {814} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/19/2006.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351731

Lucas Meachem. "Lucas Meachem is at The Metropolitan Opera. Instagram. The best of 2022 is yet to come. We open Fedora this Saturday New Years Eve with these incredible artists. I am blown away by their amazing voices!!! And Giordano’s score is one of the most luscious, romantic, and dramatic displays of verismo music I’ve ever heard. New York, are you ready for Fedora??!?!!! Then . . . The World! Your turn is January 14th. @metopera @sonyayoncheva @rosa_feola @piotrbeczala #opera #nycmusic #newyork #lincolncenter #tenor #soprano #baritone #theatre #singers." Facebook. Dec. 27, 2022.
Available via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/LucasBaritone/posts/pfbid0TC5Wh1vYnXmon1reZdayMc3TmBxTnKdEVeFte5jxRFgK6nznaDQfYVPgtDqmcdHzl

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2022-2023 Season Has 24 Saturday Matinee Opera Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 28, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/11/met-operas-2022-2023-season-has-24.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Three of Seven 2022-2023 Met Opera Season New Productions Are Premieres." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 21, 2022.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2022/11/three-of-seven-2022-2023-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Umberto Giordano, Born Aug. 28, 1867, Composed Madame Sans-Gêne." Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 26, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/08/umberto-giordano-born-aug-28-1867.html

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Rehearsals for Giordano’s Fedora have moved to the main stage! Soprano @SonyaYoncheva stars in David McVicar’s vivid new production, conducted by Marco Armiliato. The drama begins New Year’s Eve: http://bit.ly/3HoLbS2 Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera." Twitter. Dec. 20, 2022.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1605355958246539267

"New Production: Fedora." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357794 New Production Fedora {36} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/2022, Broadcast (New Production {36} Peter Gelb General Manager Broadcast). Metropolitan Opera House December 31, 2022 New Year's Eve Gala New Production.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357794

"United States Premiere: Fedora." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 38090 United States Premiere Fedora {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/5/1906. Debut: Lina Cavalieri, Tullio Voghera.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=38090

Tarmy, James A. "Step Backstage at the Met Opera’s Sumptuous New Production of Fedora." Bloomberg. Dec. 27, 2022.
Available @ https://www.bloomberg.com/news/features/2022-12-27/fedora-at-the-met-opera-see-the-sets-costumes-and-dazzling-glamour?cmpid=socialflow-twitter-business&utm_content=business&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=socialflow-organic&leadSource=uverify%20wall