Saturday Matinee Broadcasts Include Six Special Programs in 2023-2024

Summary: Met Opera's 2023-2024 Saturday matinee radio broadcast schedule intersperses operas with six special programs, including Mozart and Verdi requiems.

Met Opera's maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin poses with Met Opera Musicians on the opera company's dramatic staircase, in front of "The Broken Nine," 9-by-25-foot mosaic panel by American artist Rashid Johnson (born 1977); photos by Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Monday, Aug. 21, 2023

The Metropolitan Opera intersperses the 2023-2024 season's Saturday matinee radio broadcast schedule with six special programs that include Valentine's Day duets as well as Mozart and Verdi requiems.

Met Opera's 2023-2024 season of Saturday matinee radio broadcasts schedules six Saturdays for special programs. February offers two special program dates. Two special program dates happen in March. One special program date occurs in May. The last special program date is scheduled in June.

Met Opera celebrates Valentine's Day, which is observed annually on Feb. 14, with a program entitled "Valentines from the Met: Great Love Duets." The Saturday matinee radio broadcast, which begins Feb. 10 at 1:00 p.m., is described as: "Romantic moments in memorable performances from the Met's radio archives."

Two weeks later, on Feb. 24, a special program of "Mozart and Beethoven in Concert at the Met" airs at 1:00 p.m. The program broadcasts the Feb. 24, 2023, performance of the Requiem by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). Met Opera's maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the performance. The French-Canadian conductor (Québécois) had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009, in the opera company's 946th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

The soloists for Mozart's Requiem in D Minor are South American soprano Golda Schultz, Canadian-Italian mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo, Ukrainian tenor Dmytro Popov and Ukrainian bass-baritone Vladyslav Buialskyi. South American soprano Golda Schultz had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Sep. 27, 2017, as Pamina in the opera company’s 433rd performance of Die Zauberflöte by 18th century Classical Era composer Wolfgang Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791). Canadian-Italian mezzo-soprano Emily D'Angelo had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Nov. 8, 2018, as Pantalis in the opera company's 68th performance of Mefistofele by Italian composer and librettist Arrigo Boito (Feb. 24, 1842-June 10, 1918). Ukrainian tenor Dmytro Popov had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Sep. 28, 2016, as Rodolfo in the opera company’s 1,291st performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924). Ukrainian bass-baritone Vladyslav Buialskyi had made his Met Opera debut Mon., Feb. 28, 2022, as one of six Flemish Deputies in a new production of Don Carlos by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) debuting in the opera company's 218th performance of the Verdian opera.

The second part of the Feb. 24 special program airs the finale of Symphony No. 9 by German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven (bapt. Dec. 17, 1770-March 26, 1827). The Saturday matinee presents the performance of Beethoven's D-minor choral symphony from Monday, March 14, 2022. Elza van den Heever, American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton, Polish operatic tenor Piotr Beczala and American bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green appear as the symphony's soloists.

South African soprano Elza van den Heever had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Dec. 31, 2012, as Elisabetta in the opera company’s premiere of Maria Stuarda by 19th-century Italian bel canto opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848). American mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton had made her Met Opera debut Wednesday, Sep. 23, 2009, as the second of three ladies in the opera company’s 393rd performance of Mozart's Die Zauberflöte. Polish tenor Piotr Beczala 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. American bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2012, as a Mandarin in the opera company’s 287th performance of Puccini's Turandot.

One week later, the Saturday matinee radio broadcast for March 2 derives from "Listeners' Choice: Great Met Broadcasts." La Favorita by Italian composer Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848) was voted as the Listeners' Choice in the 2022-2023 season. The special program aired the Saturday, March 11, 1978, performance of La Favorita, with Jesús López-Cobos (Feb. 25, 1940-March 2, 2018) on the podium. The Spanish conductor had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Feb. 4, 1978, in the opera company's 33rd performance of Adriana Lecouvreur by Italian composer Francesco Cilea (July 23, 1866-Nov. 20, 1950).

Shirley Verrett (May 31, 1931-Nov. 5, 2010) sang the title role of Leonora, favorite mistress of Alfonso XI (Aug. 13, 1311-March 26, 1350), King of Castile and León. The American mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Sep. 21, 1968, in the title role of Carmen in the opera company's 641st performance of Bizet's Carmen.

Luciano Pavarotti (Oct. 12, 1935-Sep. 6, 2007) appeared as Fernando, whose reciprocated love for Leonora impels his departure from and return to monastic orders. The Italian operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 23, 1968, as Rodolfo in the opera company's 680th performance of Puccini's La Bohème.

Sherrill Milnes (born Jan. 10, 1935) sang King Alfonso, who dismantles the love triangle by an order of the lovers' immediate marriage that sends Fernando back to the monastery and that leads to dispirited, exhausted Leonora's death. The American dramatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 22, 1965, as Valentin in the opera company’s 594th performance of Faust by 19th century French composer Charles-François Gounod (June 17, 1818-Oct. 18, 1893).

March's second special program takes place on March 30. The Saturday matinee airs the second event of Met Opera's 2023-2024 season, Messa da Requiem by Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducted the Verdi Requiem on Wednesday, Sep. 27, at 7:00 p.m. Leah Hawkins, Karen Cargill, Matthew Polenzani and Dmitry Belosselskiy appeared as the four soloists in Verdi's musical setting of the Catholic funeral mass.

American soprano Leah Hawkins had made her Met Opera debut Friday, Nov. 23, 2018, as an Alms Collector in the opera company's 75th performance of Puccini's Suor Angelica. Scottish operatic mezzo-soprano Karen Cargill had made her Met Opera debut Tuesday, April 24, 2012, as Waltraute in the opera company’s 231st performance of Götterdämmerung by German Romantic era composer-librettist Richard Wagner (May 22, 1813-Feb. 13, 1883). American lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Dec. 19, 1997, as Khrushchov in the opera company’s 251st performance of Boris Godunov by Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (March 21, 1839-March 28, 1881). The Ukrainian bass Dmitry Belosselskiy made his Metropolitan Opera debut Saturday, Nov. 5, 2011, as Zaccaria in the opera company’s 54th performance of Verdi's Nabucco.

The last two of the 2023-2024 season's Saturday matinee special programs are listed as "Program TBA."

Saturday, Sep 11, 2021, performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem, "the Verdi Requiem," conducted by Met Opera's maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin and includng American lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani as soloistt; photo by Richard Termine / Met Opera: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Sep. 13, 2021

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 maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin poses with Met Opera Musicians on the opera company's dramatic staircase, in front of "The Broken Nine," 9-by-25-foot mosaic panel by American artist Rashid Johnson (born 1977); photos by Evan Zimmerman / Met Opera: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Monday, Aug. 21, 2023, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/pfbid02vjdSS6AXxc3QNdUPQ9nVTsQMY76er5yhtjEbVoAhiwYWUGgPytEFVrEYVBPbJiWml

Saturday, Sep 11, 2021, performance of Giuseppe Verdi's Messa da Requiem, "the Verdi Requiem," conducted by Met Opera's maestro Yannick Nézet-Séguin and includng American lyric tenor Matthew Polenzani as soloist; photo by Richard Termine / Met Opera: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Sep. 13, 2021, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/pfbid02nrKuYqAJMbn1m9p3CDbqF6f4bjZcZQ8xUCvY8bsRN8vfDziVSNJfcMVXYv4vYShl

For further information:

“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

“Debut: Dmytro Popov.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356480 La Bohème {1291} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/28/2016.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356480

“Debut: Elza van den Heever.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354759 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Maria Stuarda {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/2012.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354759

"Debut: Emily D'Angelo, Julian Fertel, N. Casey Schopflocher." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357090 Die Zauberflöte {443} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/19/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357090

"Debut : Vladyslav Buialskyi, Samson Setu." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357580 New Production Don Carlos {218} Metropolitan Opera House Mon, February 28, 2022 Broadcast. Debut: Vladyslav Buialskyi, Samson Setu. In French. Don Carlos (218) Giuseppe Verdi.
Available @ https://archives.metopera.org/MetOperaSearch/record.jsp?dockey=0386937

“Debuts: Bernard Labadie, Matthias Klink, Jamie Barton, Georg Zeppenfeld.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353076 Die Zauberflöte {393} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/23/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353076

"Debuts: Brian Michael Moore, YI Li, Jessica Faselt, Sharon Azrieli, Leah Hawkins, Kristina Mkhitaryan." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357063 Il Trittico {75} Il Tabarro {81} Suor Angelica {75} Gianni Schicchi {139} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/23/2018.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357063

“Debuts: Constantin Pluzhnikov, Olga Borodina, Iosef Shalamayev, Nikolai Gassiev, Daniel Sumegi, Matthew Polenzani.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 330264 Boris Godunov {251} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/19/1997.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=330264

“Debuts: Golda Schultz, Lucas Mann.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356741 Die Zauberflöte {433} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/27/2017.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356741

"Debuts: Karen Cargill." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354490 Götterdämmerung {231} Ring Cycle [109] Uncut. Metropolitan Opera House: 04/24/2012.br /> Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354490

“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

“Debuts: Ryan Speedo Green, Oriada Islami Prifti.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 354549 Turandot {287} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/26/2012.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=354549

Marriner, Derdriu. "La Favorita March 11, 1978, Airing Is March 4, 2023, Saturday Airing." Earth and Space News. Monday, Feb. 27, 2023.
Availabe @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/02/la-favorita-march-11-1978-airing-is.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera Calendars 2023-2024 Season Operas Sep. 26 Through June 8." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sep. 18, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/09/met-opera-calendars-2023-2024-season.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera Newly Stages Carmen and La Forza del Destino in 2023-2024." Earth and Space News. Monday, Sep. 11, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/09/met-opera-newly-stages-carmen-and-la.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "The Metropolitan Opera Performs 18 Operas in the 2023-2024 Season." Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 21, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/08/the-metropolitan-opera-performs-18.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Metropolitan Opera Revives 12 Productions in 2023-2024 Season." Earth and Space News. Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2023/08/metropolitan-opera-revives-12.html

The Metropolitan Opera. "Saturday night’s performance of Verdi’s Requiem brought the audience to its feet, rounding out a night we’ll never forget. From the superb artistry to the sublime beauty of Verdi’s score, our first evening back in the opera house in 18 months was an emotional experience for everyone—the company, the artists, and the thousands of people watching and listening—both in the auditorium and at home. If you missed it, the full concert is available on demand at pbs.org/gperf and on the PBS Video app. Photo by Richard Termine / Met Opera." Facebook. Sep. 13, 2021.
Available via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/pfbid02nrKuYqAJMbn1m9p3CDbqF6f4bjZcZQ8xUCvY8bsRN8vfDziVSNJfcMVXYv4vYShl