The Met Turns Up the Heat

Summer programming from The Metropolitan Opera.
by Paul J. Pelkonen

Thousands watch Elina Garanca and Roberto Alagna in Carmen.
Image © 2011 The Metropolitan Opera.

The Metropolitan Opera is currently in the middle of its summer recital series, with three concerts around New York City next week. Upcoming concerts include appearances in the Bronx's Crotona Park (Tues, July 23)  Clove Lakes Park in Staten Island (July 25), Manhattan's Jackie Robinson Park (July 30) and Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens on Aug. 1.
The remaining concerts in the series feature soprano Ying Fang, tenor Mario Chang and bass-baritone Brandon Cedel. Pianist Bradley Moore will accompany the singers.
On Aug. 24, the Met takes over Lincoln Center Plaza with the return of its Live In HD Festival. With a big screen mounted on the front of the opera house, this 10-day series offers New Yorkers a free look at some of the better broadcasts of recent years.
Highlights include Anna Netrebko's barnstorming Lucia di Lammermoor, Thomas Adés' The Tempest, last year's stellar La Clemenza di Tito and the welcome return of Robert Lepage's epic production of La Damnation de Faust. Here's the complete schedule. All linked titles below connect to Superconductor reviews (because we're thorough like that!)
Aug. 24: Verdi's La Traviata with Natalie Dessay.
Aug. 25: Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor with Anna Netrebko.
Aug. 26: Adés' The Tempest with Simon Keenlyside and Isabel Leonard
Aug. 27: Verdi's Otello with Renée Fleming and Johan Botha.
Aug. 28: Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito with Barbara Frittoli and Elena Garanca.
Aug. 29: Berlioz' La Damnation de Faust with Susan Graham and Marcello Giordani.
Aug. 30: Donizetti's Maria Stuarda starring Joyce DiDonato.
Aug. 31: Massenet's Manon with Anna Netrebko.
Sept. 1: Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera with Sondra Radvanovsky
Sept. 2: Verdi's Aida with Liudmyla Monastyrska.