Metropolitan Opera - the main stage of world opera art

The Metropolitan Opera - a world-class music theater at the Lincoln Center in Manhattan, New York, opened in 1880. In connection with numerous organizational issues, the first performances were shown in 1883.

The name "Metropolitan Opera" is difficult to pronounce, and since it is used quite often, it is common to say "Met" in simple treatment. The theater takes the first place in the world rating of opera scenes, along with Milan's "La Scala", London's Covent Garden and the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. In the concert hall of the Metropolitan Opera there are 3800 seats. The foyer of the theater is more like the hall of the Museum of Fine Arts due to the priceless frescoes of Marc Chagall.

Theater management

The theater is funded by the Metropolitan Opera House Company, which, in turn, receives subsidies from large companies, concerns, and individuals. All the affairs are led by the general director Peter Gelb. The artistic management is entrusted to the chief conductor of the theater, James Levine, assisted by the leading choreographer Josef Fritz and chief choirmaster Donald Polumbo.

Regulations

The theatrical season of the Metropolitan Opera continues from September to April, without days off, with daily performances. May and June are guest tours. The whole of July is dedicated to charity, the theater conducts free performances in New York parks and squares, while collecting a huge number of people. August is going to organizational events and preparations for the next season.

The Metropolitan Opera Symphony Orchestra is staffed on a permanent basis, the theatrical choir is also a constant part of concert programs. Conductors and soloists are invited by contract - either for the whole season, or for individual performances. In some cases, the contract is for several seasons, as, for example, it was with the singer Anna Netrebko, who signed the contract immediately for five years.

Opera arias in the Metropolitan Opera are performed only in the original language. The repertoire is made up of masterpieces of world classics, including works of Russian composers such as Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Rimsky-Korsakov and many others.

How did the theater begin?

Originally, the Metropolitan Opera was located in one of the theaters on Broadway and was the most visited area of opera. However, in 1892, a fire broke out in the building, which interrupted speeches for a long time. Somewhere the hall and the stage were restored, and the collective continued its work. The Metropolitan Opera, a theater on Broadway, was becoming increasingly popular.

Moving in

In 1966, Manhattan opened the Lincoln Center for Performing Arts, which gathered under its roof all the leading theaters in New York, including such as the Metropolitan Opera. The New York auditorium turned out to be successful in terms of acoustics, and, importantly, quite roomy. In addition to the main scene, there are three additional auxiliary scenes.

Unique frescoes

The lobby of the Metropolitan Opera impresses with its decoration. On the walls are the monumental frescoes of Marc Chagall. The management of the theater pondered the project for a long time. Even for such a wealthy theater as the Metropolitan Opera, such works of art are unimaginable in value. Therefore, the frescoes of the great artist were sold to a private person, but with the condition that they stay in place in the foyer of the theater.

Premieres and productions

If you return to the beginning of the history of the Metropolitan Opera Theater in New York, the first premiere was the opera of Charles Gounod "Faust", which took place on October 22, 1883. Then there was the premiere of "Girl from the West" by Giacomo Puccini in December 1910. In 1918 Puccini's triptych "Gianni Schicchi", "Cloak" and "Sister Angelica" was played. In October 1958, the Metropolitan Opera presented the public "Vanessa" Barbara Samuel, who received the Pulitzer Prize as an outstanding musical premiere.

By the middle of the twentieth century, the theater was already on par with the leading opera scenes of the world - "La Scala" and the Vienna Opera. The talented conductors of that time, Arturo Toscanini, Felix Mottl, Mahler Gustav, contributed to the success. The artistic management of the theater invited to participate in their performances the most famous singers of world renown. In 1903, in the opera "Rigoletto" debuted Enrico Caruso, who played the role of the Duke of Mantua. The great tenor worked at the Metropolitan Opera until 1920. Caruso opened several seasons.

In 1948, the greatest opera singer Maria Callas performed in the theater for the first time, in the opera "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi. In 1949, followed by Brunnhilde's aria from the "Valkyrie" Richard Wagner. Then, already in 1956, Kallas sang in the opera Norma Bellini. From the proposed aria of Madame Butterfly in "Chio-Cio-san", she refused because of excess weight. However, the singer performed the aria of Elvira from the "Puritan" Bellini.

The year 1967 was the beginning of cooperation with the most famous singers of the world opera scene - Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. With Placido Domingo, relations have developed in the best way, the singer has opened the season 21 times at the Metropolitan Opera Theater. The New York public already began to consider the famous tenor as their own. And Luciano Pavarotti, speaking in Manhattan, became the record holder in the number of ovations: once the curtain went up to the encore 165 times! This fact was recorded in the Guinness Book of Records.

Broadcasts

Since 1931, records from the performances of the Metropolitan Opera Theater, the translation of whole stories and individual fragments from the productions have become regular. The first was the opera "Hansel and Gretel". And since 2006 the theater in Manhattan began to broadcast their performances live.

Hall

The unique curtain of the Metropolitan Opera weighs more than half a ton, heavy heavy fabric embroidered with metallic sequins. Special equipment for moving and lifting the curtain is made in the German workshop "Gerrits" in the city of Umkirch.