From today's NY Times [23 March 2000]:
Met Opera's 2000-1 Season
By ANTHONY TOMMASINI
The Metropolitan Opera's 2000-1 season will offer the company's first
performances of Busoni's "Doktor Faust" and Prokofiev's "Gambler,"
as well as new productions of Beethoven's "Fidelio" and Verdi's
"Nabucco" and "Trovatore." Details of the season were released
yesterday.
"Doktor Faust" (1925) is generally regarded as Busoni's masterpiece.
The cast is to include Thomas Hampson in the title role and Katarina
Dalayman as the Duchess of Parma. Produced with the Salzburg Festival,
the opera will be directed by Peter Mussbach.
Temur Chkheidze directs "The Gambler," with Valery Gergiev, the Met's
principal guest conductor, at the podium. The cast is headed by
Vladimir Galouzine and Olga Guryakova in her Met debut.
James Levine, the Met's artistic director, will conduct "Fidelio,"
directed by Jurgen Flimm in his Met debut. The cast includes Karita
Mattila, Ben Heppner, Falk Struckmann and Rene Pape.
The Verdi productions commemorate the 100th anniversary of the
composer's death. "Nabucco" will be directed by Elijah Moshinsky
and conducted by Mr. Levine, with Juan Pons in the title role and
Maria Guleghina as Abigaille.
Graham Vick will direct "Il Trovatore." Marina Mescheriakova, Dolora
Zajick and Neil Shicoff top the cast; Carlo Rizzi conducts.
Verdi's "Aida" features Deborah Voigt, Luciano Pavarotti, Olga Borodina
and Mark Delavan.
Operas returning to the company after 10 or more years include Berg's
"Lulu," with Christine Schafer in the title role, and Rossini's
"Italiana in Algeri," starring Jennifer Larmore and Samuel Ramey.
Wagner's "Parsifal," conducted by Mr. Levine, returns with Placido
Domingo and Violeta Urmana.
Ms. Voigt will sing the title role in Strauss's "Ariadne auf Naxos,"
with Natalie Dessay and Richard Margison.
Wagner's "Fliegende Hollander" will offer James Morris.
Other singers of special note include Vesselina Kasarova in Strauss's
"Rosenkavalier," Ruth Ann Swenson in Massenet's "Manon" and Verdi's
"Traviata," and Jane Eaglen in Puccini's "Turandot."
The season will open on Sept. 25 with Mr. Levine conducting Mozart's
"Don Giovanni," with Bryn Terfel, Renee Fleming and Solveig Kringelborn.
On April 27 the Italian soprano Mirella Freni is to be honored with
a gala at her farewell performance in North America.
Scott Morrison
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