Joyce DiDonato and Juan Diego Flórez star in Rossini’s La Donna del Lago, the Met’s first production of the bel canto showcase, on Great Performances at the Met Sunday, August 2 at 12 p.m. on PBS (check local listings).
In this Rossini classic based on the work by Sir Walter Scott, DiDonato sings the title role of Elena, the lady of the lake pursued by two men, with Flórez in the role of Giacomo, the benevolent king of Scotland.
Michele Mariotti, last featured in the Great Performances at the Met broadcast of Rigoletto, conducts debuting Scottish director Paul Curran’s staging, a co-production with Santa Fe Opera. The cast also includes Daniela Barcellona in the trouser role of Malcolm, John Osborn as Rodrigo, and Oren Gradus as Duglas.
“The wondrous Ms. DiDonato and Mr. Mariotti, the fast-rising young Italian conductor, seemed almost in competition to see who could make music with more delicacy,” noted The New York Times earlier this year, and “Mr. Mariotti drew hushed gentle and transparent playing from the inspired Met orchestra.”
And NY Classical Review raved, “Joyce DiDonato…was beyond perfect… a performance that may ultimately stand as a high point in her already lofty career… her tone was pure honey, her coloratura effortlessly fluttering, her ornamentation fearless.”
Soprano Patricia Racette hosts the broadcast.
La Donna del Lago was originally seen live in movie theaters on March 14, 2015 as part of the groundbreaking The Met: Live in HD series, which transmits live performances to more than 2,000 movie theaters and performing arts centers in over 70 countries around the world. The Live in HD series has reached a record-breaking 17 million viewers since its inception in 2006.
Great Performances at the Met is a presentation of THIRTEEN Productions LLC for WNET, one of America’s most prolific and respected public media providers.
Corporate support for Great Performances at the Met is provided by Toll Brothers, America’s luxury home builder®. Major funding for the Met Opera presentation is provided by the National Endowment for the Arts. This Great Performances presentation is funded by the Irene Diamond Fund, the Anna-Maria and Stephen Kellen Arts Fund, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, The Agnes Varis Trust, and public television viewers.
For the Met, Gary Halvorson directs the telecast. Jay David Saks is Music Producer. Mia Bongiovanni and Elena Park are Supervising Producers, and Louisa Briccetti and Victoria Warivonchik are Producers. Peter Gelb is Executive Producer. For Great Performances, Bill O’Donnell is Series Producer; David Horn is Executive Producer.
