There are six new productions in the Met’s 2025/26 season announced today, and two of them are world premieres that the public may struggle to embrace. The rest is led by a tissue of 21 Traviatas, 20 Bohèmes, 17 Turandots, 15 Butterflys, 14 Carmens and so on.
The saving grace is a renewed emphasis on world-beating singers (if all goe to plan).
Asmik Grigorian (pic) appears in Eugene Onegin. Piotr Beczała joins Sonya Yoncheva in Andrea Chénier. Aigul Akhmetshina returns as Carmen. Ailyn Pérez, Yoncheva, and Elena Stikhina alternate in Butterfly. Ryan Speedo Green is Don Giovanni. Rachel Willis-Sørensen replaces Lise Davidsen as Strauss’s Arabella. Lise herelf will be back in time for Tristan und Isolder. Joyce DiDonato will sing Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence. And rising stars like Louise Alder, Amina Edris and Masabane Cecilia Rangwanasha will take their first Met bow.
That’s a pretty strong lineup.
Peter Gelb could not resist a political jab: ‘In these uncertain times, we hope that our performances will provide solace for aworld sorely in need of it.’
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.jpg?w=670&resize=670,446&ssl=1 "Music that Moves You: new survey from ABO & partners reveals 74% say that orchestras are a vital part of the country’s cultural heritage")
