Thursday, December 17, 2009

Les Contes d'Hoffman This Saturday's Opera Matinee


Photo: Joseph Calleja

The Metropolitan Opera's Saturday, December 19, matinee broadcast will be Jacques Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffman. Classic 99.1 KFUO-FM will carry the broadcast beginning at 12:00 noon (CT). The running time will be approximately 3 hours, 35 minutes.

According to the Met web site:
Tony Award winner Bartlett Sher (South Pacific) directs this new production, returning after the triumph of his Met Barber of Seville (seen live in HD in the 2006–07 season). Offenbach's fictionalized take on the life and loves of the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann is a fascinating psychological journey. Met Music Director James Levine conducts Joseph Calleja in the tour-de-force title role. Anna Netrebko is the tragic Antonia and Alan Held sings the demonic four villains.

The Saint Louis Art Museum will present the live, high-definition performance transmissions in the Museum Auditorium. Doors open 30 minutes before showtime. Tickets are $22 ($15 Members of the Saint Louis Art Museum, Opera Theatre of Saint Louis, Metropolitan Opera, New York, and children 12 and under), and are available by calling 314-534-1111.

The SLAM web site notes:
The Museum Auditorium seats 480 people. The screen is approximately 12 feet by 22 feet, and the opera broadcasts will be received in high-definition via satellite. The auditorium uses a widescreen, high-definition projector at 1080i. The sound system is Dolby 5.1 digital surround. Those seeking the best sound experience will want to obtain seats in the center rear of the front section
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The Met helpfully points out that "the Live in HD production of Les Contes d’Hoffmann will not include the partial nudity seen in the stage production."

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