Celebrating thirty years of presenting great live performances Chamber Music Sedona kicks-off its 30th Anniversary season 10am Saturday, October 13 with the Metropolitan Opera’s live simulcast of Gaetano Donizetti’s opera L’Elisir d’Amore at the Sedona Performing Arts Center, 995 Upper Red Rock Loop Road. Special parking arrangements are in place for the opera and patrons are reminded to visit www.SedonaMetInHD.org for critical parking information. The Sedona presentation is made possible with support from Sally and Stan Gorski.
The Metropolitan Opera’s new production of Donizetti’s delightful comic gem L’Elisir d’Amore, stars Russian diva Anna Netrebko—in her second consecutive Met opening night—as the irresistible heroine Adina. Matthew Polenzani sings the role of the lovelorn peasant Nemorino, Mariusz Kwiecien sings Sergeant Belcore, his romantic rival, and Ambrogio Maestri is the potion-peddling Doctor Dulcamara in Bartlett Sher’s new staging of the classic love story, conducted by Maurizio Benini. Although L’Elisir d’Amore is one of the most popular comic operas in the repertory, it has never before been performed on the Met’s opening night. Soprano Deborah Voigt, who stars in this season’s performances of Berlioz’s Les Troyens and Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, will host the intermission interviews. Maurizio Benini conducts.
Anna Netrebko opens the Met season in Donizetti for the second straight year. This 1832 comedy is Donizetti’s greatest popular success, in part because of its famous tenor aria, “Una furtive lagrima”, to be sung in this production by last season’s Alfredo, Matthew Polenzani. Mariusz Kwiecien–last year’s Don Giovanni–sings the part of Sergeant Belcore and Ambrogio Maestri is Doctor Dulcamara, the loveable quack and dispenser of the elixir, which is really nothing more than red wine. Maurizio Benini conducts.
“After attending multiple productions at the Metropolitan Opera in the last three years, I’m still undecided whether I prefer the live productions at the Met, or our live simulcasts at SPAC,” said CMS executive director Bert Harclerode. “Nothing compares to the excitement of being in NYC at the Metropolitan Opera; however The Met: Live in HD features on-screen scripts (super titles) and translations for greater understanding of the opera, remarkable artist interviews during pauses and intermission, pre-opera “Curtain Raisers” presented by a host of opera experts 75 minutes before curtain, gourmet lunches provided by many of Sedona’s finest restaurants, and surround sound and big screen installed to the Met’s specifications. SPAC is Arizona’s Place to see The Met: Live in HD!” said Harclerode.
Only off-site parking begins at 8:00am and will be available at Sedona Medical Center 3700 W SR 89a and at St. Andrews Episcopal Church 100 Arroyo Pinon Drive exclusively. No parking will be available with the exception of Handicapped patrons. Patrons are encouraged to car pool to minimize congestion.
A pre-opera “Curtain Raiser” will be presented from 8:30-9:25am presented by Russell Fox providing insights about the opera. Tickets, $23 for reserved and $19 for general admission, and Gourmet Opera Box Lunches may be purchased on line www.SedonaMetInHD.org or by calling928.204.2415. The next Met HD performance is October 27 with Verdi’s opera Otello.
Tickets to all Met HD operas are available on line at ChamberMusicSedona.org and range from $10 to $23. Gourmet Opera lunches are available on line only and must be purchased Thursday prior to the Saturday opera.
Chamber Music Sedona’s 30th Anniversary Season is made possible with underwriting support from Aspey, Watkins & Diesel, P.L.L.C., Attorneys at Law. Additional support comes from The City of Sedona; Arizona Commission on the Arts with funding from the State of Arizona and the National Endowment for the Arts, the Verde Valley Medical Center and WESTAF