Paul Holden News

Dmitri Shostakovich's The Nose has its Metropolitan Opera premiere on March 5 at 8:00 pm, conducted by Valery Gergiev, in a visually arresting new production by artist William Kentridge that features original collage, film, sculpture, and massive projections of the artist's drawings and prints. Making his Met debut, baritone Paulo Szot performs the role of Kovalyov in the story of the Russian official who wakes one morning to discover his nose has disappeared (and taken on a higher bureaucratic rank). Based on the short story of the same name by Nikolai Gogol, the opera is what Kentridge has called an exploration of "learning from the absurd." In this production, visuals include renderings of Soviet workers, snatches of newspaper, and projections of propaganda - as well as the missing appendage in adventures ranging from delivering a speech to riding a horse.

On October 8th, Cognitive Theatre will host an evening of conversation with Met General Manager Peter Gelb, Tony Award winning director Bartlett Sher, and Patrice Chéreau, who makes his long-awaited U.S. opera debut this season with a new production of Janácek's FROM THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD.

On October 8th, Cognitive Theatre will host an evening of conversation with Met General Manager Peter Gelb, Tony Award winning director Bartlett Sher, and Patrice Chéreau, who makes his long-awaited U.S. opera debut this season with a new production of Janácek's FROM THE HOUSE OF THE DEAD.