Blythe Sings Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice 'Orfeo' at MET

Director-choreographer Mark Morris's much-lauded 2007 production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice returns to the repertoire, with Stephanie Blythe taking on one of the pinnacles of the mezzo-soprano repertory, the role of Orfeo, for the first time in her career. Soprano Danielle De Niese, an acclaimed singer of eighteenth-century music and a graduate of the Met's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program, sings Euridice for the first time at the Met. Heidi Grant Murphy returns as Amor, which she performed at the production's premiere in 2007.

Met Music Director James Levine conducts the first five performances, beginning January 9. Reviewing the 2007 premiere of this production, the New York Times said Morris's production was "often magical and unapologetically fanciful," and that Levine "drew emphatic, majestic playing from the Met Orchestra." The final two performances, on January 28 and 31, are conducted by Kazem Abdullah in his Met debut, with Ying Huang in the role of Amor. The costume designer is Isaac Mizrahi, Allen Moyers designed the sets, and the lighting design is by James F. Ingalls.

The January 24 matinee will be transmitted to movie theaters around the world as part of The Met: Live in HD series. The groundbreaking series, seen by 935,000 people last season, is being shown in more than 30 countries in North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato hosts the transmission, which will be directed by Barbara Willis Sweete.

Stephanie Blythe, who scored a triple triumph when she sang three diverse leading roles in the new production of Puccini's Il Trittico in 2007, has emerged as one of the Met's leading artists. When she sings her first Orfeo, she will be following in the footsteps of some of the most renowned mezzo-sopranos and contraltos in the history of the Met. Giulia Ravogli created a sensation in the 1891-92 season followed by Louise Homer who sang the role often between 1909 and 1914, frequently with Toscanini in the pit. In the same period, the legendary French contralto Marie Delna made her Met debut in the part, and Margerete Matzenauer sang a few performances as well. Kerstin Thorborg headlined the revivals from 1938 to 1940, and the role became a particular success for the great American mezzo Risë Stevens in the 1950s. Grace Bumbry and Marilyn Horne brought their famous interpretations to the Met in the 1970s in the final revivals before the present production premiered in 2007 with countertenor David Daniels as Orfeo.
About the performers

Stephanie Blythe was recently named the 2009 vocalist of the year by Musical America. Following her first performance as Fricka in Die Walküre at the Met last season, the New York Times said, "Ms. Blythe has proved her excellence in everything from Handel to Puccini. This was her first Wagner role at the Met, and she was glorious, singing with sumptuous tone, unforced power and textual clarity." Later this season at the Met, she adds another new role to her repertoire, Je?ibaba in Dvořák's Rusalka. Last season at the Met, Blythe, who was a National Council Auditions finalist in 1994, added Ulrica in Un Ballo in Maschera to her repertoire, in addition to Fricka. Since her debut in 1995, she has appeared in 20 roles here, including Dame Quickly in Falstaff, Cornelia in Giulio Cesare, Baba the Turk in The Rake's Progress, and Eduige in the company premiere of Handel's Rodelinda (2004). When she sang three roles in the new production of Il Trittico, which was transmitted live as part of The Met: Live in HD series, the Financial Times saluted her accomplishment declaring, "Each of the operas was dominated by Stephanie Blythe, first as the grungy Frugola, then as the icy Principessa, finally as the bumbly Zita. One left loving her...."

The youngest person ever chosen for the Met's Lindemann Young Artist Program, Danielle De Niese makes her house role debut as Euridice. The Australian-born soprano, who grew up in California, sang Cleopatra in Giulio Cesare at the Met in 2007, a role that has also brought her acclaim at the Glyndebourne Festival, Paris Opera, Netherlands Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. The Wall Street Journal critic called de Niese "astonishing," declaring that she "captured Cleopatra's progression from flirt and seductress to a woman capable of despair and dignity." De Niese has had particular success in roles from such early music operas as Monteverdi's L'Incoronazione di Poppea, Rameau's Les Indes Galantes, and Handel's Acis and Galatea, Ariodante, and Rodelinda. From the standard repertory, she is noted for Mozart roles such as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro and Despina in Così fan tutte.

After the opening of the Met's new Orfeo ed Euridice in 2007, The New York Times said that Heidi Grant Murphy's "sweet and plucky singing, even while midair, was delightful." The American soprano was a 1988 Met National Council Auditions finalist and later graduated from the company's Lindemann Young Artist Development Program. She made her Met debut in Die Frau ohne Schatten in 1989 and has since sung a variety of roles, including Sophie in Der Rosenkavalier, Nannetta in Falstaff, Oscar in Un Ballo in Maschera, and Pamina in Die Zauberflöte. She has also been a soloist in concerts with both the MET Orchestra and the Met Chamber Ensemble. Last season she sang Servilia in La Clemenza di Tito at the Met.

In the years since his 1971 Metropolitan Opera debut conducting Puccini's Tosca, Music Director James Levine has forged a relationship with the company that is both unparalleled in its history and unique in today's musical world. He has conducted 83 operas and close to 2,500 performances at the Met, a record no one else has even approached. A few days before this season opened, he conducted a special free performance of the Verdi Requiem in memory of Luciano Pavarotti. At the season's gala opening night, which was shown as part of The Met: Live in HD, Maestro Levine conducted Act II of Verdi's La Traviata, with Renée Fleming, Ramón Vargas, and Thomas Hampson in leading roles. In November, Levine conducted the new production of Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust and later this season will conduct the Met's 125th Anniversary Gala on March 15, as well as the final revival of Otto Schenk's popular production of Wagner's Ring cycle. He also returns to Carnegie Hall for the MET Orchestra's widely admired annual series of three concerts.

Chinese sopranoYing Huang made her Met debut in 2006 as Pamina in the abridged English-language version of Mozart's The Magic Flute. She burst onto the operatic scene as the star of Frédéric Mitterand's film of Madama Butterfly in 1995, and has since sung at the Opera Theater of St. Louis, Opera Colorado, Santa Fe Opera, and the Danish National Opera, among other venues. She sang in the world premiere of Tan Dun's Peony Pavilion in Vienna, and repeated her role in London, Paris, and California.

Conductor Kazem Abdullah makes his Met debut on January 28, 2009. He collaborated with the Mark Morris Dance Group in 2007 at the Tanglewood Music Center, where he was a conducting fellow, stepping in at short notice to conduct Purcell's Dido and Aeneas. He has also conducted at the Baltimore Opera, Chautauqua Opera, National Arts Centre Orchestra of Ottawa, Berliner Kammerphilharmonie, and Finnish Radio Orchestra.

Mark Morris made his Met debut with this production of Orfeo ed Euridice in 2007, the first choreographer in half a century to direct a production at the Met. The New Yorker said, "Morris accomplishes the feat of making the score itself seem to dance before one's eyes." He founded the Mark Morris Dance Group (MMDG) in 1980 and has since created more than 120 works for the company. From 1988-1991, he was Director of Dance at the Théâtre Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels, the national opera house of Belgium. In 1990, he founded the White Oak Dance Project with Mikhail Baryshnikov. Morris has created many works for the San Francisco Ballet and received commissions from American Ballet Theatre and the Boston Ballet, among others. His work is also in the repertory of the Geneva Ballet, New Zealand Ballet, Houston Ballet, English National Ballet, and the Royal Ballet. He has worked extensively in opera, directing and choreographing productions for the New York City Opera, English National Opera, and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden. In 1996, Morris choreographed a fully-staged version of Orfeo ed Euridice that toured the United States with the Handel and Haydn Society, conducted by Christopher Hogwood.

Set designer Allen Moyer made his Met debut with Orfeo. His designs for opera include Nixon in China (Opera Theatre of St. Louis), Agrippina, for which he also designed the costumes, and Così fan tutte (Santa Fe Opera), The Mother of Us All (San Francisco Opera), and Il Trittico and La Bohème for New York City Opera. He designed the set of Mark Morris's ballet Sylvia for the San Francisco Ballet. His most recent Broadway credits include Thurgood, The Little Dog Laughed, Grey Gardens (for which he received a Tony Award nomination in 2007), and Twelve Angry Men. In 2006 he received an Obie award for Sustained Excellence.

A leader in the fashion industry, Isaac Mizrahi made his Met debut with Orfeo ed Euridice in 2007. He has designed costumes for movies, theater, dance, and opera in collaboration with Morris, Twyla Tharp, Bill T. Jones, and Mikhail Baryshnikov. His costume design credits for opera include Rameau's Platée at the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, and Purcell's King Arthur at English National Opera (also seen at New York City Opera), both in productions by Mark Morris. In 2006, he designed costumes for The Threepenny Opera at Studio 54 and Barefoot in the Park at the Cort Theater. His collaborations with the MMDG include Gong (2001), Later (2002), and Resurrection (2002), among many others.

At the Met, James F. Ingalls has designed lighting for the world premiere of An American Tragedy and the Met premiere of Benvenuto Cellini, as well as Salome, The Gambler, War and Peace, and Wozzeck. He designed Mark Morris's King Arthur at English National Opera; other work for Morris includes Sylvia, Sandpaper Ballet, Maelstrom, and Pacific (San Francisco Ballet); Platée (Royal Opera House, Covent Garden and New York City Opera); L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Dido and Aeneas, and The Hard Nut (Mark Morris Dance Group); Ein Herz (Paris Opera Ballet); and the White Oak Project's debut tour. Recent projects at Lincoln Center include Zaide and Ainadamar, both directed by Peter Sellars. For Merce Cunningham Dance Company, Ingalls designed Fluid Canvas and Split Sides with music by Sigur Ros and Radiohead.
Live broadcasts around the world

Orfeo ed Euridice is being seen and heard by millions of people around the world this season in movie theaters, on the radio, and via the internet, through distribution platforms the Met has established with various media partners. As previously mentioned, the January 24 matinee will be transmitted to movie theaters live worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

The Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS channel 78 and XM Radio channel 79 is broadcasting the premiere on January 9 as well as performances on January 14, 20, 24, and 28.

The January 9 premiere and the January 20 performance will also be available via RealNetworks internet streaming at the Met's web site, www.metopera.org. In addition, the Saturday matinee performance on January 24 will be heard live over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network.
About the Met

Under the leadership of General Manager Peter Gelb and Music Director James Levine, the Met has a series of bold initiatives underway that are designed to broaden its audience and revitalize the company's repertory. The Met has made a commitment to presenting modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, with highly theatrical productions featuring the greatest opera stars in the world.

The Metropolitan Opera's 2008-09 season pays tribute to the company's extraordinary history on the occasion of its 125th anniversary, while also emphasizing the Met's renewed commitment to advancing the art form. The season features six new productions, 18 revivals, the final performances of Otto Schenk's production of Wagner's Ring cycle conducted by Levine, and two gala celebrations; the galas include the season-opening performance featuring Renée Fleming as well as a 125th anniversary celebration on March 15. New productions include the company premiere of John Adams's Doctor Atomic as well as the Met's first staged production of Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust since 1906, Massenet's Thaïs, Puccini's La Rondine, Verdi's Il Trovatore, and Bellini's La Sonnambula.

Building on its 77-year-old radio broadcast history - currently heard over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network - the Met now uses advanced media distribution platforms and state-of-the-art technology to attract new audiences and reach millions of opera fans around the world.

The Emmy Award-winning The Met: Live in HD series reached more than 935,000 people in the 2007-08 season, more than the number of people who saw performances in the opera house. These performances began airing on PBS in March 2008, and nine of these HD performances are now available on DVD. The most recent, The Magic Flute is released by the Met and is available at the newly renovated Met Shop in the opera house lobby. The other eight are on the EMI, Deutsche Grammophon, and Decca labels. In the 2008-09 season, the HD series expands to feature 11 live transmissions, starting with the Met's Opening Night Gala and spanning the entire season. The HD productions are seen this season in over 850 theaters in 30 countries around the world. Five new productions are featured, including the Met premiere of John Adams's Doctor Atomic. The Opening Night transmission was seen in the Americas only; the remaining ten high-definition productions are shown live worldwide on Saturdays through May 9 with encores scheduled at various times.

Live in HD in Schools, the Met's new program offering free opera transmissions to New York City schools in partnership with the New York City Department of Education and the Metropolitan Opera Guild, reached more than 7,000 public school students and teachers during the 2007-08 season. This season, Live in HD in Schools expands to reach schools in 18 cities and communities nationwide.

Continuing its innovative use of electronic media to reach a global audience, the Metropolitan Opera has recently introduced Met Player, a new subscription service that makes its extensive video and audio catalog of full-length performances available to the public for the first time online, and in exceptional, state-of-the-art quality. The new service currently offers 120 historic audio recordings and 50 full-length opera videos, including over a dozen of the company's acclaimed The Met: Live in HD transmissions, known for their extraordinary sound and picture quality. New content, including HD productions and archival broadcasts, is added monthly.

Metropolitan Opera Radio on SIRIUS XM Radio is a subscription-based audio entertainment service broadcasting both an unprecedented number of live performances each week throughout the Met's entire season, as well as rare historical performances, newly restored and remastered, spanning the Met's 77-year broadcast history.

In addition to providing audio recordings through the new Met on Rhapsody on-demand service, the Met also presents free live audio streaming of performances on its website once every week during the opera season with support from RealNetworks®.

The company's groundbreaking commissioning program in partnership with New York's Lincoln Center Theater (LCT), provides renowned composers and playwrights with the resources to create and develop new works at the Met and at Lincoln Center's Vivian Beaumont Theater. The Met's partnership with LCT is part of the company's larger initiative to commission new operas from contemporary composers, present modern masterpieces alongside the classic repertory, and provide a venue for artists to nurture their work.

The Met has launched several audience development initiatives such as the company's Open House Dress Rehearsals, which are free and open to the public. Two are planned for the 2008-09 season: La Damnation de Faust on November 4 and La Sonnambula on February 27. Just prior to beginning the current season, the Met presented a free performance of the Verdi Requiem on September 18, in tribute to the late Luciano Pavarotti. Other company initiatives include the Arnold and Marie Schwartz Gallery Met which exhibits contemporary visual art; the new $25 Weekend Tickets program; the immensely successful Agnes Varis and Karl Leichtman Rush Ticket program; and an annual Holiday Series presentation for families. This season's special Holiday Presentation is Julie Taymor's production of Mozart's The Magic Flute, an abridged, English-language version of the opera which is given four special matinee performances and one holiday evening performance as a way for families to celebrate the holiday season.

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