Ever since the first Saturday matinee radio broadcast in 1931, the Metropolitan Opera has pioneered the use of the latest technology to reach the widest possible audience. In 2006, the Met launched Live in HD, a series of live performance transmissions to movie theaters around the world. As many as 12 HD cameras positioned around the opera house capture the action onstage, as well as backstage scene changes and artist interviews during intermissions. Today, these cinema presentations are seen in more than 70 countries on six continents, with the Washington Post proclaiming the Peabody and Emmy Award-winning series, “truly visionary.” View a snapshot of the global reach of Live in HD on the following screen.
Click to zoom and drag by The Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
Great Moments from The Met: Live in HD
View a selection of full arias and scenes from 11 operas seen in movie theaters around the world since the series's inception.
Aleksandrs Antonenko and Sonya Yoncheva in "Otello" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2015–16 Season
“Quando narravi”
from Verdi’s Otello
Sonya Yoncheva (Desdemona), Aleksandrs Antonenko (Otello)
HD transmission:
October 17, 2015
Giuseppe Verdi’s lifelong fascination with Shakespeare found expression in three of his greatest operas: the early Macbeth and his final two masterpieces, Otello and Falstaff. The tragedy of the jealous “Moor of Venice” ranks among the few works of music theater to match, and sometimes exceed, their source material in dramatic intensity. Otello and Desdemona’s love duet concludes the first act.
Peter Mattei in "Tannhäuser" by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2015–16 Season
“O du, mein holder Abendstern”
from Wagner’s Tannhäuser
Peter Mattei (Wolfram)
HD transmission:
October 31, 2015
Richard Wagner changed the history of opera with the creation of a new kind of music drama. Tannhäuser, written while he was in his early 30s, marks a major step on his way from the Romantic tradition of earlier decades to his later masterworks. For sheer melodic beauty, Wolfram’s Song to the Evening Star rivals the most celebrated bel canto arias.
Anna Netrebko in "Macbeth" by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2014–15 Season
“Vieni, t’affretta”
from Verdi’s Macbeth
Anna Netrebko (Lady Macbeth)
HD transmission:
October 11, 2014
Fierce, cold, and passionate, Lady Macbeth is a character for the ages—in Shakespeare’s play as in Verdi’s operatic adaptation. Her ambition provides the spark that sets the drama in motion. It’s on full display in her entrance scene in the opera’s first act.
Jonas Kaufmann in "Werther" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2013–14 Season
“Pourquoi me réveiller”
from Massenet’s Werther
Jonas Kaufmann (Werther)
HD transmission:
March 15, 2014
Some of the most successful operatic adaptations of the works of Goethe were created by French composers, including Gounod’s Faust, Thomas’s Mignon—and Massenet’s take on the story of a young poet driven to suicide by unrequited love. The title hero’s aria, heard at the dramatic turning point late in the opera, is among the score’s best-known moments.
Piotr Beczala in "Rigoletto" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2012–13 Season
“Questa o quella”
from Verdi’s Rigoletto
Piotr Beczala (Duke)
HD transmission:
February 16, 2013
Set in 1960 Las Vegas, the Met’s production of Verdi’s opera places the tragic tale of betrayed innocence in an immoral world with thrilling visuals—beginning with the opening scene, which transforms the Duke’s palace into a neon-lit casino.
Anna Netrebko in "Anna Bolena" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2011–12 Season
“Coppia iniqua”
from Donizetti’s Anna Bolena
Anna Netrebko (Anna Bolena)
HD transmission:
October 15, 2011
All three of Donizetti’s Tudor queen operas—which also include Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereux—will be seen at the Met in the 2015–16 season. The first to have its premiere with the company, in 2011, was Anna Bolena. The opera recounts the story of the final months in the life of Anne Boleyn, second wife of King Henry VIII, up to the moments just before her execution.
Bryn Terfel in "Die Walküre" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2010–11 Season
“Loge, hör!” (Wotan’s Farewell)
from Wagner’s Die Walküre
Bryn Terfel (Wotan)
HD transmission:
May 14, 2011
The second part of Wagner’s four-opera Ring cycle, Die Walküre concludes with one of the epic’s most emotional scenes: Wotan, lord of the gods, puts his warrior daughter Brünnhilde to sleep atop a mountain and calls on Loge, god of fire, to surround her with a ring of flames.
Elīna Garanča and Roberto Alagna in "Carmen" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2009–10 Season
“Ainsi, le salut de mon âme” (Final Scene)
from Bizet’s Carmen
Elīna Garanča (Carmen), Roberto Alagna (Don José)
HD transmission:
January 16, 2010
Not many operatic characters can claim the universal, genre-defying appeal of Bizet’s immortal Gypsy—a woman who lives by her own rules. Carmen’s final dramatic confrontation between the heroine and her abandoned lover is one of opera’s iconic moments.
Patricia Racette and Maria Zifchak in "Madama Butterfly" by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2008–09 Season
“Un bel dì vedremo”
from Puccini’s Madama Butterfly
Patricia Racette (Cio-Cio-San)
HD transmission:
March 7, 2009
Rarely has the clash of cultures been more poignantly portrayed in the theater than in Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, the story of a Japanese geisha and her arranged marriage to an American naval officer. Butterfly’s aria, a musical highpoint of the score, is an expression of defiant hope in the face of impending tragedy.
Natalie Dessay in "La Fille du Régiment" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2007–08 Season
“Chacun le sait, chacun le dit”
from Donizetti’s La Fille du Régiment
Natalie Dessay (Marie)
HD transmission:
April 26, 2008
Donizetti’s light-hearted tale of the “Daughter of the Regiment”—a tomboy raised by soldiers who falls in love with one of the enemy—is known for its high-flying vocal fireworks. As seen in the Met’s production, it also provides countless opportunities for hilarious physical comedy.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Renée Fleming in "Eugene Onegin" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
2006–07 Season
Final Scene
from Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin
Renée Fleming (Tatiana), Dmitri Hvorostovsky (Onegin)
HD transmission:
February 24, 2007
The history of opera is full of star-crossed lovers, but few works feature as heart-wrenching a final scene as Tchaikovsky’s adaptation of Pushkin’s celebrated verse novel. Having rejected Tatiana’s affection years earlier, Onegin realizes too late that he does love her—only to be rejected in return.
Eugene Onegin: Final Scene (Fleming, Hvorostovsky) by Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
More Live in HD Highlights
Explore the following pages for brief highlights from all operas seen over a decade of Live in HD transmissions.
Mikhail Petrenko and Nadja Michael in "Bluebeard's Castle" by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2014–15 Live in HD Season
Verdi's Macbeth
October 1, 2014
Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro*
October 18, 2014
Bizet's Carmen
November 1, 2014
Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia
November 14, 2014
Wagner's Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
December 13, 2014
Lehár's The Merry Widow*
January 17, 2015
Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann
January 31, 2015
Tchaikovsky's Iolanta** / Bartók's Bluebeard's Castle*
February 14, 2015
Rossini's La Donna del Lago**
March 14, 2015
Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana / Leoncavallo's Pagliacci*
April 25, 2015
*New production
**Met premiere
A scene from "The Nose" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2013–14 Live in HD Season
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin*
October 5, 2013
Shostakovich's The Nose
October 26, 2013
Puccini's Tosca
November 9, 2013
Verdi's Falstaff*
December 14, 2013
Dvořák's Rusalka
February 8, 2014
Borodin's Prince Igor*
March 1, 2014
Massenet's Werther*
March 15, 2014
Puccini's La Bohème
April 5, 2014
Mozart's Così fan tutte
April 26, 2014
Rossini's La Cenerentola
May 20, 2014
*New production
2013–14 Live in HD Highlights by Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
Joyce DiDonato in "Maria Stuarda" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2012–13 Live in HD Season
Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore*
October 13, 2012
Verdi's Otello
October 27, 2012
Adès's The Tempest**
November 10, 2012
Mozart's La Clemenza di Tito
December 1, 2012
Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera*
December 8, 2012
Berlioz's Les Troyens
January 5, 2013
Donizetti's Maria Stuarda**
January 19, 2013
Verdi's Rigoletto*
February 16, 2013
Wagner's Parsifal*
March 2, 2013
Zandonai's Francesca da Rimini
March 16, 2013
Handel's Giulio Cesare*
April 27, 2013
*New production
**Met premiere
Richard Croft in "Satyagraha" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2011–12 Live in HD Season
Donizetti's Anna Bolena**
October 15, 2011
Mozart's Don Giovanni*
October 29, 2011
Wagner's Siegfried*
November 5, 2011
Glass's Satyagraha
November 19, 2011
Handel's Rodelinda
December 3, 2011
Gounod's Faust
December 10, 2011
The Enchanted Island***
January 21, 2012
Wagner's Götterdämmerung*
February 11, 2012
Verdi's Ernani
February 25, 2012
Massenet's Manon*
April 7, 2012
Verdi's La Traviata
April 14, 2012
*New production
**Met premiere
***World premiere
A scene from "Die Walküre" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2010–11 Live in HD Season
Wagner's Das Rheingold*
October 9, 2010
Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov*
October 23, 2010
Donizetti's Don Pasquale
November 13, 2010
Verdi's Don Carlo*
December 11, 2010
Puccini's La Fanciulla del West
January 8, 2011
Adams's Nixon in China**
February 12, 2011
Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride
February 26, 2011
Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
March 19, 2011
Rossini's Le Comte Ory**
April 9, 2011
Strauss's Capriccio
April 23, 2011
Verdi's Il Trovatore
April 30, 2011
Wagner's Die Walküre*
May 14, 2011
*New production
**Met premiere
Plácido Domingo in "Simon Boccanegra" by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2009–10 Live in HD Season
Puccini's Tosca*
October 10, 2009
Verdi's Aida
October 24, 2009
Puccini's Turandot
November 7, 2009
Offenbach's Les Contes d'Hoffmann*
December 19, 2009
Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier
January 9, 2010
Bizet's Carmen*
January 16, 2010
Verdi's Simon Boccanegra
February 6, 2010
Thomas's Hamlet
March 27, 2010
Rossini's Armida**
March 1, 2010
*New production
**Met premiere
A scene from "Madama Butterfly" by Marty Sohl/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2008–09 Live in HD Season
Opening Night Gala:
Scenes from La Traviata, Manon, and Capriccio
September 22, 2008
Strauss's Salome
October 11, 2008
Adams's Doctor Atomic**
November 8, 2008
Berlioz's La Damnation de Faust*
November 22, 2008
Massenet's Thaïs*
December 20, 2008
Puccini's La Rondine*
January 10, 2009
Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice
January 24, 2009
Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
February 7, 2009
Puccini's Madama Butterfly
March 7, 2009
Bellini's La Sonnambula*
March 21, 2009
Rossini's La Cenerentola
May 9, 2009
*New production
**Met premiere
Nathan Gunn in "The Magic Flute" by Ken Howard/Metropolitan OperaThe Metropolitan Opera
The 2006–07 and 2007–08 Live in HD Seasons
Mozart's The Magic Flute
December 30, 2006
Bellini's I Puritani
January 6, 2007
Tan Dun's The First Emperor**
January 13, 2007
Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin
February 24, 2007
Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia*
March 24, 2007
Puccini's Il Trittico
April 28, 2007
–––––––
Gounod's Roméo et Juliette
December 15, 2007
Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel*
January 1, 2008
Verdi's Macbeth*
January 12, 2008
Puccini's Manon Lescaut
February 16, 2008
Britten's Peter Grimes*
March 15, 2008
Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
March 22, 2008
Puccini's La Bohème
April 5, 2008
Donizetti's La Fille du Régiment*
April 26, 2008
*New production
**World premiere
For more information, visit metopera.org
Season Highlights
Jump Cut
Photographs
Ken Howard/Metropolitan Opera
Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera
Exhibit created by
The Metropolitan Opera Staff