BELLINI: I PURITANI - PREVIEW

Bellini: I Puritani - Preview

Soprano Anna Netrebko took New York by storm when she performed the role of the fragile Puritan maiden Elvira. Her daring take on the heroine's famous mad scene earned her rapturous standing ovations from sold-out houses night after night. Overflowing with ravishing arias and ensembles, this bel canto gem also stars Eric Cutler as Elvira's love Arturo, Franco Vassallo as her suitor Riccardo, and John Relyea as her uncle Giorgio.

Opera

Puccini: La Boheme

Puccini: La Boheme ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

Puccini's evergreen paean to young love and the bohemian life has captivated generations of Met-goers through Franco Zeffirelli's iconic production. Movie theater audiences for the high-definition transmission of this staging got to see it with fresh eyes in a touching performance starring Angela Gheorghiu and Ramón Vargas as the frail seamstress and her poetic lover.

Dur: 02:16:11

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Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel

Humperdinck: Hansel and Gretel ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

This deliciously dark take on the beloved Brothers Grimm fairy tale, appealing to audiences of all ages, was part of the Met's popular English-language holiday series. Alice Coote and Christine Schäfer star as the famous siblings lost in the woods, who battle the ravenous Witch-a zany portrayal by tenor Philip Langridge-while the Met orchestra, under the baton of Vladimir Jurowski, glories in the rich, folk-inspired score.

Dur: 02:00:50

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Bellini: La Sonnambula

Bellini: La Sonnambula ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

Just as a young woman is about to marry her sweetheart, she is discovered-by the entire village, to say nothing of her fiancé-asleep in the bedroom of a stranger. It takes the young man two acts to figure out that sleepwalking is to blame, and everything ends happily. Natalie Dessay as Amina and Juan Diego Flórez as Elvino deliver bel canto magic and vocal fireworks in Mary Zimmerman's 2009 production. The Tony award-winning director transfers Bellini's bucolic tale to a rehearsal room in contemporary New York, where an opera company rehearses La Sonnambula-and where the singers are truly in love with each other.

Dur: 02:22:17

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Massenet: Thais

Massenet: Thais ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

When the most voluptuous, sought-after courtesan in the world meets an ascetic monk whose life is devoted to God, you know erotic sparks are going to fly. And when the clash takes place in a glorious, but rarely performed, opera by Massenet, it's a delight to the ear just as much as to the eye. Renée Fleming is every inch the glamorous Thais, swathed in elegant gowns designed by Christian Lacroix. Thomas Hampson is the tortured man of God. This production by John Cox, which premiered in December 2008, brilliantly sets the stage for a confrontation as old as civilization itself.

Dur: 02:18:15

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Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust

Berlioz: La Damnation de Faust ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

Conducted by James Levine, Robert Lepage's stunning production-with its brilliant marriage of art and technology-thrilled HD audiences around the world. In Berlioz's rarely performed vision of the immortal Faust legend, Marcello Giordani is a fiery title hero whose impulsive bargain with Méphistophélès (a commanding John Relyea) proves fatal. Susan Graham is a lovely and tragic Marguerite, the woman who gives everything to the man she loves.

Dur: 02:22:00

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Puccini: Manon Lescaut

Puccini: Manon Lescaut ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

One of today's most compelling singing actresses, Karita Mattila takes on the irresistible role of Manon Lescaut, the headstrong young woman torn between a life of luxury and the call of her true love: the Chevalier des Grieux, played by Marcello Giordani. The young Puccini lavished some of his most sensual music on this early hit, conducted here by the Met's beloved James Levine.

Dur: 02:26:50

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Tan Dun: The First Emperor

Tan Dun: The First Emperor ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

The incomparable Plácido Domingo began a new chapter in his legendary Met career when he created the role of Emperor Qin in the world premiere of Tan Dun's epic opera. Staged by revered film director Zhang Yimou, The First Emperor is both a rich pageant of ancient China and a fascinating study of the ruler who united it. Conducted by the composer, it also stars Paul Groves and Elizabeth Futral and features a riveting turn by Peking Opera performer Wu Hsing-Kuo as the Yin-Yang Master.

Dur: 02:57:38

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Verdi: Macbeth

Verdi: Macbeth ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

Esteemed Shakespearean director Adrian Noble focuses on the timeless and universal themes embraced by Verdi. This atmospheric production, starring Željko Lucic and Maria Guleghina, highlights the ferocious royal couple's erotic connection as the lynchpin of their ruthlessness. James Levine presides over a powerful performance that features some of Verdi's most stirring choral writing.

Dur: 02:35:38

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Rossini:Il Barbiere di Siviglia

Rossini:Il Barbiere di Siviglia ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

Audiences went wild for Bartlett Sher's dynamic production, which found fresh and surprising ways to bring Rossini's effervescent comedy closer to them than ever before. The stellar cast leapt to the challenge with irresistible energy and bravura vocalism. Juan Diego Flórez is Count Almaviva, who fires off showstopping coloratura as he woos Joyce DiDonato's spirited Rosina-with assistance from Peter Mattei as the one and only Figaro, Seville's beloved barber and man-about-town.

Dur: 02:45:51

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Donizetti: La Fille du Regiment (the Met)

Donizetti: La Fille du Regiment (the Met) ($4.99 for 72 hours rental)

Madcap physical comedy and impeccable coloratura come together for Natalie Dessay's indelible portrayal of the feisty tomboy raised by a regiment of French soldiers. Juan Diego Flórez is the young Swiss villager who conquers her heart-and a slew of high Cs. Also featuring uproarious performances by Felicity Palmer and Alessandro Corbelli, as well as a cameo by Tony Award winner Marian Seldes, this laugh-out-loud production was a runaway hit that left audiences exhilarated.

Dur: 02:19:32

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Popular Music

Pavarotti: The Duets

Pavarotti: The Duets ($1.99 for 99 hours rental)

This special compilation programme presents the most emotional and word-famous pieces of the entire "Pavarotti and Friends" series. Featuring not classical mainstays as you might expect, but well known pop stars.

Dur: 01:10:17

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Premium

The Ballets Russes at the Mariinsky

The Ballets Russes at the Mariinsky ($1.99 for 99 hours rental)

A celebration of the legendary avant-garde ballet company: St Petersburg's Mariinsky (Kirov) Ballet presents a program of Stravinsky's thrilling Firebird, Le Sacre du Printemps (Rite of Spring) and Les Noces (The Wedding).

Dur: 01:48:35

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BELLINI: I PURITANI - PREVIEW