ASPEN MUSIC FESTIVAL AND SCHOOL BRINGS THE MET: LIVE IN HD PRODUCTION OF RICHARD STRAUSS, DER ROSENKAVALIER TO WHEELER OPERA HOUSE JANUARY 27

January 20th, 2010 at 05:32pm Aspen Music Festival 355

Starring Renée Fleming, Susan Graham, and Christine Schäfer

Hosted by Plácido Domingo

ASPEN, Colo. —  The Aspen Music Festival and School (AMFS) brings to Aspen the hugely successful The Met: Live in HD opera series, beginning with Richard Strauss’s masterpiece, Der Rosenkavalier at the Wheeler Opera House on Wednesday, January 27. The encore-broadcast features opera superstars Renée Fleming (an AMFS alumna) as the Marschallin and Susan Graham as Octavian. Edo De Waart conducts a cast that includes Christine Schäfer as Sophie, Eric Cutler as the Italian singer, Thomas Allen as Faninal, and Kristinn Sigmundsson as Baron Ochs. This performance is hosted by legendary tenor Plácido Domingo with intermission features including backstage interviews with the cast. There will be a free champagne reception at the first intermission for all attendees.

This winter the AMFS will also present the Met’s new production of Bizet’s Carmen starring Elīna Garanča  and Roberto Alagna on February 24; Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra starring Plácido Domingo on March 3 and Verdi’s Aida with Violeta Urmana, Dolora Zajick and Johan Botha on March 17. 

The Met: Live in HD is now in its fourth year and delivers dramatically filmed live and encore presentations of the Met’s opera performances to more than 1,000 movie theaters, performing arts centers, universities and museums around the world. A sensation that sells out nearly everywhere, these broadcasts have swept the nation, and a generous gift from Mr. and Mrs. Sid R. Bass has now made it possible to bring them to the Aspen community. Mrs. Bass is Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of The Metropolitan Opera and the Basses are significant longtime supporters of the Music Festival.

The Aspen broadcasts start at 5:30 p.m. Sandwiches and concessions will be available in the lobby before and during intermissions. Tickets are $20 for adults, $5 for children age 17 and under. Subscriptions are $75. Call Aspen Show Tickets at (970) 920-5770 locally, or (866) 449-0464 toll free; tickets can also be purchased online at www.aspenshowtickets.com or in person at the Wheeler Opera House box office from 11 am to 7 pm daily. More information can be found at http://www.metoperafamily.org/metopera/broadcast/hd_events_current.aspx and www.aspenmusicfestival.com.

More About The Met: Live in HD: The Met has a 77-year tradition of broadcasting live performances to millions of radio listeners globally on the Toll Brothers–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network. This offered the springboard for the Live in HD program. Most of the HD transmissions are simulcast on radio. The broadcasts are produced with at least 10 cameras, meaning there are multiple points of view. There are many different kinds of shots, including special camera zooms and close-ups. Broadcasts are engineered and delivered to movie theaters in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound to accommodate most movie theater systems. It is the next best audio experience to being in the opera house itself. The initial inspiration for The Met: Live in HD was a global theatrical event featuring the rock musician David Bowie, who launched his 2003 album Reality with a live performance transmitted to movie theaters via satellite.

The Aspen Music Festival and School is the United States ’ premier classical music festival, presenting more than 350 musical events during its eight-week summer season in Aspen . The institution draws top classical musicians from around the world to this Colorado mountain retreat for an unparalleled combination of performances and music education. More than 25 percent of events are free and seating on the David Karetsky Music Lawn and in the Music Garden is always free. Summer dates are July 1 to August 22, 2010 and winter concerts in Harris Concert Hall include pianist Yefim Bronfman on February 17 and Grammy-winning violinist James Ehnes on March 13.

The Met: Live in HD series in Aspen is made possible by a special gift from Mr. and Mrs. Sid R. Bass.

The Met: Live in HD series is made possible by a generous grant from the Neubauer Family Foundation. Bloomberg L.P. is the global corporate sponsor of The Met: Live in HD. The HD broadcasts are supported by Toll Brothers, America ’s luxury home builder®.

Entry Filed under: Classical Music, Aspen, Colorado