Once again there are ten productions in the line up for next season; five of them productions that have been seen before.  I don’t see anything terribly compelling here but there are a few reasonably interesting shows.  All performances are 12.55pm unless otherwise indicated.  Here’s the scoop.

Saturday October 6th – Verdi – Aida

It’s the “cast of thousands” Frisell production that debuted in 1988.  The main interest would appear to be Netrebko as Aida but there’s also the excellent Anita Rachvelishvili as Amneris and “Mr. Grumpy”, Aleksandrs Antonenko as Radames.  Nicola Lusotti conducts.

Saturday October 20th – Saint-Saens – Samson et Dalila

This is a new production by another of Gelb’s Broadway buddies; Darko Tresnjak.  The lead roles are taken by Alagna and Garanča.  They were either deadly dull or oddly compelling (depending who one talks to) in Carmen so who knows?  Sir Mark Elder conducts.

Saturday October 27th – Puccini – La Fanciulla del West

This is a reprise of the previously seen Giancarlo del Monaco production.  This time Eva-Maria Westbroek is Minnie and Jonas Kaufmann is Dick Johnson.  Marco Armiliato conducts.

Saturday November 10th – Muhly – Marnie

Nico Muhly’s second new opera for the Met, based on the Winston Graham novel.  Michael Mayer directs and Robert Spano conducts.  It’s a very decent cast including Isabel Leonard, Iestyn Davies and Chris Maltman.  I’d be more interested if I liked Muhly’s music.

Saturday December 15th – Verdi – La Traviata

So the much seen Decker production is out and in comes a new one by Michael Mayer.  Apparently it’s a “richly textured…dazzling 18th century setting” which sounds a lot like frocks and furniture to me.  Diana Damrau, Juan Diego Flórez and Quinn Kelsey make for a pretty decent cast and Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.

Saturday January 12th – Cilea – Adriana Lecouvreur

This is the McVicar staging already available on Blu-ray and DVD from its Covent Garden run with Gheorgiu and Kaufmann.  The Met offers Netrebko and Beczala.  Gianandrea Noseda conducts.

Saturday February 2nd – Bizet – Carmen

This is the Richard Eyre production released on DVD with Alagna and Garanča.  This time the excellent Clémentine Margaine takes the title role and Alagna is back as Don Jose.  Omer Meir Wellber conducts.

Saturday March 2nd – Donizetti – La fille du regiment

It’s the Pelly production again.  Pretty Yende and Javier Camerena are Marie and Tonio.  Enrique Mazzola conducts.  Once again, available on disk with Dessay and Florez.

Saturday March 30th – Wagner – Die Walkure

The only bit of this season’s Ring to get an HD.  It’s the Lepage “machine” production of course.  The main selling point is Christine Goerke as Brunnhilde which is probably a bigger deal if you didn’t see her in Toronto!  Eva-Maria Westbroek and Stuart Skelton are the twins with Greer Grimsley as Wotan.  Philippe Jordan conducts.  Noon kick off.

Saturday May 11th – Poulenc – Dialogues des Carmélites

It’s the venerable John Dexter production but I think this is its first outing in HD.  Isabel Leonard is Blanche with Adrienne Pieczonka as Mme Lidoine and Karita Mattila as Mme de Croissy.  Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts.  Noon start.

I’m mildly tempted by the Muhly and the Poulenc but I likely won’t bother.