George Bizet's Carmen, one of the world's favorite operas, celebrates at Covent Garden its first new staging in nearly twenty years, directed by the eminent Spanish actress and director Nuria Espert. Blazing with passion, lust and jealously, this production is Hispanic to the core with vibrant designs by Spain's most distinguished set designer, Gerardo Vera, and authentic flamenco choreography by Christina Hoyos.  Luis Lima sings the role of Don Jose, and Maria Ewing protrays a full-blooded, voluptuous Carmen, a role for which she has already won universal acclaim at Glyndebourne and Earl's Court and on television. Zubin Mehta conducts The Royal Opera Chorus and The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House with inimitable eloquence and spirit.

Georges Bizet's Carmen

What happened to Figaro and his friends after the events told in Rossini’s and Mozart’s operas? One possible sequel is told in John Corigliano’s “grand opera buffa” The Ghosts of Versailles—an uproariously funny and deeply moving work inspired by Beaumarchais’s third Figaro play, La Mère Coupable, and commissioned by the Met to celebrate its 100th anniversary.  This telecast captures its world premiere run, conducted by James Levine. Håkan Hagegård is Beaumarchais, Figaro’s creator, who is deeply in love with Marie Antoinette (Teresa Stratas in a heart-searing performance) and determined to rewrite history and save her from the guillotine. A young Renée Fleming, at the beginning of her international career, sings the unfaithful Rosina. Gino Quilico is the wily Figaro who tries to take matters in his own hands, and Marilyn Horne stops the show as the exotic entertainer Samira.