Ailyn Pérez returns to the Metropolitan Opera for her greatly anticipated title role debut in Daniel Catán’s Florencia en el Amazonas on November 16, 19, 25, 27, & December 2, 5, 9 & 14. The poignant and evocative Florencia is the first Spanish-language opera at the Met in nearly 100 years and only the third in company history. It’s also the first opera at the Met by a Mexican composer, Catán, whose librettist, Marcela Fuentes-Berain, also hails from Mexico City.
Sung in Spanish and inspired by the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez, Catán’s 1996 opera tells the enchanting story of a Brazilian opera diva who returns to her homeland to perform at the legendary opera house of Manaus—and to search for her lost lover, who has vanished into the jungle. Met Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin leads a spellbinding new production by Mary Zimmerman that brings the mysterious and magical realm of the Amazon to the Met stage.
A distinguished ensemble of artists share the stage with Ms. Pérez, including soprano Gabriella Reyes as the journalist Rosalba, bass-baritone Greer Grimsley as the ship’s captain, baritone Mattia Olivieri as his enigmatic first mate, tenor Mario Chang as the captain’s nephew Arcadio, and mezzo-soprano Nancy Fabiola Herrera and baritone Michael Chioldi as the feuding couple Paula and Alvaro.
You can listen to a free live audio stream of the opening night performance on November 16 at 7:55pm via the Met Opera’s website. The performance on Saturday, December 9, at 12:55pm ET will broadcast live worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series. Additionally, you can watch the production via The Met: Live at Home, an initiative for audiences who do not have access to a participating movie theater for the Live in HD cinema transmissions, or listen to a live radio broadcast via the Met’s Saturday Matinee Broadcasts.
Photo: Chris Singer