(New York) The Metropolitan Opera in New York announced on Monday that its 2020-21 season would not start until December 31, three months later than expected, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and is studying the possibility of shortening some performances.
–
–
“Given the enormous organizational complexity of the Met’s schedule, we have no choice but to cancel our fall season,” general manager Peter Gelb said in a statement.
“It is not possible to return to an opera house in September while social distancing remains in effect,” he added.
The production of “Aïda”, by Giuseppe Verdi, which was due to open the season on September 21, has been canceled altogether, as has that of “The Angel of Fire” by Sergei Prokofiev, whose performances were due to begin. November 12.
The new calendar will kick off on December 31 with an exceptional gala, details of which have yet to be announced.
If “The Magic Flute” and “Don Giovanni” will be played well, as planned, in 2021, it will be in a staging already seen in New York.
The “lack of time available for the necessary technical preparations” thus forced the organizers to give up presenting the new staging initially planned, in particular a “Don Giovanni” by Belgian Ivo van Hove.
To make up for some of the canceled dates, the Met inserted additional performances in February into their new schedule.
“In anticipation of new public expectations”, the New York Opera has brought forward the time for the curtain to rise “whenever possible” and “is studying reducing the duration of certain performances”.
Handel’s “Giulio Cesare” will last, for example, 3:30 am with one intermission versus 4:30 am and two intermissions so far.
The three fall performances that were scheduled to be filmed for “The Met: Live in HD” format, shown in theaters around the world, will be replaced by reruns.
New York City is to begin the first phase out of containment during the week of June 8.
But this first phase does not concern the performing arts, which will only be able to resume their activity during the fourth and last phase of the plan, at a date still unknown.
No theater or performance hall in New York had yet announced a specific reopening date for performances or concerts with the public.
–