Nightly Opera Streams, October 12–18

Discover the full lineup of popular Donizetti operas streaming this week with this helpful guide.

View the Playbills from the original performance dates for each stream, including synopses, program notes, and more.

The revival of the bel canto repertoire that began in the mid–20th century was late in coming to the Met, but the company has made up for lost time in recent years, including with important productions of Donizetti’s three operas based on the lives of Anne Boleyn, Mary Stuart, and Elizabeth I.

Last May, tenor Matthew Polenzani and director Bartlett Sher joined Met Executive Stage Director Paula Suozzi for a virtual conversation about L’Elisir d’Amore and took questions about the opera from students.

Few operatic conventions are more thrilling to behold than the “mad scene,” and the one in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor is definitive.

She’s a spunky orphan, he’s the local country boy, and together they deliver unforgettable vocal fireworks. Learn more about Donizetti's French farce with our In Focus podcast

Donizetti’s bel canto masterpiece Maria Stuarda had its Met premiere in 2012—a true cause for celebration, according to star Joyce DiDonato and director Sir David McVicar.

Donizetti’s riveting bel canto showcase for virtuoso coloratura sopranos has been a consistent presence in the Met repertory since the company’s very first season, with several legendary artists singing the title role.

Otto Schenk’s 2006 staging of Donizetti’s bel canto gem Don Pasquale is a dazzling display of comedic prowess from a director better known at the Met for his work in heavier repertoire.

Throwing herself wholly into every role she played, French soprano Natalie Dessay was one of the Met’s most magnetic artists for more than two decades.

To open the 2011–12 season, Anna Netrebko gave the company its first-ever portrayal of Donizetti’s Anne Boleyn. In this video about the Met premiere production of Anna Bolena, Netrebko and director David McVicar discuss the dazzling opera’s many merits.

Designer John Macfarlane and director David McVicar discuss the opulent courts and stark forests on display in their Met-premiere production of Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda.

Roberto Devereux follows the ill-fated final years of Queen Elizabeth I, as she struggles to navigate monarchical duty and illicit romance. In this 2016 production preview, director David McVicar and soprano Sondra Radvanovsky discuss the opera’s important place in Donizetti’s Tudor trilogy.

Matthew Polenzani, who sang the title role of Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux in 2016, discusses why the combination of bel canto and history makes for great operatic storytelling.

Superstar soprano Anna Netrebko has appeared in more Live in HD transmissions than any other principal artist. Watch highlights from a dozen of her roles, including this week’s stream of Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur.

During the 2015–16 season, Sondra Radvanovsky sang all three of Donizetti’s Tudor Queens, a historic feat that culminated in her starring in Sir David McVicar’s Met-premiere production of Roberto Devereux.

Discover some of the great divas who have thrilled and terrified Met audiences with their mad scenes over the past half-century.

In his imaginative production of L’Elisir d’Amore, director Bartlett Sher uncovers the patriotic fervor simmering underneath the opera’s enchanting surface charm.

Star diva Anna Netrebko opened the 2011–12 season in the title role of Donizetti’s Anna Bolena, headlining Sir David McVicar’s historically detailed Met-premiere production.

Enjoy on-demand access to the Met's entire catalog of more than 800 complete performances on all your favorite devices with our subscription streaming service. Start your seven-day free trial today.