Hector Berlioz - Les Troyens - The Metropolitan Opera DVD

UPC: 013023167391

Product Features

• Format: DVD, Color, Dolby Digital Stereo
• Audio: Dolby Digital
• Region Code: All Regions
• Subtitles: Optional English subtitles
• Running Time: 253 minutes
• Publisher: Pioneer Classics, originally recorded by The Metropolitan Opera, 1984
• Production Date: October 8, 1983 (with portions from an earlier performance due to power interruption)

Overview

This historic DVD recording of Hector Berlioz's monumental opera, Les Troyens, captures the October 8, 1983, performance at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Conducted by James Levine and starring Tatiana Troyanos (as Cassandra), Jessye Norman (as Dido), Plácido Domingo (as Aeneas), Allan Monk, and Paul Plishka, this production opened the Met’s Centennial Season with what was the first uncut presentation of Les Troyens at the Metropolitan Opera. The performance, praised by critics for its artistry and grandeur, highlights the intense drama and rich musical textures that have made Les Troyens a landmark of the operatic repertoire.

This opera in three acts is a retelling of the Trojan War and its aftermath, as well as the passionate love story between Aeneas and Dido. The stunning production incorporates the talents of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Chorus, and Ballet, with elaborate staging and costume design to reflect Berlioz’s epic vision.

Interesting Facts

• Centennial Season Opening: Les Troyens was chosen to inaugurate the Metropolitan Opera’s Centennial Season in 1983, marking it as a key cultural event in opera history.
• Technical Challenge and Uniqueness: Due to a power failure during the live performance, portions of Act II are taken from a previous recording, making it the only "Live from the Met" broadcast to feature material from more than one performance.
• Critical Acclaim: Praised by The New York Daily News as "a triumph," this production featured a “stellar cast and an inspired conductor,” revealing Les Troyens as one of the most significant operas of the 19th century.
• Metropolitan Opera History: This DVD captures a milestone in the Met’s history, bringing one of Berlioz’s most ambitious works to the stage in its entirety for the first time.

Cast and Crew

• Conductor: James Levine
• Starring: Tatiana Troyanos (Cassandra), Jessye Norman (Dido), Plácido Domingo (Aeneas), Allan Monk, Paul Plishka
• Orchestra/Chorus/Ballet: The Metropolitan Opera
• Directed by: Beatriz Schiller
• Special Thanks: The production was supported by generous contributions from Francis Goeler, Edith C. Blum Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the Charles E. Culpeper Foundation.

Special Features

• Enclosed Booklet: Includes chapter list, synopsis, and background information on the production and performers.

Publishers

Pioneer Classics, The Metropolitan Opera

Hashtags

#LesTroyens #MetropolitanOpera #HectorBerlioz #JamesLevine #JessyeNorman #PlácidoDomingo #TatianaTroyanos #OperaClassics #EpicOpera #MetOperaCentennial