Bartlett Sher’s production of Gounod’s sumptuous Shakespeare adaptation was a hit of the 2016–17 Met season (“a revelation” declared the Huffington Post). Now the sweeping tragedy returns with Ailyn Pérez and Bryan Hymel, both celebrated in French repertoire, as the star crossed young lovers. Plácido Domingo conducts.
Charles Gounod (1818–1893) showed early promise as a musician and achieved commercial success with his opera Faust in 1859. Among his most famous works is a setting of the Ave Maria based on a piece by J. S. Bach. Jules Barbier (1825–1901) and Michel Carré (1821–1872) were the leading librettists of their time in France, providing the text for many other operas, including Faust for Gounod, Mignon (also from Goethe) and Hamlet for Ambroise Thomas, and Les Contes d’Hoffmann for Jacques Offenbach.
Production Bartlett Sher
Set Designer Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer Catherine Zuber
Lighting Designed by Jennifer Tipton
Choreographer Chase Brock