This Saturday's matinee broadcast from The Metropolitan Opera features "El Niño" by John Adams. Adams returns to the Met after a decade-long hiatus for the company premiere of his acclaimed opera-oratorio, which incorporates sacred and secular texts in English, Spanish, and Latin, from biblical times to the present day, in an extraordinarily dramatic retelling of the Nativity. El Niño brings together three of contemporary opera’s fiercest champions, all of whom make highly anticipated company debuts: Marin Alsop, one of the great conductors of our time, who has led more than 200 new-music premieres; soprano Julia Bullock, a leading voice on and off stage; and pathbreaking bass-baritone Davóne Tines. Radiant mezzo-sopranos J’Nai Bridges and Daniela Mack take turns completing the principal trio. The moving, fully-staged new production also marks the Met debut of Lileana Blain-Cruz, resident director at Lincoln Center Theater, who received universal acclaim for her Tony-nominated 2022 production of The Skin of Our Teeth.
Joshua Borths gives us a preview and you can hear his segments on my "Afternoon Classical" show each Friday afternoon just before 5pm. Tune in to hear "El Niño" Saturday afternoon, May 4th at 1pm on VPM Music, 93.1 and 107.3 in central Virginia and streaming online here at vpm.org!
Yours in good music,
Mike Goldberg
Classical Host, VPM Music
