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The Best Episodes of Great Performances at the Met

Every episode of Great Performances at the Met ranked from best to worst. Let's dive into the Best Episodes of Great Performances at the Met!

The Best Episodes of Great Performances at the Met

The Metropolitan Opera's series of live performance transmissions to movie theaters around the world.
  1. Background image for Thaïs
    9.0/10(36 votes)

    #1 - Thaïs

    S3:E5

    Soprano Renée Fleming stars in the title role of Jules Massenet's "Thaïs," about an Egyptian courtesan who causes the fall from grace of a monk (Thomas Hampson). Nicias: Michael Schade. Palémon: Alain Vernhes. La Charmeuse: Leah Partridge.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  2. Background image for Eugene Onegin
    8.9/10(85 votes)

    #2 - Eugene Onegin

    S1:E4

    Tchaikovsky's “Eugene Onegin,” starring Renée Fleming as Tatiana, a young Russian who's rebuffed by the object of her affection, Eugene Onegin (Dmitri Hvorostovsky). Years later, after she has married a prince (Sergei Aleksashkin), the two meet again and Onegin realizes his error. Olga: Elena Zaremba. Larina: Svetlana Volkova. Lenski: Ramón Vargas.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  3. Background image for L'Elisir d'Amore
    8.9/10(32 votes)

    #3 - L'Elisir d'Amore

    S7:E1

    Season 7 opens with Gaetano Donizetti's comic opera "L'Elisir d'Amore," about a peasant (Matthew Polenzani) who wins the heart of a beautiful farm owner (Anna Netrebko) with the help of a love potion he purchased from a quack doctor (Ambrogio Maestri). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  4. Background image for Les Troyens
    8.9/10(31 votes)

    #4 - Les Troyens

    S7:E8

    Berlioz's "Les Troyens," about a Trojan military commander (Bryan Hymel) who flees the fallen Troy and lands in the North African kingdom of Carthage, where he falls for the queen (Susan Graham). Deborah Voigt plays Cassandra, the Trojan prophetess whose warnings about an apparent gift from the Greeks are ignored. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  5. Background image for Episode 9
    8.9/10(25 votes)

    #5 - Episode 9

    S13:E9

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  6. Background image for Der Fliegende Hollander
    8.9/10(31 votes)

    #6 - Der Fliegende Hollander

    S14:E7

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
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  8. Background image for Il trittico
    8.8/10(20 votes)

    #7 - Il trittico

    S1:E6

    “Il Trittico,” Puccini's collection of three one-act operas. “Il Tabarro” concerns doomed lovers (Maria Guleghina, Salvatore Licitra); “Suor Angelica,” is about the salvation of a nun (Barbara Frittoli); “Gianni Schicchi” is a charismatic scoundrel (Alessandro Corbelli) out to steal a fortune willed to the church.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  9. Background image for Lucia di Lammermoor
    8.8/10(36 votes)

    #8 - Lucia di Lammermoor

    S3:E6

    A production of Gaetano Donizetti's "Lucia di Lammermoor," a tragic opera about a young woman (Anna Netrebko) whose brother (Mariusz Kwiecien) pressures her to marry a nobleman despite her love for another (Piotr Beczala).

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  10. Background image for La Fanciulla del West
    8.8/10(31 votes)

    #9 - La Fanciulla del West

    S5:E4

    A production of Puccini's "La Fanciulla del West," about an Old West saloon owner (Deborah Voigt) in a California gold-rush town who'll stop at nothing to get the man (Marcello Giordani) she wants. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  11. Background image for Anna Bolena
    8.8/10(39 votes)

    #10 - Anna Bolena

    S6:E1

    Season 6 opens with Gaetano Donizetti's "Anna Bolena," based on the last days of Anne Boleyn (Anna Netrebko), the second wife of British monarch Henry VIII (Ildar Abdrazakov). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  12. Background image for Il Trovatore
    8.8/10(42 votes)

    #11 - Il Trovatore

    S10:E1

    Soprano Anna Netrebko appears in her Met role debut as Leonora, the tortured heroine who sacrifices her own life for the love of the Gypsy troubadour. Dmitri Hvorostovsky sings Count di Luna, Yonghoon Lee is Manrico in his Met role debut as the title character, Dolora Zajick sings her signature role of the gypsy Azucena, and Štefan Kocán is Ferrando. Marco Armiliato conducts Sir David McVicar’s Goya-inspired production.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  13. Background image for Jonas Kaufmann in Concert
    8.8/10(20 votes)

    #12 - Jonas Kaufmann in Concert

    S15:E2

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  14. Background image for Der Rosenkavalier
    8.7/10(86 votes)

    #13 - Der Rosenkavalier

    S4:E6

    Renée Fleming and Susan Graham star in Richard Strauss' comic "Der Rosenkavalier" as the middle-aged Marschallin and her young lover, Octavian, who falls for a woman (Miah Persson) closer to his age, but who's engaged to Marschallin's cousin (Kristinn Sigmundsson).

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  15. Background image for Don Pasquale
    8.7/10(77 votes)

    #14 - Don Pasquale

    S5:E1

    The Season 5 premiere features Donizetti's comic "Don Pasquale," starring soprano Anna Netrebko as a penniless young woman who tricks the wealthy Don (John Del Carlo) into thinking he's married her, then acts like a shrew so that he will consent to her marrying his nephew Ernesto (Matthew Polenzani). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  16. Background image for Ernani
    8.7/10(30 votes)

    #15 - Ernani

    S6:E7

    A production of Verdi's "Ernani," about a maiden (Angela Meade) who is romantically pursued by her uncle (Ferruccio Furlanetto), the Spanish king (Dmitri Hvorostovsky) and a bandit (Marcello Giordani). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  17. Background image for Carmen
    8.7/10(35 votes)

    #16 - Carmen

    S13:E6

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  18. Background image for Sonya Yoncheva in Concert
    8.7/10(13 votes)

    #17 - Sonya Yoncheva in Concert

    S15:E8

    No description available

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  19. Background image for La Fille du Régiment
    8.6/10(43 votes)

    #18 - La Fille du Régiment

    S2:E8

    Coloratura soprano Natalie Dessay stars as Marie, an orphan adopted by French troops in this production of Donizetti's comedic "Fille du Régiment," which updates the setting from the Napoleonic era to World War I. Tenor Juan Diego Flórez costars as Tonio, the soldier she's promised to wed. Marquise of Berkenfield: Felicity Palmer. Sgt. Sulpice: Alessandro Corbelli. Duchess of Krakenthorp: Marian Seldes.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  20. Background image for Le Comte Ory
    8.6/10(30 votes)

    #19 - Le Comte Ory

    S5:E8

    Rossini's comic "Le Comte Ory" stars Juan Diego Flórez in the title role, a count who competes with his page (Joyce DiDonatofor, in a trouser role) for the hand of a lonely countess (Diana Damrau). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  21. Background image for Satyagraha
    8.6/10(62 votes)

    #20 - Satyagraha

    S6:E3

    A performance of Philip Glass' "Satyagraha," about the early years of Mahatma Gandhi (Richard Croft). The production costars Rachelle Durkin, Alfred Walker and Kim Josephson; and features large-scale puppetry and sets made of corrugated metal and newspaper. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  22. Background image for Manon
    8.6/10(59 votes)

    #21 - Manon

    S6:E8

    Soprano Anna Netrebko stars in Jules Massenet's "Manon," about a country girl who, while on her way to a convent, falls for a young man (Piotr Beczala) before succumbing to a promise of a luxurious life offered by a rich nobleman (Christophe Mortagne). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  23. Background image for Eugene Onegin
    8.6/10(44 votes)

    #22 - Eugene Onegin

    S8:E1

    Season 8 opens with Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin," starring Anna Netrebko as Tatiana, a young Russian who's rebuffed by the object of her affection, Eugene Onegin (Mariusz Kwiecien). Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  24. Background image for La Cenerentola
    8.6/10(30 votes)

    #23 - La Cenerentola

    S8:E10

    Joyce DiDonato sings the title role in Rossini’s Cinderella story, La Cenerentola, with bel canto master Juan Diego Flórez as her dashing prince. Met Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi leads a cast that also includes Pietro Spagnoli in his Met debut as the servant Dandini, Alessandro Corbelli as Cenerentola’s stepfather Don Magnifico, and Luca Pisaroni as Don Ramiro’s tutor, Alidoro. Originally broadcast live in movie theaters as part of The Met: Live in HD series.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  25. Background image for Roberto Devereux
    8.6/10(26 votes)

    #24 - Roberto Devereux

    S10:E9

    The last opera in Donizetti’s Tudor trilogy, directed by Sir David McVicar, stars Sondra Radvanovsky as Elizabeth I and features Matthew Polenzani, Elina Garanca and Mariusz Kwiecien. Maurizio Benini conducts.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown
  26. Background image for Eugene Onegin
    8.6/10(19 votes)

    #25 - Eugene Onegin

    S11:E8

    Anna Netrebko stars as Tatiana, the naïve heroine of Tchaikovsky’s opera, with Peter Mattei as the title character who rejects her. Alexey Dolgov is Onegin’s friend-turned-rival, Lenski, with Elena Maximova as Tatiana’s sister, Olga, and Štefan Kocán as Prince Gremin. Robin Ticciati conducts.

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    Director:Unknown
    Writer:Unknown

Best Episodes Summary

"Thaïs" is the best rated episode of "Great Performances at the Met". It scored 9/10 based on 36 votes. Directed by Unknown and written by Unknown, it aired on 12/20/2008. This episode scored 0.1 points higher than the second highest rated, "Eugene Onegin".