The Metropolitan Opera premieres of Ferruccio Busoni's "Doktor Faust" and Sergei Prokofiev's "The Gambler," and new productions of Ludwig van Beethoven's "Fidelio" and Giuseppe Verdi's "Il Trovatore" and "Nabucco" highlight the repertory for the Metropolitan Opera's 31-week 2000-2001 season, announced today by Joseph Volpe, general manager, and James Levine, artistic director.

James Levine conducts the Met premiere of "Doktor Faust" on January 8, 2001. Katarina Dalayman is the Duchess of Parma, Robert Brubaker is Mephistopheles, David Kuebler is the Duke of Parma, Thomas Hampson is Doktor Faust, and Peter Rose sings Wagner and the Master of Ceremonies. The production, which is co-produced with the Salzburg Festival, is directed by Peter Mussbach, the set designer is Erich Wonder, the costume designer is Andrea Schmidt-Futterer, and the lighting designer is Konrad Lindenberg, all making their Metropolitan Opera debuts.

Valery Gergiev, principal guest conductor of the Metropolitan Opera, will be on the podium for the company premiere of "The Gambler" on March 19, 2001. The cast includes Olga Guryakova in her Met debut as Pauline, Elena Obraztsova as Babushka, Vladimir Galouzine as Alexei, Nikolai Gassiev as the Marquis, John Fanning as Mr. Astley, and Sergei Alexashkin in his company debut as the General. The production will be directed by Temur Chkheidze, with sets designed by George Tsypin, costumes designed by Georgi Alexi-Meskhishvili, all three in their Metropolitan Opera debuts, and lighting designed by James F. Ingalls.

The new production of "Fidelio" opens on October 13, with James Levine conducting Karita Mattila as Leonore, Ben Heppner as Florestan, Falk Struckmann as Don Pizarro, René Pape as Rocco, Jennifer Welch as Marzelline, Matthew Polenzani as Jacquino, and Robert Lloyd as Don Fernando. Jürgen Flimm makes his Metropolitan Opera debut directing the production, as does the costume designer Florence von Gerkan. Robert Israel designs the sets and Duane Schuler designs the lighting.

The Metropolitan Opera will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the death of Giuseppe Verdi with two new productions: "Il Trovatore," which opens on December 7, 2000, and "Nabucco," opening on March 8, 2001. Leonora in "Il Trovatore" will be sung by Marina Mescheriakova, with Dolora Zajick as Azucena, Neil Shicoff as Manrico, Roberto Frontali as Count di Luna, and Dimitri Kavrakos as Ferrando. Carlo Rizzi will conduct, and the production will be directed by Graham Vick, with sets and costumes designed by Paul Brown, and lighting designed by Matthew Richardson.

"Nabucco," which has not been performed at the Met for over 40 years, will be conducted by James Levine, with Maria Guleghina as Abigaille, Marianna Tarassova as Fenena, Fabio Armiliato as Ismaele, Juan Pons as Nabucco, and Samuel Ramey as Zaccaria. Elijah Moshinsky directs, sets are designed by John Napier in his Met debut, costumes are designed by Andreane Neofitou in her Met debut, and Howard Harrison is the lighting designer.

The 2000-2001 season opens on Monday, September 25, with Mozart's "Don Giovanni" conducted by Maestro Levine. Renée Fleming is Donna Anna, with Solveig Kringelborn in her company debut as Donna Elvira, Hei-Kyung Hong as Zerlina, Paul Groves as Don Ottavio, Bryn Terfel in the title role, Ferruccio Furlanetto as Leporello, John Relyea as Masetto, and Sergei Koptchak as the Commendatore.

Two operas return to the repertory after absences of more than ten seasons: Rossini's "L'Italiana in Algeri" (last heard during the 1985-86 season) and Berg's "Lulu" (last heard during the 1987-88 season). The cast for "L'Italiana in Algeri" includes Jennifer Larmore as Isabella, Samuel Ramey as Mustafà, Paul Austin Kelly as Lindoro, Alessandro Corbelli as Taddeo, and Bruno Campanella conducting. The title role of "Lulu" will be sung by Christine Schäfer in her Met debut, with Hanna Schwarz as the Countess Geschwitz, David Kuebler as Alwa, Clifton Forbis as the Painter, Michael Devlin as Dr. Schön , Franz Mazura as Schigolch, and James Levine conducting.

On January 27, 2001, the 100th anniversary of Verdi's death, the Texaco-Metropolitan Opera radio broadcast will be Verdi's "Aida," with James Levine conducting Deborah Voigt in the title role, Olga Borodina as Amneris, Luciano Pavarotti as Radames, and Mark Delavan as Amonasro. (Mr. Delavan makes his company debut in the same role earlier in the season.)

Also among the revivals will be Bizet's "Carmen," Janácek's "The Makropulos Case," Massenet's "Manon," Mozart's "Così fan tutte" and "Die Zauberflöte," Puccini's "Turandot," Saint-Saëns' "Samson et Dalila," Richard Strauss' "Ariadne auf Naxos," Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera," and Wagner's "Der Fliegende Holländer" and "Parsifal." Works continued from the current season will be Debussy's "Pelléas et Mélisande," Lehár's "The Merry Widow," Puccini's "La Bohème," Strauss' "Der Rosenkavalier," and Verdi's "La Traviata."

Additional debuts during the season include Miriam Gauci as Mimi in "La Bohème," Janice Watson as Micaëla in "Carmen," Melanie Diener as Fiordiligi in "Così fan tutte," Roland Wagenführer as Erik in "Der Fliegende Holländer," Giuseppe Sabbatini as des Grieux in "Manon" (with Ruth Ann Swenson singing her first Met Manon), Violeta Urmana as Kundry in "Parsifal" (opposite Plácido Domingo and John Tomlinson), Vesselina Kasarova as Octavian in "Der Rosenkavalier" (with Cheryl Studer singing the Marschallin for the first time with the company) and Irina Mishura as Dalila in "Samson et Dalila." Among conductors making debuts during the season are Armin Jordan with "Così fan tutte," Asher Fisch with "The Merry Widow," and Sebastian Weigle with "Die Zauberflöte."

Among the artists appearing in roles for the first time at the Met are Richard Margison as Bacchus in "Ariadne auf Naxos," Michele Crider as Amelia and Franco Farina as King Gustav in "Un Ballo in Maschera," Olga Borodina in the title role of "Carmen," Roberto Alagna and Richard Leech as Don José and René Pape as Escamillo in "Carmen," Sharon Sweet as Senta in "Der Fliegende Holländer," Håkan Hagegård as Danilo in "The Merry Widow," Susanne Mentzer as Mélisande in "Pelléas et Mélisande," Dwayne Croft and Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Germont in "La Traviata," Alessandra Marc in the title role of "Turandot," and Sylvia McNair as Pamina, Michael Schade as Tamino, and Simon Keenlyside as Papageno in "Die Zauberflöte."

Also heard during the season are Natalie Dessay as Zerbinetta in "Ariadne auf Naxos," Cristina Gallardo-Domas as Mimi and Marcello Giordani as Rodolfo in "La Bohème," Susan Graham as Dorabella and Dawn Upshaw as Despina in "Così fan tutte," James Morris in the title role of "Der Fliegende Holländer," Catherine Malfitano as Emilia Marty in "The Makropulos Case," Frederica von Stade as Hanna Glawari in "The Merry Widow," José Van Dam as Golaud in Pelléas et Mélisande," Plácido Domingo and Denyce Graves in "Samson et Dalila," and Jane Eaglen as Turandot and Angela Gheorghiu as Liù in "Turandot."

There will also be three special events at the Metropolitan Opera House during the season. On Friday, April 27, 2001, Mirella Freni will be honored by the company with a Gala Performance which will be her farewell performance in North America. In addition, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli and bass-baritone Bryn Terfel will be heard in concert with the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus conducted by James Levine in a benefit for the Pension Fund on Sunday, October 29; and the company will celebrate the 60th birthday of Plácido Domingo with a Gala Concert on Sunday, January 21, 2001.

The MET Orchestra continues its annual series at Carnegie Hall during the 2000-2001 season. Three concerts will be conducted by James Levine: March 11, 2001 (Mahler's Symphony No. 9), April 29, 2001 (Verdi's Requiem with Renée Fleming, Olga Borodina, Marcello Giordani, René Pape, and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus), and May 6, 2001 (Schoenberg's "Gurrelieder" with Deborah Voigt, Violeta Urmana, Ben Heppner, Matthew Polenzani, Richard Paul Fink, Ernst Haefliger, and the Metropolitan Opera Chorus). One concert will be led by Valery Gergiev, who will be making his debut with MET Orchestra, on December 3 (Scriabin's "Prométhée" with pianist Alexander Toradze, and Shostakovich's Symphony No. 4).

AIDA: James Levine/Paul Nadler; Deborah Voigt, Olga Borodina/Barbara Dever, Luciano Pavarotti/Gegam Grigorian, Mark Delavan/Gregg Baker, Roberto Scandiuzzi/TBA, Hao Jiang Tian/Stephen Morscheck - January 15, 19, 23, 27 mat., 30, February 3

ARIADNE AUF NAXOS: James Levine; Deborah Voigt, Natalie Dessay, Susanne Mentzer, Richard Margison, Wolfgang Brendel - April 14 mat., 17, 20

BALLO IN MASCHERA: Plácido Domingo/Franz Vote; Michele Crider/Elena Zelenskaya/Ana María Sánchez, Youngok Shin/Korliss Uecker, Elena Zaremba/Barbara Dever, Franco Farina/Francisco Casanova, Alexandru Agache/Juan Pons - January 22, 26, February 1, 7, 10 mat., April 11, 14, 19, 25, 28 mat.

BOHÈME: Marco Armiliato/Joseph Colaneri/Steven Crawford; Cristina Gallardo-Domas/Elena Evseeva/Nuccia Focile/Miriam Gauci, Sondra Radvanovsky/Noëmi Nadelmann/Ainhoa Arteta, Marcello Giordani/Frank Lopardo, Jean-Luc Chaignaud/Dwayne Croft/Gerald Finley - October 28, November 1, 4 mat., 7, 10, 14, 18 mat., 30, December 2, 5, 9, March 9, 13, 17 mat., 21, 24

CARMEN: Bertrand de Billy; Norah Amsellem/Janice Watson, Olga Borodina/Irina Mishura, Roberto Alagna/Neil Shicoff/Richard Leech, René Pape/Franck Ferrari - October 23, 26, 31, November 4, 8, 11 mat., January 17, 20, 24, 27, 31, February 3 mat.

COSÌ FAN TUTTE: Armin Jordan; Melanie Diener/Wendy Nielsen, Susan Graham/Theodora Hanslowe, Dawn Upshaw/Clare Gormley, Paul Groves/Gregory Turay, Rodney Gilfry/Christopher Schaldenbrand, Michele Pertusi/Julien Robbins - February 17, 20, 24 mat., 28, March 3, 7, 10, 15

DOKTOR FAUST: James Levine/Scott Bergeson; Katarina Dalayman, Robert Brubaker, David Kuebler, Thomas Hampson, Peter Rose - January 8, 12, 16, 20 mat., 25, 29

DON GIOVANNI: James Levine; Renée Fleming, Solveig Kringelborn, Hei-Kyung Hong, Paul Groves/John Osborn, Bryn Terfel, Ferruccio Furlanetto, John Relyea/Julien Robbins, Sergei Koptchak - September 25, 28, October 2, 6, 9, 14, 18, 21 mat.

FIDELIO: James Levine/Gareth Morrell; Karita Mattila/Renate Behle, Jennifer Welch/Hei-Kyung Hong, Ben Heppner/Roland Wagenführer, Matthew Polenzani, Falk Struckmann/Sergei Leiferkus, René Pape, Robert Lloyd/James Morris/Julien Robbins - October 13, 17, 21, 25, 28 mat., November 2, December 22, 27, 30, January 3, 6 mat., 11

FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER: Valery Gergiev; Sharon Sweet/Sue Patchell, Roland Wagenführer, James Morris, Jan-Hendrik Rootering/Peter Rose - November 24, 28, December 1, 4, 8, 13, 16 mat., 20

GAMBLER: Valery Gergiev; Olga Guryakova, Elena Obraztsova, Vladimir Galouzine, Nikolai Gassiev, John Fanning, Sergei Alexashkin - March 19, 23, 27, 31 mat., April 4, 7

ITALIANA IN ALGERI: Bruno Campanella; Jennifer Larmore/Wendy White, Paul Austin Kelly/Matthew Polenzani, Alessandro Corbelli/Roberto de Candia, Samuel Ramey/Dean Peterson - February 2, 5, 8, 14, 17 mat., 21, 24, March 1

LULU: James Levine; Christine Schäfer, Hanna Schwarz, David Kuebler/Allan Glassman, Clifton Forbis, Michael Devlin, Franz Mazura - April 9, 12, 16, 21 mat., 24

MAKROPULOS CASE: Charles Mackerras; Catherine Malfitano, Robert Brubaker, Tom Fox, Peter Mikulás - April 23, 26, 28

MANON: Julius Rudel; Ruth Ann Swenson, Giuseppe Sabbatini, Roberto de Candia/Mark Oswald, Paul Plishka/Hao Jiang Tian - February 10, 13, 16, 19, 22, 26, March 3 mat.

MERRY WIDOW: Asher Fisch; Frederica von Stade/Delores Ziegler, Jennifer Welch/Korliss Uecker, Håkan Hagegård/Plácido Domingo, Paul Groves/Gregory Turay, John Del Carlo/Timothy Nolen - December 18, 23 mat., 28, 31 (New Year's Eve Gala), January 5, 10, 13, 18

NABUCCO: James Levine; Maria Guleghina/Andrea Gruber, Marianna Tarassova/ Wendy White, Fabio Armiliato, Juan Pons/Frederick Burchinal, Samuel Ramey/ Dimitri Kavrakos - March 8, 12, 16, 20, 24 mat., 28, 31, April 3, 6

PARSIFAL: James Levine; Violeta Urmana, Plácido Domingo, Hans-Joachim Ketelsen, Ekkehard Wlaschiha/Richard Paul Fink, John Tomlinson - March 29, April 2, 7 mat., 10, 13

PELLÉAS ET MÉLISANDE: James Levine; Susanne Mentzer, Nadine Denize, Dwayne Croft, José Van Dam, Robert Lloyd - September 27, 30, October 5, 10

ROSENKAVALIER: Jiri Kout; Cheryl Studer, Vesselina Kasarova/Kristine Jepson, Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz, Marcello Giordani/Marcelo Álvarez, Alan Opie/John Fanning, Eric Halfvarson/Jan-Hendrik Rootering - November 16, 20, 25, 29, December 2 mat., 6, 9 mat., 14

SAMSON ET DALILA: Mark Elder; Denyce Graves/Irina Mishura/Olga Borodina, Plácido Domingo, Sergei Leiferkus/Gregg Baker - September 26, 29, October 3, 7, 11, 14 mat., 19, April 18, 21

TRAVIATA: Jun Märkl; Ruth Ann Swenson/Patricia Racette/Zvetelina Vassileva, Marcelo Álvarez/Roberto Aronica/Ramón Vargas, Dwayne Croft/Dmitri Hvorostovsky - December 12, 16, 19, 23, 30 mat., January 4, February 6, 9, 12, 15, 23, 27, March 2, 5

TROVATORE: Carlo Rizzi; Marina Mescheriakova/Sondra Radvanovsky/Michele Crider, Dolora Zajick/Barbara Dever/Irina Mishura, Neil Shicoff/Fabio Armiliato, Roberto Frontali/Haijing Fu, Dimitri Kavrakos/Paul Plishka -December 7, 11, 15, 21, 26, 29, January 2, 6, 9, 13 mat., March 22, 26, 30, April 5

TURANDOT: Marco Armiliato; Sharon Sweet/Alessandra Marc/Jane Eaglen, Cristina Gallardo-Domas/Indra Thomas/Angela Gheorghiu/Hei-Kyung Hong, Richard Margison/Michael Sylvester/Dennis O'Neill, Paul Plishka/Robert Lloyd - September 30 mat., October 4, 7 mat., 12, 16, 20, 24, 27, 30, November 3, 9, 13, 17, 21, 25 mat.

ZAUBERFLÖTE: Sebastian Weigle; Sylvia McNair/Mary Mills, Mary Dunleavy/Elizabeth Carter, Michael Schade, Gerald Finley/Simon Keenlyside, John Cheek, Jan-Hendrik Rootering/Eric Halfvarson/Kurt Moll - November 6, 11, 15, 18, 22, 27, March 6, 10 mat., 14, 17

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