A Bel Canto Bonanza — The Met Presents Bellini’s ‘La Sonnambula’ and ‘I Puritani,’ Rossini’s ‘La Cenerentola,’ and Donizetti’s ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’

Diana Damrau (center) and Javier Camarena (left) in La Sonnambula (Photo: Jonathan Tichler / Met Opera) Figaro Here, Figaro There, Figaro Everywhere How much has the modern operatic repertoire changed over the years? How about the last half-century or more? Consulting one of my prized possessions, the Metropolitan Opera Guild’s 1948 edition of the Opera Lover’s Companion, I was astonished to find the list of bel canto pieces produced by the Met during the postwar years to be almost nonexistent [...]