The week in NY opera (December 10-16)

Not much going on at other venues (if you're a Susanna Phillips or Elizabeth Futral fan, they're singing Phillip Lasser songs at the 92nd St Y Tribeca tonight), but it's an eventful week at the Met.

Metropolitan Opera
Clemenza (M), Don Giovanni (T/SE), Aida (W*/SM), Troyens (Th), Ballo (F)
Last call for Clemenza and Ballo this season, with the latter offering the house lead-role debut of big-voiced 2007 Met Council winner Amber Wagner. Meanwhile the moviecast streak continues with an Aida that surely anyone who's been to NYC in the past decades has seen... though perhaps not with Roberto Alagna, who's now in as Radames.
The biggest event, however, is the first revival of Francesca Zambello's great production of the Berlioz epic Les Troyens. A return with Susan Graham as Didon has been rumored on and off since the show's unforgettable 2003 premiere with Lorraine Hunt Lieberson in the part, and though the star power in the rest of the cast has been reduced (the original had Polenzani as Iopas!), it's great to see it -- and Graham -- finally back.

* Wednesday's (starred) Aida is the one just before this Saturday's matinee moviecast, which means that the camera equipment and lights will be out in force. Do not sit in side orchestra, front orchestra, or side parterre -- the house is not interested in optimizing patron experience on these nights, but in making the eventual broadcast go well.