Les Pecheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers), Live in HD

Grinnell College will stream six of the Metropolitan Opera’s productions live and in high-definition from January through April at the Harris Center Cinema, 1114 10th Ave., Grinnell.

The Met celebrates its 10th anniversary of “Live-in-HD” movie theater transmissions this season, starting the New Year with Georges Bizet’s Les Pecheurs de Perles at noon on Saturday, Jan. 16. Don Smith, professor emeritus of history at Grinnell College, will give an opera talk at 11:30 a.m. at the Harris Center.

Set in the Far East, Les Pecheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers), centers on Leila, the beautiful Hindu priestess courted by competing pearl divers. Soprano Diana Damrau stars as the priestess with tenor Matthew Polenzani and baritone Mariusz Kwiecien as her suitors. Gianandrea Noseda conducts the opera, which will grace the Met’s stage for the first time in 100 years.

Four of the next five broadcasts will feature opera talks by faculty and staff members.

All of the talks will start at 11:30 a.m. in the Harris Center Cinema. Each live broadcast will begin at noon.

The five additional spring semester operas are:

Puccini’s Turandot

Saturday, Jan. 30

Set in “legendary” China and featuring characters that wander from Italy to China, the opera satirizes Venetian politics. Nina Stemme stars as the Princess Turandot, who rejects every suitor until Marco Berti, as Calaf, steals her heart.

Soprano Randye Jones, a doctoral student in vocal literature at the University of Iowa and media room supervisor at Burling Library, will give the opera talk.

Puccini’s Manon Lescaut

Saturday, March 5

The opera tells the story of desperate love, starring soprano Kristine Opolais as a country girl who transforms herself into a Parisian seductress, and Jonas Kaufmann as the student who tries to win her love.

Jennifer Brown, associate professor of music, will present the opera talk.

Puccini’s Madam Butterfly

Saturday, April 2

Madam Butterfly is set in the Japanese port city of Nagasaki, one of the country’s only ports open to foreign ships. Soprano Kristine Opolais stars in the title role and has her heart broken by naval officer Pinkerton, portrayed by tenor Roberto Alagna.

Mariko Schimmel, associate professor of Japanese, will deliver the opera talk.

Gaetano Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux

Saturday, April 16

Set in Westminster Palace in London between 1599 and 1601, the opera follows Queen Elizabeth I as she is compelled to sign the death warrant of the nobleman she loves, Robert Devereux. Soprano Sandra Radvanovsky plays Queen Elizabeth I, and tenor Matthew Polenzani portrays Devereux.

There will be no opera talk before this broadcast.

Richard Strauss’s Elektra

Saturday, April 30

Originally set in Greece after the Trojan War, this production is modernized to an unspecified contemporary setting. Soprano Nina Stemme, a maven of Strauss and Wagner’s heroines, stars as Elektra as she works to avenge her the murder of her father, Agamemnon.

Angelo Mercado, assistant professor of classics, will present the opera talk.

Refreshments will be available for sale in the lobby of the cinema before each opera and during intermission.

Tickets are available at the Pioneer Bookshop, the Grinnell College Bookstore and at the door on the day of the show. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 for students, children, and Met Opera members.

The Office of the President has generously funded tickets for Grinnell College faculty, staff and students, and tickets are available for free at all locations. Family members not employed by the College are required to purchase tickets.

Grinnell welcomes and encourages the participation of people with disabilities. Visitor and accessible parking is available in the lot to the east of the Harris Center. You can request accommodations from the event sponsor or Conference Operations and Events.