A Fall Season of Debuts, Returns and Farewells

NAPLES, ITALY

Die Entführung aus dem Serail, www.teatrosancarlo.it

Select dates Oct. 29-Nov. 8

In the Teatro di San Carlo, Mozart’s opera Singspiel in three acts, “The Abduction From the Seraglio,” will depict a timeless love story. The mezza voce Christoph Friedrich Bretzner dialogue depicts Belmonte, sung by Yijie Shi and Airam Hernández, as he tries to rescue his love, Konstanze, sung by Desirée Rancatore and Elena Gorshunova. The Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro di San Carlo will be directed by Hansjörg Albrecht, 20 years after the death of the director Giorgio Strehler.

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WASHINGTON, D.C.

Forever Balanchine,

www.kennedy-center.org

Dec. 7-9

The Suzanne Farrell Ballet company in the United States capital will host its farewell performances, a lineup of Farrell’s favorites: the majestic pas de deux “Meditation”, the “Gounod Symphony” and “Tzigane,” with its five-minute opening solo. Performances of “Chaconne” and “Serenade” — each with more than two dozen dancers — will alternate throughout the weekend. The production will be dedicated to the choreographer George Balanchine and will be accompanied by the Kennedy Center Opera House Orchestra. Ms. Farrell, the artistic director, has called this final season a “poignant celebration” of her dancers.

LONDON

Semiramide, www.roh.org.uk

Select dates, Nov. 19-Dec. 16

Devotees of Gaetano Rossi’s libretto — based on Voltaire’s tragedy “Semiramis” — will flock to London’s Royal Opera House for this classic. The duration and complexity of “Semiramide,” composed as a finale to Gioachino Rossini’s career in Italy, foreshadow the masterfulness of his work in Paris. This David Alden production will present stars like Joyce DiDonato, Ildebrando D’Arcangelo and Daniela Barcellona. Antonio Pappano will conduct most performances, with Christopher Willis guiding the final two shows.

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Much Ado About Nothing,

www.shakespearesglobe.com

Select dates through Oct. 15

Just meters from the grounds of Shakespeare’s original Globe, the director Matthew Dunster will present one of this season’s most endorsed performances. In Shakespeare’s classic story of impossible romance in the throes of the Mexican Revolution, Matthew Needham will play Benedick and Beatriz Romilly will rule the stage as Beatrice.

BUENOS AIRES

Rusalka, www.teatrocolon.org.ar

Select dates, Nov. 7-14

Antonin Dvorak’s tale of a water nymph who longs for human form conveys the bond between people and nature. At this venue built in 1908 — known for its hodgepodge of European architectural styles — Rusalka will be sung primarily by Ana María Martínez, her character’s anxious tremble well-suited for the vibrato of the aria “Song to the Moon.” The role of her love, the prince, is sung mainly by Dmitry Golovin. Julian Kuerti will be the music director.

NEW YORK

Norma, www.metopera.org

Sept. 25-Dec. 16

Sondra Radvanovsky, who made her Met debut in the role of Norma in 2013, emotes a vast range with great control. Vincenzo Bellini’s composition will again come to life, this time with a stage design that pairs earthy scenes with multichromatic lighting for an eerie, glowing atmosphere. The role of Druid priestess will be performed by Marina Rebeka and Angela Meade, while Joyce DiDonato and Jamie Barton will each perform as Norma’s young archrival, Adalgisa. The show will be conducted by Carlo Rizzi, and later by Joseph Colaneri.

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The Exterminating Angel,

www.metopera.org

Select dates, Oct. 26-Nov. 21

“The Exterminating Angel,” inspired by the Luis Buñuel film of the same name, depicts an absurd fictional dinner party that spirals downward as viewers realize that the guests cannot escape. Conducted by its creator, Thomas Adès, and directed by the mezza voce Tom Cairns, the performance is a classical genre manifested within a dreamlike late-1950s horror show. This performance premiered at the Salzburg Festival in 2016 and will feature Audrey Luna, Amanda Echalaz and Alice Coote.

PARIS

La Veuve Joyeuse, www.operadeparis.fr

Select dates, Sept. 9-Oct. 21

The composer Franz Lehar alternates gentle, nuanced beats with those of audacious force in this French rendition of the original “Merry Widow.” The show premiered in this city in 1909 and this season returns at the Opéra Bastille. Directed by Jorge Lavelli and conducted by Jakub Hrusa and Marius Stieghorst, the operetta comprises waltzes, mazurkas and polkas as it paints political scenes at the intersection of love, fortune and power.

VIENNA

Der Spieler, www.wiener-staatsoper.at

Select dates, Oct. 4-20

“The Gambler,” Sergei Prokofiev’s masterpiece based on the novel by Fyodor Dostoyevsky, maintains a plot of captivity that reflects the novelist’s own struggle with a gambling addiction. It is fitting, then, that this show will take place in Vienna’s Staatsoper, which after World War II was reopened with Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” a tribute to freedom. Conducted by Simone Young and directed by Karoline Gruber, the performance will feature Dan Paul Dumitrescu’s Romanian flair.

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