The Canadian Opera Company (COC) has announced its 2014-15 season.

The new season sees a reduction in the number of productions from seven operas to six.  three performances are new, while the other three are revivals.  Some are the COC’s own productions, while others are co-productions with other opera companies.

The operas being presented are as follows:

Falstaff by Guiseppe Verdi.  The production runs from October 3rd to November 1st 2014.  The production stars Gerald Finley (Falstaff), Amanda Echalaz (Alice), Simone Osborne (Nannetta), Frédéric Antoun (Fenton), Russell Braun (Ford), Lauren Segal (Meg Page), and Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Mistress Quickly.)  The director is Robert Carson, and will be conducted Johannes Debus.

Madama Butterfly by Giacomo Puccini from October 10th to 31st 2014.  This production is directed Brian McDonald and conducted by Patrick Lange.  The production is using two casts and the principals are Patricia Racette and Kelly Kaduce (Cio-Cio San), Stefano Secco and Andrea Carè (Pinkerton), Elizabeth DeShong (Suzuki), and Gregory Dahl and Dwayne Croft (Sharpless.)

Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.  The production runs January 24th to February 21st 2015 and is directed by Dmitri Tcherniakov and is conducted by Michael Hofstetter.  The cast includes Russell Braun (Don Giovanni), Jennifer Holloway (Donna Elvira), Jane Archibald (Donna Anna), Kyle Ketelsen (Leporello), and Michael Schade (Don Ottavio.)

Die Walküre by Richard Wagner.  This production is directed by Atom Egoyan and conducted by Johannes Debus.  The cast includes:  Christine Goerke (Brünnhilde), Clifton Forbis (Siegmund), Heidi Melton (Sieglinde), and Johan Reuter (Wotan).  The production runs from January 31st t0 February 22nd 3015.

The Barber of Seville by Gioacchino Rossini directed by Els Comediants and conducted by Rory MacDonald.  The production runs from April 17th to May 22nd 2015.  The cast includes Joshua Hopkins (Figaro), Serena Malfi and Cecilia Hall (Rosina), Alek Shrader (Almaviva), Renato Girolami (Bartolo), and Robert Gleadow (Basilio.)

Double Bill: Bluebeard’s Castle by Béla Bartók and Erwartung by Arnold Schoenberg.  The double bill is directed by Robert Lepage and is conducted by Johannes Debus.  The production runs from May 6th to 23rd 2015 and stars John Relyea (Bluebeard), Ekaterina Gubanova (Judith), and Krisztina Szabó (Woman.)

Die Walküre was last performed by the COC as part of the Ring Cycle which opened the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts back in 2006, as well as at the Sony Centre/Hummingbird Centre/O’Keefe Centre back in 2004.  Of all the works this is the most controversial staging in my opinion.

Christine Goerke is making her role debut as Brünnhilde in this run of Die Walküre.  Clifton Forbis is so far the only announced cast member to be returning from the last performance.

The Madama Butterfly was last performed a couple years ago and is a great production in my opinion.  It is definitely worth seeing.

This is certainly an interesting season.  And hopefully there is something for everyone.