Carnegie Hall+—Carnegie Hall’s premium video streaming channel—is excited to announce that it will present two free outdoor film screenings this August, inviting music lovers to enjoy world-renowned opera productions in the open air at the Public Square & Gardens at Hudson Yards.
Featuring star-studded performances of Cavalleria rusticana, Pagliacci, and Rigoletto, these opera screenings are part of the free Carnegie Hall Citywide series. Both evenings will begin with a live musical introduction and synopsis by celebrated opera singer Anthony Roth Costanzo, who will also demonstrate how opera singers develop their incredible voices, accompanied by pianist Myra Huang.
On Thursday, August 13 at 5:00 p.m. audiences at Hudson Yards are invited to enjoy a free screening of opera’s ultimate double feature: Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci. Jonas Kaufmann leads an extraordinary cast in back-to-back performances from the Salzburg Easter Festival, joined by the Staatskapelle Dresden and conductor Christian Thielemann. Composer Pietro Mascagni’s one-act opera Cavalleria rusticana —staged in cinematic black and white—reveals a tight-knit Sicilian village bound by ritual, honor, and simmering resentment, where private emotions erupt into public consequence. Then, Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci explores a true story of love and murder, told through the colorful, improvisatory lens of a commedia dell’arte troupe. This well-known opera features the unforgettable aria, “Vesti la giubba.” The cast includes Liudmyla Monastyrska, Maria Agresta, Dimitri Platanias, Tansel Akzeybek, and Alessio Arduini.
On Thursday, August 20 at 5:00 p.m. Carnegie Hall+ will present Verdi’s Rigoletto, filmed during a spectacular staging at Austria’s Bregenz Festival, home of the world’s largest floating stage. Verdi’s enduring classic pairs some of opera’s most recognizable music with a story of passion and consequence. This rare feat of imaginative stagecraft, directed by Philipp Stölzl, transforms the entire court of Mantua into a circus troupe, with the duke himself as the ringmaster. An exceptional cast includes Vladimir Stoyanov, Mélissa Petit, and Stephen Costello performing alongside the Vienna Symphony and Prague Philharmonic Choir conducted by Enrique Mazzola.
“Partnering with Carnegie Hall, one of the world’s most celebrated cultural institutions, is a natural extension of Hudson Yards’ commitment to bringing exceptional arts programming to New York City, said Stephanie Fink, Senior Vice President of Marketing, Partnerships & Events at Hudson Yards. “As the first program of its kind at Hudson Yards, we’re honored to bring these extraordinary performances to our Public Square & Gardens, creating a unique opportunity for visitors to experience world-class opera in an open, welcoming environment.”
For more information, visit carnegiehall.org.