The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD Series

The advent of high-definition, digital technology inspired the Metropolitan Opera to re-imagine its televised presentations—not just how they’re photographed but what is shot, how it’s edited and how it’s delivered to audiences. The result is a series of operas—from old warhorses such as “La Boheme” to daring, modern works such as “Peter Grimes” and “Doctor Atomic” to an ingeniously-costumed, family-friendly “Hansel and Gretel”—that are transmitted live, with stunning clarity, to some 850 movie screens around the world. Subsequently, they’re televised nationally on PBS. The grandeur of the stage productions is fully conveyed, yet there is also greater intimacy and immediacy. Indeed, the operas are imbued with a spontaneity and visual variety that we ordinarily associate with the coverage of major sporting events or political conventions. Cutaways to the actual Met audience, live interviews with creators and cast members and insightful short documentaries further enrich the sensory experience. For using state-of-the-art technology to enhance a classic performing art and expand its following, a Peabody Award goes to The Metropolitan Opera: Live in HD Series.