In March, Stephen triumphantly returned to the role of Greenhorn in Moby-Dick. He kindly spoke with me in between shows about Moby-Dick, how the trumpet influenced his singing, and what opera shares with Cirque du Soleil.

The vast sea breathes in gentle, rhythmic swells. Twinkling stars wheel overhead, constellating until they form the whaling ship Pequod. This is the seascape in the overture of Jake Heggie’s monumental Moby-Dick.

The Met’s opening night world premiere is one of only three new operas, marking a departure from the six presented only two seasons ago, and bel canto explodes back onto the stage. Here are the six operas I’m most excited about.

New stagings always carry the weight of expectations, but Michael Mayer’s staging has the burden of replacing one of the Met’s most beloved productions. It’s finally here, and quite remarkable. Hang on to your amulets!

Quinn Kelsey sang in his first opera, Verdi’s Aida, at 13 years old, as a 1st tenor in the priests’ chorus. 34 years later, he is the king of Verdi baritones and singing the Ethiopian king Amonasro in the Met’s starry new Aida.

November may be a climatically unpleasant month, but it did inspire this, one of my favorite piano pieces. I turn to “Troika” for a little uplifting or serenity, which we are all bound to need at some point.