L'Amour de Loin

Kaija Saariaho made Met history in 2016 when her opera L’Amour de Loin became the first work by a female composer to appear on the company’s stage in more than a century—ushering in a new generation of women whose music will be heard at the Met in the coming seasons. Inspired by the legends surrounding the medieval troubadour Jaufré Rudel, the opera follows the ardent poet as he yearns for his titular “love from afar.” In this radio broadcast, bass-baritone Eric Owens stars as Rudel, sharing the stage with soprano Susanna Phillips as his beloved, Clémance, and mezzo-soprano Tamara Mumford as the pilgrim who carries messages between them. Maestro Susanna Mällki conducts the Met Orchestra and Chorus in Saariaho’s hypnotic score, which is equal parts ancient and contemporary.