New York (AFP)

The Metropolitan Opera in New York announced Monday that its 2020-21 season will not start until December 31, three months later than expected, due to the coronavirus pandemic, and is studying the possibility of shortening certain performances.

"Given the enormous organizational complexity of the Met calendar, we have no choice but to cancel our fall season," said general manager Peter Gelb in a statement.

"It is not possible to return to an opera in September while social distancing remains in force," he added.

The production of "Aïda", by Giuseppe Verdi, which was to open the season on September 21, was purely and simply canceled, as was that of "The Angel of Fire", by Sergei Prokofiev, whose performances were to start November 12.

The new calendar will start on December 31 with an exceptional gala, the details of which have not yet been announced.

If "The Magic Flute" and "Don Giovanni" will be played well, as planned, in 2021, it will be in a staging already seen in New York.

The "lack of time available for the necessary technical preparations" thus forced the organizers to give up presenting the new productions initially planned, in particular a "Don Giovanni" by the Belgian Ivo van Hove.

To make up for some of the canceled dates, the Met has included additional performances in February in its new calendar.

"In anticipation of new public expectations", the New York opera house has advanced the time of the curtain raising "whenever possible" and "is studying the reduction of the duration of certain performances".

Handel's "Giulio Cesare" will last, for example, 3:30 with an intermission against 4:30 and two intermissions so far.

The three performances of the fall which were to be filmed for the format "The Met: Live in HD", broadcast in cinemas around the world, will be replaced by reruns.

New York City is to begin the first phase of containment release the week of June 8.

But this first phase does not concern the living arts, which can only resume their activity during the fourth and last phase of the plan, on a date still unknown.

No theater or performance hall in New York has yet announced a specific date for reopening for performances or concerts with the public.

© 2020 AFP