The music season starts – so to speak – tonight, with the Metropolitan Opera’s gala opening: They’re doing “Otello,” with Ben Heppner in the title role and Barbara Frittoli as Desdemona. They’re not Placido Domingo and Renee Fleming, that historic pair – but they should be good enough. James Levine will conduct – he will be good enough. He follows up tomorrow night with “Carmen,” which stars Olga Borodina. Though ultra-Russian, she may be our best Carmen (with apologies to Denyce Graves, who is splendid). Mr. Levine will not be in the pit for “Die Walkure” (September 25) – he passes the baton to Valery Gergiev. But Mr. Domingo will be on hand, in his customary role of Sieg mund. He will be without Deborah Voigt, however – his Sieglinde is Margaret Jane Wray.

In October, we get a new production of “Die Zauberflote” (October 8), with Mr. Levine conducting, and the superb German soprano Dorothea Roschmann as Pamina. The lush-voiced Matthias Goerne is Papageno. The director is the famed and adored Julie Taymor.

As for “Aida” (October 16), a highlight should be the Amneris of Dolora Zajick, one of the greatest Amnerises – ever. Then we will see a “Vespri Siciliani” (November 8), whose cast includes two manly veterans: Leo Nucci and Samuel Ramey. A “Tannhauser” (November 18) will give us an Elisabeth of Miss Voigt, and a Wolfram of Thomas Hampson. And don’t ignore “La Boheme” (October 22), that sometimes-scorned chestnut: Ruth Ann Swenson will be singing Mimi, and Ainhoa Arteta will be singing Musetta. That oughta be delicious.

In December, the Met presents a new production of Handel’s “Rodelinda” (December 2) (Stephen Wadsworth, director). Singers include Miss Fleming, Stephanie Blythe, David Daniels, and John Relyea – can it miss? A “Contes d’Hoffmann” (December 10) will give us Mr. Morris as the Four Villains, and finally we’ll have Karita Mattila in the title role of “Kat’a Kabanova” (December 17) (and the usually-excellent Magdalena Koyzena in another role).

City Opera has already begun, but one should take note of its interesting schedule, which includes Strauss’s “Daphne” (September 8), Puccini’s “La Rondine” (September 19) – and an underrated opera, Rameau’s “Platee” (September 28), Poulenc’s “The Dialogues of the Carmelites” (October 12), and a couple of real head-turners: “Haroun and the Sea of Stories” (October 31) by Charles Wuorinen, from a text of Salman Rushdie, and “Cinderella” (November 12) by … Rodgers and Hammerstein.

At the New York Philharmonic, conductor Lorin Maazel leads off tomorrow night with Beethoven’s Violin Concerto and the “New World” Symphony. (Maxim Vengerov will help with the concerto.) Soon after, Mr. Maazel will host Lang Lang, the very virtuosic pianist, in Tchaikovsky’s very virtuosic First Concerto (September 29). In December – this should be a great concert – Sir Colin Davis guest conducts, and the soloist is Hilary Hahn: They will perform Elgar’s Violin Concerto (December 9). On New Year’s Eve, former music director Kurt Masur will be back to an old trick, conducting Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony. There are worse ways to spend New Year’s Eve – most ways.

At Carnegie Hall, the lead-off is an all-Strauss program with the Philadelphia Orchestra (October 6) – Miss Fleming and Yo-Yo Ma are soloists. Critics, and others, will love the “Winterreise” performed by tenor Ian Bostridge and pianist Leif Ove Andsnes (October 16). Maybe it will, indeed, be good. Maurizio Pollini (October 17) will play a Chopin-and-Debussy program, icily but arrestingly (I predict). And James Levine will bring the orchestra of which he is now music director: the Boston Symphony (October 25). They will perform Mahler’s Symphony No. 8. Later, they will give us Berlioz’s “Romeo and Juliet” (December 6).

The St. Petersburg Philharmonic will be in residence (October 26), led as usual by Yuri Temirkanov. His soloists are Helene Grimaud (the Schumann Piano Concerto), Vadim Repin (the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto), and Lynn Harrell (the Shostakovich Cello Concerto No. 1). To mention a further recital, the violinist Midori will come (December 7), with her regular accompanist Robert McDonald: This program – interestingly composed (Brahms, Debussy, Janacek, and young Michael Hersh) – should satisfy.

Great Performers at Lincoln Center will begin with Mikhail Pletnev (October 13), in recital. A titan for our time, he should make good on the organization’s boast: “Great Performers.” In the days following the recital, he will play both Brahms piano concertos with the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, Herbert Blomstedt, conductor. (The orchestra will play the Second and Fourth symphonies.) The compelling cellist Truls Mork will give a recital (November 7), and, in mid-December, Anne Sofie von Otter will sing Christmas carols and such – she does that so well.