Operacast Operacast
-
- Arts
The podcast for all the latest news, reviews, interviews and general chat from the opera world
-
Opera Clues, Theatrical Doll Houses, and Going Meta
All of the latest opera news.
Guest editor Emma Black is joined by Lorna James and Michael Betteridge to discuss potential moves for English National Opera, precarious pay, meta opera, and much more …
Including an exclusive interview with designer George Johnson-Leigh with details of Opera North’s first green season of 3 new sustainable productions.
Recorded in March 2023
Guest editor … Emma Black
Panellists … Michael Betteridge, Lorna James
Interview … George Johnson-Leigh
Produced by Northern Opera Group -
Touring Dutchmen and Collegiate Opera - with Flora McIntosh
All the latest news from the opera world
February 2023
1. News Round-Up
Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera, and Metropolitan Opera new seasons
https://www.glyndebourne.com/autumn/glyndebournes-autumn-2023-programme-announced/
https://wno.org.uk/news/a-wnoderful-year-of-opera
https://www.metopera.org/season/2023-24-season/
Royal Opera House and BP part ways
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2023/jan/25/bp-sponsorship-of-royal-opera-house-ends-after-33-years
Opera coming up on the big screen
https://variety.com/2023/film/global/amanda-seyfried-atom-egoyan-seven-veils-1235515416/
https://deadline.com/2023/02/toni-collette-odessa-young-nathan-silver-revenge-thriller-the-prima-donna-cornerstone-efm-1235248749/
2. Interview - Flora McIntosh, Opera Up Close
https://www.operaupclose.com/
Recorded 22 February 2023
Host - David Ward
Interview - Flora McIntosh
Production by Northern Opera Group -
Imperial Leagues of Opera, Improvised Recits, and #WasEverThus
In our first pod of 2023 we discuss cuts to opera funding, representations of female conductors, and is opera cool? …
Running order
1) Arts Council England funding – English National Opera, Glyndebourne, Welsh National Opera
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2022/nov/09/english-national-operas-funding-to-be-cut-to-zero-unless-it-moves-from-london
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/17/english-national-opera-arts-council-england-investment-eno
2) Mystery opera quiz …
3) Tar and female conductors
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2023/jan/16/thank-you-cate-blanchett-for-taking-up-the-baton-for-female-conductors?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
4) New pay deal for theatre, but opera lags behind
https://twitter.com/EquityUK/status/1613477338729119745?s=20&t=0rn5rS67DfQ6TWEuRBYJ3Q
5) Classical music is cool … apparently
https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230113-gen-z-and-young-millennials-surprising-obsession
6) Opera History Corner – the first UK opera subsidy, 1930
7) Hidden Gem – ‘Cabildo’ (Amy Beach)
8) Quiz – higher or lower?
Recorded on 23 January 2023
Guests - Emma Black, Helen Harrison
Host - David Ward
Produced by Northern Opera Group -
Superhuman Singers, Opera Fool's Day, and Our Friend Joyce
All the latest opera news, reviews, interviews and general chit-chat
Running order
1) New season announcements – Opera North, Welsh National Opera, Metropolitan Opera
2) Olivier Award nominations
3) International Women’s Day
4) James Conway leaving English Touring Opera
5) Changes to UK arts funding
6) Interview – Amitai Pati
7) The war in Ukraine
8) Covid cancellations
9)“Is there any longer, more fruitless period of time than having to sit through the opera questions on University Challenge?”
10) Opera on TV, Radio, Film
11) Hidden Gem
12) Quiz
Recorded on 9 March 2022
Guests - Emma Black, Helen Harrison
Interview - Amitai Pati
Host - David Ward
Produced by Northern Opera Group -
Falling for Figaro - Opera Film Club
Operacast Film Club
Host, David Ward, is joined by Sophie Gilpin and Louise Garner to review the new Netflix film, ‘Falling for Figaro’.
An American hedge fund manager decides to pack it all in and realise her dream of becoming an opera singer; but first, she must train with the formidable former diva, Joanna Lumley in the Scottish Highlands …
Is it a good advert for opera? And is it a good film at all?
Let us know your thoughts!
Recorded on Thursday 25 November 2021 -
Prancing Wagner, Musical Automation and Operatic Soundtracks
All of the latest opera news.
Don’t forget to rate, review and subscribe on your favourite podcast platform.
Episode content
- Theatre Tax Relief and the Arts Premium
https://www.thestage.co.uk/news/news/budget-2021-theatre-tax-relief-doubled-until-2023
- Glyndebourne’s net zero ambition
https://smeclimatehub.org/uk-based-opera-house-glyndebourne-targets-net-zero-prioritizes-climate-action-throughout-business/
- Operalia competition
https://www.operaliacompetition.org/operalia-2021/
Handel singing competition
https://www.london-handel-festival.com/handel-singing-competition/2021-competition/
- Royal College of Music Museum
https://www.rcm.ac.uk/museum/
- Bernard Haitink, Amanda Holden and Carlisle Floyd
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/sep/16/opera-librettist-amanda-holden-obituary
- ‘Falling for Figaro’ watchalong
https://www.fallingforfigaro.movie/
- Nicky Spence and Emma Bell interview (ENO Valkyrie)
https://www.eno.org/whats-on/the-valkyrie/
- ETO orchestra
https://twitter.com/NicholasHellen/status/1437021589598613507
- “Exotic heritage”
https://twitter.com/Sitko_Soprano/status/1446913923853205520
- Royal Opera to review past productions
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/entertainment/music/royal-opera-house-to-review-classic-works-as-it-makes-overture-to-black-lives-matter/ar-AAPIsEe
- If … Opera
https://www.ifopera.com/blog/blog-post-two-9gre5
- A Samoan Ring Cycle in Putney
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2021/oct/28/samoan-ring-cycle-wagner-gafa-ringafa?CMP=twt_a-culture_b-gdnculture
- What’s on TV, radio, cinema
https://www.glyndebourne.com/encore/
https://www.barbican.org.uk/whats-on/2021/event/opera-double-bill-bizet-and-viardot
https://operahollandpark.com/online/the-bear/
https://www.musictheatre.wales/
https://stream.roh.org.uk/free-titles?_ga=2.141711985.2119307038.1635923109-778179775.1633529647
- Quiz
Opera in film and television soundtracks
Recorded on 2 November 2021
Production by Northern Opera Group
Host … David Ward
Guests … Michael Betteridge, Emma Black
Interview … Emma Bell, Nicky Spence