Operatic Insights Washington Concert Opera

When you think of operatic titles such as Tosca or Carmen, you probably think of specific works by specific composers -- in these cases, Puccini and Bizet, respectively. But can you think of other works featuring the same stories that are written by different composers? How about multiple composers? You may have in mind the legend of Orpheus, and rightly so, with its over 70 operatic adaptations spanning from the 1600's to the present day. Sometimes, these less well known works are just as fascinating and beautiful as the more popular versions, and in Part One of Maestro Antony Walker's exploration of "operatic doppelgängers," as he likes to call them, he discusses such works as Leoncavallo's La bohème, Veracini's Adriano in Siria, and Paisiello's Il barbiere di Siviglia, as well as Busoni's settings of the Turandot and Faust stories. We hope you enjoy this episode, and if so, be on the lookout for even more discussion of these lesser known, but no less fascinating, operas! 

In this second episode, Maestro Antony Walker pays homage to Independence Day (July 4) and Bastille Day (July 14) through the lens of the most influential playwright on Mozart's career, Beaumarchais. We hope you will enjoy some little-known stories of his influence on the composer and his surprising connections to the revolutionary movements of the 18th century. Excerpts included, in order that you will hear them, are as follows: (1) Beginning of Overture from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro; (2) Mozart's 12 Variations “Je suis Lindor” KV 354 (299a), part 1; (3) Section of Overture from Rossini's Le barbier de Séville (Il barbiere di Siviglia); (4) "Porgi amor" from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro; (5) Finale from Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro. Visit concertopera.org/podcast for a more detailed bibliography.

Washington Concert Opera (WCO) is proud to present a new podcast series! In episode one, WCO Artistic Director and Conductor, Maestro Antony Walker, discusses various operas that contain messages of hope and unification that were written during times of struggle. Excerpts included, in order that you will hear them, are as follows: (1) "O Gott, O welch ein Augenblick" from Beethoven's Leonore; (2) "Hymn to Liberty" from Rossini's Guillaume Tell; (3) "Va, pensiero" from Verdi's Nabucco; (4) An excerpt from Janáček's The Cunning Little Vixen; (5) The ending of Janáček's Jenufa; (6) "Marie Therese! ... Ist ein Traum" duet from Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier; (7) "Wer ein holdes Weib errungen" from Beethoven's Leonore.