Seattle Opera Podcast

Seattle Opera
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Seattle Opera Podcast

Explore and celebrate opera's unique fusion of music and drama with Seattle Opera's 101 series or any of our behind-the-scenes interviews. Founded in 1963, Seattle Opera presents both European classics and new works of American opera.

  1. Tosca 101

    JUN 6

    Tosca 101

    Seattle Opera concludes its 24/25 season in May 2025 with TOSCA, Puccini’s beloved thriller. Jonathan Dean introduces the charismatic characters, cinematic music, and wild story that have made TOSCA one of the world’s favorite operas. Musical examples from Seattle Opera archival recordings of Tosca made in 2001 (Antonello Allemandi conducts Carol Vaness), 2007 (Vjekoslav Sutej conducts Lisa Daltirus, Frank Porretta, Jr., and Greer Grimsley) and 2015 (Julian Kovatchev conducts Ausrine Stundyte, Mary Elizabeth Williams, Marcy Stonikas, Stefano Secco, and Greer Grimsley. Special example featuring Korngold’s score to CAPTAIN BLOOD.

    22 min
  2. THE MAGIC FLUTE 101

    JUN 6

    THE MAGIC FLUTE 101

    Mozart’s miraculous final masterpiece returns to Seattle Opera in February/March 2025. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces the beloved music of THE MAGIC FLUTE, with musical examples from archival Seattle Opera recordings made in 1999 (Daniel Beckwith conducts Nathan Gunn, Paul Charles Clarke, John Osborne, Philip Skinner, Ana Maria Martinez, and Cyndia Sieden); 2011 (Gary Thor Wedow conducts Doug Jones, Alissa Henderson, Benjamin Richardson, and Casi Goodman); and 2017 (Julia Jones conducts Christina Poulitsi, Amanda Forsythe, Randall Bills, Jacqueline Piccolino, Nian Wang, Jenni Bank, Frederick Ballentine, Jonathan Silvia, John Moore, and Ante Jerkunica.)

    20 min
  3. LES TROYENS IN CONCERT 101

    JUN 6

    LES TROYENS IN CONCERT 101

    In January 2025 Seattle Opera will present two concert performances of LES TROYENS À CARTHAGE, the second part (Acts 3, 4, & 5) of Berlioz’s monumental masterpiece LES TROYENS. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces the music of Berlioz and this full-length program, sharing musical examples from recordings of Georges Thill singing French tenor arias; Les Troyens conducted by Colin Davis in 1969 (with the orchestra and chorus of Covent Garden and Jon Vickers); from 2000 (Davis conducting the London Symphony orchestra and chorus, Ben Heppner, Michelle DeYoung, and Sara Mingardo); and from 2017 (John Nelson conducts the Orchestre and Choeur philharmonique de Strasbourg, Joyce DiDonato, and Cyrille Dubois).

    20 min
  4. Jubilee 101

    JUN 6

    Jubilee 101

    Seattle Opera presents the world premiere of JUBILEE, a new opera celebrating spirituals. Created by Tazewell Thompson, librettist of BLUE, JUBILEE tells the story of how a group of African American singers toured America and Europe in the 1870s, using this wonderful music—America’s first great contribution to the world of music—to raise money to build Fisk University. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces JUBILEE, whose score consists of newly orchestrated arrangements of over 40 beloved spirituals, sung by thirteen singers. Musical examples in this podcast include spirituals sung by Paul Robeson and Marian Anderson; The Long Road to Freedom: An Anthology of Black Music; The Trouble I’ve Seen (Moses Hogan Chorale); Negro Spirituals (Derek Lee Ragin and the Moses Hogan Chorale); Spirituals in Concert (Kathleen Battle and Jessye Norman); Gospel Songs (The Missionary Quartet); and Mary Elizabeth Williams singing La forza del destino.

    24 min
  5. PAGLIACCI 101

    JUN 6

    PAGLIACCI 101

    For Summer 2024, Seattle Opera will present PAGLIACCI, by Ruggero Leoncavallo, a masterpiece of Italian opera all about lust and jealousy, passion and murder; a show about reality and artifice, comedy and tragedy, freedom and fate. (It’s not about pizza.) Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces PAGLIACCI with musical examples from Seattle Opera’s 2008 archival recording, conducted by Dean Williamson and starring Antonello Palombi as Canio, Nuccia Focile as Nedda, Morgan Smith as Silvio, Gordon Hawkins as Tonio, and Doug Jones as Beppe. Special musical examples feature Enrico Caruso, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, and Queen, with Freddie Mercury.

    18 min
  6. THE BARBER OF SEVILLE 101

    APR 16

    THE BARBER OF SEVILLE 101

    Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! Rossini’s cheerful comedy rounds out Seattle Opera’s season in May 2024. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces THE BARBER OF SEVILLE with musical examples drawn from Seattle Opera archival recordings from 1992 (conducted by Edoardo Mueller and starring John Del Carlo and Kevin Langan); 2011 (conducted by Dean Williamson and starring José Carbo, Lawrence Brownlee, Sarah Coburn, and Kate Lindsey); and 2017 (conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti and starring Sofia Fomina, Matthew Grills, Will Liverman, Kevin Glavin, and Daniel Sumegi).

    18 min
  7. The Music of X: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOLM X with Anthony Davis & Kazem Abdullah

    FEB 22

    The Music of X: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOLM X with Anthony Davis & Kazem Abdullah

    Composer Anthony Davis and Conductor Kazem Abdullah discuss X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X with KING FM's Myah Rose. Coming to Seattle Opera February 24 through March 9, Davis's first opera premiered at New York City Opera in 1986. Kazem Abdullah first discovered the opera when he found a recording at the public library in Toledo, OH, where he grew up, just as Myah Rose was intrigued when she found a recording at the University of Michigan. Abdullah, who conducted Davis's Pulitzer Prize-winning opera The Central Park Five in Portland recently, has also conducted performances of X in Detroit and New York's Metropolitan Opera. He and Davis discuss the challenges and rewards of this important American work.

    35 min
  8. 2024/25 Season Announcement

    JAN 9

    2024/25 Season Announcement

    Enjoy this sample-platter of music and voices from Seattle Opera’s 2024/25 season. Dramaturg Jonathan Dean and Aren Der Hacopian, Director of Artistic Administration and Planning introduce a mainstage season including Pagliacci (Aug ‘24), Jubilee (World Premiere, Oct ’24), Les Troyens à Carthage in concert (Jan ’25) The Magic Flute (Feb/Mar ’25) and Tosca (May ’25). Musical clips include tenor Diego Torre (Canio in Pagliacci at Lyric Opera Kansas City); Monica Conesa (Seattle’s Nedda, here singing “Casta diva” in Jordan last year); spirituals from Jessye Norman & Kathleen Battle, Paul Robeson, and Marion Anderson; the Les Troyens Act 4 ballet played by the Strasbourg Philharmonic; J’nai Bridges (Delilah in Seattle in 2023); Russell Thomas (Otello at Canadian Opera Company in 2019); Duke Kim (La traviata’s Alfredo in Seattle in 2023); Rodion Pogossov (Belcore in Elixir of Love in Seattle in 2022); Sharleen Joynt (Morgana in Alcina in Seattle in 2023); Vanessa Goikoetxea (Alcina in Seattle in 2023); and Lianna Haroutounian (Cio-Cio San in Madame Butterfly in Seattle in 2017).

    25 min
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4.7
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

Explore and celebrate opera's unique fusion of music and drama with Seattle Opera's 101 series or any of our behind-the-scenes interviews. Founded in 1963, Seattle Opera presents both European classics and new works of American opera.

Information

  • Creator
    Seattle Opera
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2024
  • Episodes
    123
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Seattle Opera 2018
  • Show Website
    Seattle Opera Podcast

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    Updated 06/07/2023

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