Opera on BTPM Classical
Experience world-class opera on BTPM Classical every Saturday at 1pm! Enjoy full performances of legendary operas by Verdi, Puccini, Mozart, and more.
The Metropolitan Opera’s radio broadcasts bring the magic of live opera to our listeners. Airing December through the first weekend of June, listeners can experience thrilling performances from today’s most renowned opera stars alongside legendary voices from the past, spanning over nine decades of Metropolitan Opera history, live from the Lincoln Center in New York City.
The WFMT Radio Network Opera Series extends the season beginning June 14th, offering an incredible lineup of performances to complete the year. From Milan to New York, Barcelona to Chicago, enjoy front-row access to iconic opera productions from the world’s top stages.
August 16 | Die Walküre | Wagner
On a stormy night, fate brings two strangers together, unleashing a love with the power to end worlds. Meanwhile, in the realm of the gods, an epic battle ensues between their ruler Wotan and his rebellious daughter, Brünnhilde.
Composer: Richard Wagner
Conductor: Sir Antonio Pappano
Venue: Royal Ballet and Opera in London, England
CAST:
Wotan: Christopher Maltman
Brünnhilde: Elisabet Strid
Sieglinde: Natalya Romaniw
Siegmund: Stanislas de Barbeyrac
Hunding: Soloman Howard
Fricka: Marina Prudenskaya
Helmwige: Maida Hundeling
Ortlinde: Kaie Lowe
Gerhilde: Lee Bisset
Waltraute: Claire Barnett-Jones
Siegrune: Catherine Carby
Rossweisse: Alison Kettlewell
Grimgerde: Monika-Evelin Liiv
Schwertleite: Rhonda Browne
August 23 | Werther | Massenet
Created in 1892, Werther is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet, based on the novel of the same name by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. This opera stands out from the lyric art repertoire for its profound psychological dimension and its exploration of love’s highs and lows with sensitivity and artistic dynamism.
Massenet is revered for the great psychological finesse imbued into his musical works, brilliantly conveying the intense emotions of the characters via precise notation and technical excellence. The melodies, often melancholy and airy, reflect the character of Werther's tormented state of mind and the bittersweetness of his unattainable love.
Werther is distinguished by its refined orchestration, which plays an important role in the atmosphere of the work. Leitmotifs, associated with characters and feelings, create a thematic unity and reinforce the dramatic impact of the score. Beyond mere musicality, the opera is also innovative in its structure, with shorter recitatives and fuller arias allowing the action to flow more smoothly and the emotions to be expressed directly towards the audience.
Composer: Jules Massenet
Conductor: Marc Leroy-Calatayud
Venue: Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, France
CAST:
Werther: Benjamin Bernheim
Charlotte: Marina Viotti
Albert: Jean-Sébastien Bou
Sophie: Sandra Hamaoui
The bailiff: Marc Scoffoni
Johann: Yuri Kissin
Schmidt: Rodolphe Briand
August 30 | Der Rosenkavalier | Strauss
Although we know that Gabriel Astruc originally intended to present Der Rosenkavalier at the opening season of the Théâtre in 1913, it fell foul of the founder’s lavishly expensive programming and he was ultimately forced to abandon the idea. It was not performed until 1937, by the Berlin Opera conducted by Clemens Kraus and featuring Viorica Ursuleac, one of the composer’s favourite singers, as the Marchioness. This work marked a turning point in Strauss’s career. After the “odysseys and rages” of Salome and Elektra, Der Rosenkavalier was return to the Viennese tradition of character opera. Originally, the Marchioness, whom Octavian deserted in favour of Sophie, only had a small role, but it gradually expanded into such a major part that she is present throughout Act One and dominates the entire opera, even in her absence. There has been a shift from the light-hearted comedy of manners to a meditation on time and the ephemeral nature of feelings. Der Rosenkavalier embodies the moral disarray of an era which was drawing to a close behind the superficial smiles and impeccable manners. A few decades later, Capriccio would adopt the same nostalgic approach to the eighteenth century, which was the musician’s Olympus. Krzysztof Warlikowski is sure to bring his unique dramatic vision to this masterpiece of twentieth-century opera repertoire and the Orchestre National de France under the baton of Henrik Nánási will do full credit to Strauss’s sumptuous colours.
Composer: Richard Strauss
Conductor: Henrik Nánási
Venue: Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, France
CAST:
The Marschallin: Marlis Petersen
Octavian: Marina Viotti
Sophie: Regula Mühlemann
Baron Ochs: Peter Rose
Faninal: Jean-Sébastien Bou
Annina: Éléonore Pancrazi
Valzacchi: Kresimir Spicer
Marianne: Laurène Paternò
Major-domo: François Piolino
Innkeeper: Yoann Le Lan