Seattle Opera Podcast

A smile full of sunshine comes to Seattle Opera with the return of Donizetti's endearing comedy. The story of The Elixir of Love concerns the adventures of a bottle of Bordeaux; but the music is as sweet and gentle as the lightest possible tiramisù. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces The Elixir of Love, with musical examples from Seattle Opera's 1998 archival recording, starring Rafa...

Together again at Seattle Opera after almost four decades, Mascagni's Cavalleria rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci comprise Italian opera's most beloved double-bill. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces Cav/Pag, with musical examples from Seattle Opera's 1990 archival recording of Cavalleria rusticana , conducted by Cal Stewart Kellog with Makvala Kasrashvili as Santuzza, James Hob...

Naomi André, a professor at the University of Michigan, has been a familiar presence at Seattle Opera for a couple seasons now; she helped us explore racial representation, casting, and what it means to support storytellers of color in 2018, as we were presenting Porgy and Bess , and last spring moderated a Carmen -related forum on "Decolonizing Allure: Women Artists of Color in Conversation." Rec...

Tchaikovsky's most beloved opera is a breathtaking and unique work about the human heart. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces Eugene Onegin, with musical examples from Seattle Opera's 2002 archival recording of Eugene Onegin , starring Vladimir Chernov as Onegin, Kurt Streit as Lensky, Helene Schneidermann as Olga, Nuccia Focile in her Seattle Opera debut as Tatyana, and Alexander Ani...

Michelle Martin, Beverly Cleary Endowed Professor for Children and Youth Services at UW's Information School, discusses the world's many "Cinderella" stories with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. They talk about Cinderellas onstage, on screen, and in the oral tradition; about sweet Disney princesses and plucky heroines (and heroes), wicked and/or ugly step-sisters, mothers who turn into carp...

Rossini's La Cenerentola combines the human warmth of the beloved Cinderella story with the wit and sparkle of The Barber of Seville . Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces La Cenerentola with musical examples from Seattle Opera's archival recordings of La Cenerentola : from 1996, with Laura Polvarelli (Cenerentola), Gregory Kunde (Don Ramiro), Robert Orth (Dandini), Jan Opalach (Alidor...

This August Seattle Opera presents Lindy Hume's production of RIGOLETTO, originally created for New Zealand Opera in 2012. Designed by Richard Roberts and lit by Jason Morphett, this RIGOLETTO sets the Victor Hugo story which inspired Giuseppe Verdi's amazing music in an uncomfortably recognizable modern world of haves and have-nots, power-hungry men and disadvantaged women. On July 23, Hume discu...

Verdi's unflinching tragedy about sexual politics is one of opera's greatest masterpieces. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces Rigoletto, with musical examples drawn from Seattle Opera's archival recordings of Rigoletto : from 2004 with Frank Lopardo (Duke of Mantua), Norah Amsellem (Gilda), and Kim Josephson (Rigoletto), conducted by Edoardo Mueller; and from 2014 with Francesco Demu...

Come down to the bassment and enjoy the deep sound of the bass and bass-baritone voices with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Basses play dads, priests, kings, old bearded guys, God, and the Devil; they get to be evil, they get to be funny, and they always sing with great authority. Includes a 4-pack bass sampler from BORIS GODUNOV, a taste test of Hagens from GÖTTERDÄMMERUNG, and a buffo ba...

There's a lot going on in a glorious opera like Carmen : principal singers, chorus, orchestra, dancers, actors, costumes, sets, lights, fight scenes, wigs, drama! How on earth does something with so many moving parts manage to make it to the stage? Dacia Clay, of Classical KING FM 98.1 and the terrific Classical Classroom podcast, enjoyed a command performance of the show. She seized the opportuni...

CARMEN is probably the most popular opera ever composed. Alas, this masterpiece was the final work of Georges Bizet, who died a few weeks after its dismal world premiere. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean discusses Bizet's genius and career with Assistant Conductor Phil Kelsey, who also contributes musical examples at the piano. Dean and Kelsey consider THE PEARL FISHERS, LA JOLIE FILLE DE PER...

Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces the mezzo and contralto voices. With their rich, creamy, dark sounds these lower-voiced ladies play opera's most luscious babes, as well as boys, old women, jealous wives, vengeful goddesses, and loving mothers. Featuring musical examples including Seattle Opera favorites Michelle DeYoung, Helene Schneidermann, Sarah Mattox, Rosemary Alvino, Daniela...

While The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs was astonishing Seattleites at McCaw Hall, 72 young people involved with Seattle Opera's Youth Opera Project performed Odyssey , a new opera for young people, next door. High schoolers Emily Amesquita (Odysseus), Kaitlyn Ochs (the Siren), and Joshua Cummings (Poseidon) discuss both new operas, the one they were in and the one they attended. The passion these br...

Grammy-nominated composer Mason Bates is also a bona fide DJ. As DJ Masonic, he brings classical music and electronica together on the dance floor at clubs like San Francisco's Mezzanine . As a composer, he brings the sounds of electronica to classical music in places like the Kennedy Center (where he's composer-in-residence). And so it's fitting that Bates' first opera is about famed Apple tech g...

There's more to it than jeans and a black mock-turtleneck! Seattle Opera's Costume Director, Susan Davis, discusses how Seattle Opera's artists bring to life Paul Carey's costume designs for The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs with Jonathan Dean. Learn all about quick changes, seam allowance, concealing microphones in wigs, and how 'contemporary' operas can also be 'historical.'

Hear from librettist Mark Campbell, director Kevin Newbury, and star baritone John Moore as Seattle Opera's The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs heads into McCaw Hall for Tech Week. Campbell tells the story of how filling out an online email form led him to a serendipitous meeting with a student of the real Kōbun Chino Otogawa, and Newbury and Moore discuss their work on this exciting opera so far.

Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces the baritone voice, a sound which celebrates the beauty and power of masculinity. In opera, baritones play clowns and kings, urban sophisticates and unlettered innocents; good, bad, and every shade of grey. They win our hearts, melt our hearts, and break our hearts. Featuring musical examples with sweet lyric baritones, proud heroic baritones, snarl...

Verdi's Rigoletto , Il trovatore , and La traviata transformed the art form of opera and have been ultra-popular for over 150 years. Seattle Opera's Maestro Carlo Montanaro, Assistant Conductor Philip A. Kelsey, General Director Aidan Lang, and Music Librarian Emily Cabaniss discuss with Jonathan Dean Verdi the great composer, great Italian, and great human. Plus, Montanaro shares his perspective...

Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces several different types of tenor, from the agile-voiced, graceful and elegant tenori di grazia, to the heroic and powerful tenori di forza, and all points in between. Includes musical examples featuring many favorite Seattle Opera tenors: Antonello Palombi, Edgardo Rocha, Laurence Brownlee, William Burden, Matthew Polenzani, Ben Heppner, James McCra...

"Men die and governments change, but the songs of La bohème will live forever," wrote Thomas Alva Edison to Giacomo Puccini. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces La bohème, with musical examples from Seattle Opera's archival recordings of La bohème : from 2007, with Rosario La Spina (Rodolfo) and Nuccia Focile (Mimì), conducted by Vjekoslav Sutej; and from 2013, with Andrew Garland (Sc...

A new opera that combines jazz and classical? Charlie Parker's Yardbird is about music, creativity, communication, race and racism, drugs and addiction, and life and death and freedom. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces this new opera with music by Daniel Schnyder and a libretto by Bridgette A. Wimberly. Musical examples from an Opera Philadelphia performance, starring Lawrence Brown...

Tchaikovsky's most beloved opera is a breathtaking and unique work about the human heart. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces Eugene Onegin, with musical examples from Seattle Opera's 2002 archival recording of Eugene Onegin , starring Vladimir Chernov as Onegin, Kurt Streit as Lensky, Helene Schneidermann as Olga, Nuccia Focile in her Seattle Opera debut as Tatyana, and Alexander Ani...

Rossini's La Cenerentola combines the human warmth of the beloved Cinderella story with the wit and sparkle of The Barber of Seville . Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces La Cenerentola with musical examples from Seattle Opera's archival recordings of La Cenerentola : from 1996, with Laura Polvarelli (Cenerentola), Gregory Kunde (Don Ramiro), Robert Orth (Dandini), Jan Opalach (Alidor...

Verdi's unflinching tragedy about sexual politics is one of opera's greatest masterpieces. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces Rigoletto, with musical examples drawn from Seattle Opera's archival recordings of Rigoletto : from 2004 with Frank Lopardo (Duke of Mantua), Norah Amsellem (Gilda), and Kim Josephson (Rigoletto), conducted by Edoardo Mueller; and from 2014 with Francesco Demu...

Why has Carmen been, since 1875, one of the world's most popular operas? Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces this beloved masterpiece with musical examples from Seattle Opera's archival recordings of Carmen : from 1995, with Greer Grimsley as Escamillo (conducted by Steven Sloane); from 2004, with Stephanie Blythe (Carmen) and Paul Charles Clarke (Don José), conducted by George Manaha...