Beste Opera After Dark Podcasts (2024)

1
Ep. 132: Rage Arias 53:45

4y ago53:45

53:45

What do you do when you find yourself filled with rage? In the opera world, you sing an emotionally charged Rage Aria. In this episode, we're talking about some of opera's most rageful moments.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 131: Insertion Arias 34:36

4y ago34:36

34:36

What is a singer to do when the composer didn't right a banging aria for their character, or their aria leaves something to be desired? Insert a favorite aria of their choosing! It's hard to believe that this actually happened in the world of professional opera, but it turns out this was commonplace for much of opera's history.…

1
Ep. 130: Holiday Albums 57:25

4y ago57:25

57:25

Happy Holidays from Opera After Dark! We all love (or love to hate) a good holiday album. In this episode we discuss some of the most notable holiday albums by opera stars.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 129: The opera about the moon 38:04

4y ago38:04

38:04

When you think about an opera about the Moon, does 20th-century music come to mind, or maybe the 21st? It turns out the first opera about space came way back in 1777. We hope you enjoy hearing about the Classical Era space opera, Il mondo della luna.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 128: Papa Haydn 38:46

4y ago38:46

38:46

In the realm of classical music, there are few individuals as influential as Franz Joseph Haydn. Though not known for his operas, Haydn is the original master of the symphony and string quartet, and definitely lived an interesting life.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 127: José Maurício Nunes Garcia 36:06

4y ago36:06

36:06

Haven't heard of José Maurício? Neither had we! But it turns out he was a prolific Brazilian composer of the Classical Era, with over 200 published works and a Requiem that got the attention of Europe's best composers.Von Opera After Dark

1
Episode 126: Duke Ellington and Queenie Pie 46:04

4y ago46:04

46:04

In addition to his many accolades in the jazz world, Duke Ellington is another notable composer that tried his hand at opera. Though Ellington never finished his opera Queenie Pie, he definitely left us with some great tunes!Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 125: Il Giasone 49:55

4y ago49:55

49:55

Who knew that the most popular opera from the 17th-century was about some guy named Jason?! Apparently Elspeth did. Before you start imagining an opera about a '90s frat boy, you should know this opera is actually based on a Greek myth and composed by the most successful composer of its era.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 124: Scott Joplin & Treemonisha 37:35

4y ago37:35

37:35

Opera After Dark is back for season 5!! And we're kicking things off by talking about the greatest ragtime composer of all, Scott Joplin. Don't worry, we're not abandoning our roots. In addition to being the king of ragtime, Mr. Joplin also composed for the operatic stage.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 123: Victoria and Albert 57:39

4+ y ago57:39

57:39

With Memorial Day upon us (USA) and Victoria Day (Canada) just passed, we are taking the opportunity to talk about Queen Victoria and her love of opera, which she shared with her husband Prince Albert.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 122: Carl Maria von Weber 34:56

4+ y ago34:56

34:56

In today's episode, we talk about opera composer/conductor, Carl Maria von Weber. He was revolutionary in developing the role of the modern conductor, but of course, his life was full of scandal as well....Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 121: Opera in Times of Crisis 50:46

4+ y ago50:46

50:46

COVID-19 is impacting the entirety of the world, not the least of which is the impact on the classical music community. In this episode, we take a look at some of the impacts on the opera world, and also talk about some moments throughout history in which opera faced and overcame crisis.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 120: Der fliegende Holländer 1:01:58

4+ y ago1:01:58

1:01:58

In this episode, we talk about the opera that Wagner considered his first "true" work - DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER! Or, The Flying Dutchman. Its got leitmotifs. Its got arias. Its got orchestral storms with lots of brass. Its got a love triangle, a curse, a ghost ship, a ghost captain, and a obsessive leading lady. What more could you want in an opera…

1
Ep. 119: Maria de Buenos Aires 37:36

5y ago37:36

37:36

Most Opera After Dark episodes are recorded weeks in advance so you won't hear any mention of COVID-19 in today's episode, but please remember to support your local arts companies and artists during this crazy time.In the episode, we talk about the world's first, and perhaps only, tango opera: Maria de Buenos Aires. We hope you enjoy learning about…

1
Ep. 118: Werther 1:02:22

5y ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 117: Maria Callas... and Holograms 52:12

5y ago52:12

52:12

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 116: Porgy and Bess 45:41

5y ago45:41

45:41

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 115: The Fiery Angel 27:49

5y ago27:49

27:49

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 114: Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev! 43:21

5y ago43:21

43:21

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 113: Song Cycles - The Schus 1:02:18

5y ago1:02:18

1:02:18

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 112: Song Cycles - The Origin 39:01

5y ago39:01

39:01

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 111: More Holiday Favorites 20:40

5y ago20:40

20:40

Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 110: Queen Of Spades 49:39

5y ago49:39

49:39

Tchaikovsky's last opera may not be as well known as some of his other works, but the Queen of Spades still packs a punch. Today, the OAD team fills you in on the best aspects of this Russian classic.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 109: The Tenor High C 33:04

5y ago33:04

33:04

This week Kyle takes the reigns to talk about one of opera's most-loved phenomenons: the tenor high C. It wasn't always part of the opera world, but once it arrived, it changed things forever.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 108: The Cunning Little Vixen 38:49

5y ago38:49

38:49

What a pleasure it is revisit the music of one of our favorite composers: Leos Janacek! If you like beautiful orchestration and cute animal stories (which should include everyone), The Cunning Little Vixen is definitely the opera for you.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 107: Akhnaten 34:41

5y ago34:41

34:41

Following our last episode all about Philip Glass, this episode goes deep into the third opera in his portrait trilogy: AKHNATEN! We talk about the music, the inspiration and creative process, the source material, the text of the libretto, the real historical Akhnaten (including theories that his whole family were aliens) and his very complicated f…

1
Ep. 106: Philip Glass 42:40

5y ago42:40

42:40

So many good things come out of the 60s, 70s, and 80s.... like minimalist opera! In this episode, we talk about the life and work of Philip Glass, and dig into the style of minimalism! He actually dislikes being labelled a "minimalist" composer - but it's helpful in understanding the historical context and impact of his work in the grand scheme of …

1
Ep. 105: Samuel Barber and Vanessa 57:35

5y ago57:35

57:35

In this episode, we talk all about the great American composer Samuel Barber and one of his greatest operatic works - that we think should be done more often - VANESSA!Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 104: Manon vs. Manon Lescaut 51:58

5y ago51:58

51:58

In 1731, Antoine François Prévost introduced the character of Manon to the world through his "smutty" novel L'Histoire du chevalier des Grieux et de Manon Lescaut, and she has seduced audiences time and again ever since! In this episode, we talk about the two operas that have survived in the modern canon that tell her story - one by Massenet, and o…

1
Ep. 103: Rosemary Brown 27:55

5y ago27:55

27:55

As Halloween approaches, our favorite composers visit us from beyond the grave via composer/medium: Rosemary Brown. That's right, Rosemary Brown became world famous for "transcribing" works of dead composers who she claimed visited her from the beyond. Do you believe in ghosts? Maybe you should listen to these incredibly believable compositions bef…

1
Ep. 102: Lucia di Lammermoor 41:31

5y ago41:31

41:31

Over a year ago, the OAD team was in Scotland for the wedding of our very own Elspeth. Of course, when an opera fan hears Scottish wedding only one thing should come to mind: Lucia di Lammermoor. In this episode, recorded the morning after Elspeth's wedding, we discuss the epic story of Lucia and the mad scene that made this opera famous.…

1
Ep. 101: Tudor Mania! 39:31

5y ago39:31

39:31

Everyone loves a British Queen, especially Italians composing opera in the early 1800s! On this episode, we talk about bel canto tudor mania, and a present day parallel coming to Broadway this spring!Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 100: Lulu 55:34

5y ago55:34

55:34

For our 100th episode, we tackle one of the difficult operas to talk about concisely... Berg's LULU! It is NOT funny, it is NOT uplifting, it is NOT easy to talk about concisely... but it is one of the most important operas of the 20th century, and it was a listener request... so here we go! Thank you for listening, and here is to 100 MORE episodes…

1
Ep. 99: Handel 43:12

5+ y ago43:12

43:12

This episode, and its horrible puns, are almost too much to Handel. We talk all about the most prolific opera composer of the Baroque period, George Fridric Handel, and the near-death experience that almost ended his career before it began.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 98: Salome 47:16

5+ y ago47:16

47:16

When thinking of a scandalous opera, Salome is usually the first to come to mind. In this episode we talk about Salome's success from scandal, and exactly what makes this opera so challenging in every sense of the word.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 97: The summer that was, and the year ahead 44:43

5+ y ago44:43

44:43

Opera After Dark is back for a fourth season! To kick things off, we recount the summer's adventures and look ahead at exciting productions to come in the 19-20 opera season.Von Opera After Dark

1
Bonus: As One 14:56

5+ y ago14:56

14:56

In a bonus mini-episode, we talk about As One, a modern opera by Laura Kaminsky, Mark Campbell, and Kimberly Reed. This comes ahead of our meet up on June 4 prior to seeing a performance of the opera at Merkin Concert Hall in NYC. For full details, visit the Opera After Dark Facebook page.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 96: Season 3 Finale 33:43

5+ y ago33:43

33:43

The 18-19 opera season is coming to a close, so we're wrapping season 3 of Opera After Dark with a look back at our favorite operatic moments from the past year. Also, we hint at some exciting new content and live events to come! Make sure you subscribe and follow us on social media to get full updates and information!…

1
Ep. 95: Götterdämmerung 1:18:28

5+ y ago1:18:28

1:18:28

We have come to the end of the Ring with an epic, over-an-hour-long episode on the final opera in the cycle: Götterdämmerung! In this episode, we talk about more tarnhelm shenanigans, magic potions, disguises, revenge, murder, pleas for help, a depressed Wotan, a mezzo Valkyrie, the only moment in the Ring where the chorus gets to sing, we meet a b…

1
Ep. 94: Siegfried 53:52

5+ y ago53:52

53:52

This week, we're back to Wagner's Ring Cycle, but still talking about a super hero origin story of sorts. A young man who knows no fear, the reforging of magical and powerful weapon, slaying a dragon, rescuing a woman from a deep sleep in dangerous surroundings - this sounds familiar...Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 93: Avengers Fantasy Casting 49:06

5+ y ago49:06

49:06

Today is the release date (in the US) for the highly-anticipated film, Avengers: End Game. Since it's been way to long since we've done this, and because we know there are many opera/super hero fans out there, we're fantasy casting our dream Avengers Opera. Have thoughts about our choices? Find us at operaafterdark.com and let us know!…

1
Ep. 92: Jenufa 41:30

5+ y ago41:30

41:30

Taking a break from all the Wagner and thanks to a listener request, we're diving into Jenufa, by composer Leos Janacek. This opera is pretty dark, but filled with rich and beautiful music that matches a dark time in the composer's own life.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 91: Die Walküre 1:04:55

5+ y ago1:04:55

1:04:55

We are back with the next installment of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, DIE WALKÜRE! Kyle is excited for the ride of the Valkyries. Elspeth is still against this whole thing. And this is probably Naomi's favourite opera of the cycle (we spelled "favourite" the Canadian way, just for her). We also learn more about leitmotifs in this episode. And swords s…

1
Ep. 90: Das Rheingold 50:22

5+ y ago50:22

50:22

The OAD team embarks on Wagner's epic opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen, AKA the Ring Cycle. Of course, we must start with the first of the four operas: Das Rheingold. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Wagner's mythological world inspired by Norse mythology.Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 89: Richard Wagner...finally 1:09:47

5+ y ago1:09:47

1:09:47

It took almost three full seasons, but we are finally talking about the polarizing composer Richard Wagner. Whether you love him or you hate him, most opera fans feel strongly about his contributions to the repertory and we are no exception. As is appropriate for Wagner, this episode is one of our longest, but it comes as our own Naomi Barrettara i…

1
Ep. 88: The Barrie Kosky Experience 31:42

6y ago31:42

31:42

Today's opera directors are constantly finding ways to reinvent new productions of operas within the repertory, sometimes in strange and eye-catching ways. It can be argued that nobody reimagines opera quite like Australian director, Barrie Kosky, who is known for his provocative production concepts. OAD host, Kyle Homewood, got to witness this pro…

1
Ep. 87: This vs. That - Madama Butterfly vs. Miss Saigon, Part 2 51:17

6y ago51:17

51:17

We reach the end of our This vs. That series comparing show-stopping musicals to the operas that they are based on. This week, we discuss the musical Miss Saigon, based on the opera Madama Butterfly and with only slightly more redeemable characters but some questionable music and singing. You'll know it when you hear it! This is followed by a hilar…

1
Ep. 86: This vs. That - Madama Butterfly vs. Miss Saigon, Part 1 48:56

6y ago48:56

48:56

As we conclude our "This vs. That" series, comparing great operas to parallel works in the musical theater repertoire, we got pretty carried away with our last comparison: Madama Butterfly vs. Miss Saigon! So this is Part 1 of 2, where we share some VERY strong feelings about the character of B.F. Pinkerton, and just strong feelings in general abou…

1
Ep. 85: Carmen 57:17

6y ago57:17

57:17

In this episode, we cover the C in the ABC's of opera: Carmen. Although Bizet's composition is one of the most famous and often-performed operas in the world today, that was not always the case. Listen in for more about that in addition to hearing about how Don Jose ruins everyone's life!Von Opera After Dark

1
Ep. 84: This vs. That - Aida vs. Aida 1:14:17

6y ago1:14:17

1:14:17

This is the episode you have all been waiting for: when our obsession with "Elaborate Lives" is explained, and we deep dive into AIDA by Elton John and Tim Rice, comparing it to the original AIDA, a beloved opera classic by Giuseppe Verdi! Listen all the way to the end, and not only will you get a great reprise of "Elaborate Lives" with a dark mino…

Podcasts, die es wert sind, gehört zu werden

Opera After Dark Podcasts

Podcasts, die es wert sind, gehört zu werden

Kurzanleitung