German Painter Paul Wunderlich's Aida Lithograph commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera in the Seventies.
Monday Night at the Opera will devote the entire broadcast to Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov’s classic tale of The Tsar’s Bride. Host Barbara Smythe will introduce the opera and its incredible cast: Olga Borodina, Dmitri Hvorostovsky with the Kirov Opera Chorus and Orchestra under the baton of its legendary music director Valery Gergiev.
That’s Opera on Central Coast Public Radio KUSP Santa Cruz, every Monday evening from 7 to 9:30.
The curtains at the Royal Opera House in London
Tune in May 7th for information about a production of “PIrates of Penzance” at Soquel High School. Save the Dates! May 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 2012 for a wacky and irreverent SHS version of The Pirates of Penzance, in this fresh take of Gilbert and Sullivan’s most popular comic operetta. This hilarious farce has sentimental pirates, bumbling policemen, dim-witted young lovers, dewy-eyed daughters and an eccentric Major-General, all morally bound to the ridiculous dictates of honor and duty.
Then Cheryl Anderson, director of the Cabrillo Symphonic chours, will call in to discuss the upcoming concert of the Santa Cruz County Symphony entitled, POETIC SONGS, Saturday, May 12, 8 pm Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium and
Sunday, May 13, 2 pm Mello Center, Watsonville. The season concludes with the orchestra’s time-honored collaboration with the Cabrillo Symphonic Chorus. Following the brilliant Maskarade: Overture by Danish composer, Carl Nielsen, the chorus and orchestra perform Felix Mendelssohn’s extraordinarily beautiful Psalm 42. The concert concludes with Vaughan Williams’ “Dona Nobis Pacem,” which features the dramatic and timely poetry of Walt Whitman about the human costs of war and peace.
Also highlights from John Adam’s opera “Nixon in China” featuring the Colorado Symphony conducted by Marin Alsop.
Canadian Tenor John Vickers
John Vickers as Florestan
Sir Colin Davis and an All Star Cast
Jim Emdy hosts the opera show on April 16th, 7 – 9:30. Kathryn Adkins will call in around 7 pm to talk about the new production of The Mikado at Cabrillo Colleg. Musical samples will be provided.
ALSO
Tune in for a recorded interview with Silas Elash, who sings the role of the Devil in Gounod’s classic opera “Faust.” This opera is the final presentation of opera San Jose for the current season at the California Theatre in downtown San Jose. A recording of the opera featuring Samual Ramey as the devil will be presented, along with other “devilish” opera music.
Monday Night at the Opera presents Tchaikovsky’s great opera, Pique Dame (Queen of Spades) on Monday, April 9 at seven p.m. This stellar cast was assemblec for Seiji Ozawa and the Boston Symphony with a very young Dmitri Hvorostovsky with legendary great Mirella Freni, Sergei Leiferkus, Maureen Forrester, and Vladimir Atlantov. Grand Opera at its very best.
Barbara Smythe, host of the show, will also give you the latest update on local airings, broadcasts, and performances of opera and dance.
Verismo, from the Italian vero meaning true, is the subject matter for hosts Barbara Smythe, Miriam Ellis, and Joe Truskot. You’ll hear arias and scenes from the most typical operas of this great period of composition. Look for works by Bizet, Giordano, Leoncavallo, Puccini and many more . . .
Achilles comforted by his mother Thetis, Pompeo Batoni (1708-1787)
It was Rossini’s first commission intended to celebrate the wedding of the ruler of Naples, King Ferdinand IV’s daughter Princess Maria Carolina (17 years old) to the Duc de Berry, second son of the future King Charles X of France (37 years old). In Greek legends, Peleus and Thetis were the parents of Achilles. It’s delightful music conducted by Marc Andreae with the Virtuosi di Praga and the Czech Chamber Choir.
You’ll also hear the voices of Samuel Ramey from Semiramide, Maria Callas from The Barber of Seville, and many, many others. Joe Truskot will also share Rossini anecdotes you won’t want to miss. It will be pure fun and pure Rossini!
March 24 – April1, 2012
Barbara and Jim present full length operas and extended vocal works along with interviews featuring local and national personalities in the opera field.
