Opera After Dark

Ep. 132: Rage Arias

14 Mar 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 131: Insertion Arias

20 Feb 2021

Contributed by Lukas

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 favor...

Ep. 130: Holiday Albums

23 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 129: The opera about the moon

16 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 w...

Ep. 128: Papa Haydn

11 Dec 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 origina...

Ep. 127: José Maurício Nunes Garcia

13 Nov 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Episode 126: Duke Ellington and Queenie Pie

26 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 f...

Ep. 125: Il Giasone

07 Oct 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 oper...

Ep. 124: Scott Joplin & Treemonisha

26 Sep 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Ep. 123: Victoria and Albert

25 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 oper...

Ep. 122: Carl Maria von Weber

02 May 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Ep. 121: Opera in Times of Crisis

14 Apr 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 loo...

Ep. 120: Der fliegende Holländer

29 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we talk about the opera that Wagner considered his first "true" work - DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER! Or, The Flying Dutchman. Its got lei...

Ep. 119: Maria de Buenos Aires

18 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

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 supp...

Ep. 118: Werther

10 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we talk about one of Elspeth's favorite operas - the incredibly dramatic, over the top, ultimate French romantic work: WERTHER! The c...

Ep. 117: Maria Callas... and Holograms

02 Mar 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we talk about one of opera's greatest legends, the diva of all divas, and the experience of getting to see her holographic reincarnat...

Ep. 116: Porgy and Bess

22 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

The beloved American Opera, Porgy and Bess, is having quite the season with sold out and added performances at the Met, and a wildly successful run at...

Ep. 115: The Fiery Angel

16 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is all about Prokofiev's THE FIERY ANGEL, one of the craziest opera plots we've talked about in a while! This opera has got it all, from ...

Ep. 114: Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev!

06 Feb 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we delve deep into the life of the Russian wunderkind Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev! He wrote a ton of stuff, he moved around a lot, h...

Ep. 113: Song Cycles - The Schus

28 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In our second installment of song cycle episodes, we look at the work of the two Schus(sounds like "shoes"... but it actually "Schus"): Schumann and S...

Ep. 112: Song Cycles - The Origin

19 Jan 2020

Contributed by Lukas

In our first episode of the decade, we jump into one of our favorite sub-genres: the song cycle. Can you guess which beloved composer started this tre...

Ep. 111: More Holiday Favorites

22 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

It's that time of year again, and we're happy to be bringing you some of our favorite holiday music from the operatic and classical repertoire. Get re...

Ep. 110: Queen Of Spades

14 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 y...

Ep. 109: The Tenor High C

06 Dec 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 o...

Ep. 108: The Cunning Little Vixen

23 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 (w...

Ep. 107: Akhnaten

16 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 mu...

Ep. 106: Philip Glass

10 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 105: Samuel Barber and Vanessa

02 Nov 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 mor...

Ep. 104: Manon vs. Manon Lescaut

26 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 103: Rosemary Brown

18 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

As Halloween approaches, our favorite composers visit us from beyond the grave via composer/medium: Rosemary Brown. That's right, Rosemary Brown becam...

Ep. 102: Lucia di Lammermoor

11 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Ep. 101: Tudor Mania!

05 Oct 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 pr...

Ep. 100: Lulu

30 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 e...

Ep. 99: Handel

20 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 F...

Ep. 98: Salome

13 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 exa...

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

06 Sep 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Bonus: As One

03 Jun 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Ep. 96: Season 3 Finale

24 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 95: Götterdämmerung

13 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ta...

Ep. 94: Siegfried

04 May 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 93: Avengers Fantasy Casting

26 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 beca...

Ep. 92: Jenufa

24 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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, bu...

Ep. 91: Die Walküre

17 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 again...

Ep. 90: Das Rheingold

09 Apr 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 op...

Ep. 89: Richard Wagner...finally

29 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 88: The Barrie Kosky Experience

26 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Today's opera directors are constantly finding ways to reinvent new productions of operas within the repertory, sometimes in strange and eye-catching ...

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

18 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

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

12 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Ep. 85: Carmen

05 Mar 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 th...

Ep. 84: This vs. That - Aida vs. Aida

26 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

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 an...

Ep. 83: Naomi's Greatest Night at the Opera... EVER

12 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode started as a 5 minute casual conversation before a recording session... and then we got carried away! So we decided to turn it into an ep...

Ep. 82: This vs. That - Rent vs. Bohème

02 Feb 2019

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first installment of our "this vs.that" mini-series, comparing none other than RENT and LA BOHÈME!! From the plot, to the music, to ou...

Ep. 81: Rigoletto

28 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

This episode is all about a well known classic, Verdi's RIGOLETTO. This opera has got everything - twisted plot involving a court jester, a jerk Duke,...

Ep. 80: Pelléas et Mélisande

21 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we explore Debussy's only opera, Pelléas et Mélisande! Debussy may have intended to write the ultimate anti-opera, but the music is...

Ep. 79: La Traviata

05 Jan 2019

Contributed by Lukas

We are beginning 2019 with an opera that consistently ranks within the top 10 most often performed operas in the world today: La Traviata! This is a t...

Ep. 78: Holiday Special

30 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Holidays, Everyone! In this episode, we talk about some holiday themed operas, and then descend into madness with some bloopers and outtakes! Th...

Ep. 77: The Golden Cockerel

15 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we look at a rarely performed operatic masterpiece, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov! We will give you three guesses w...

Ep. 76: Gianni Schicchi

08 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To finish out Puccini's Il Trittico, we talk about his only comic opera: Gianni Schicchi, a story about a greedy family trying to save their inheritan...

Ep. 75: Suor Angelica

03 Dec 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Following a day in the life of a 17th-century convent, Suor Angelica is the second (and most boring) opera in Puccini's Il Trittico. In all seriousnes...

Ep. 74: Il Tabarro

19 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Just before the 100th anniversary of its premiere performance at the Metropolitan Opera, we dive into Puccini's Il Trittico, a trilogy of one-act oper...

Ep. 73: Un ballo in maschera

10 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

On this episode, we talk about an opera that could be set in EITHER Sweden or Boston (it's all because of those #damncensors), and was inspired by a t...

Ep. 72: Rusalka

05 Nov 2018

Contributed by Lukas

We're excited to geek out over this beautiful Czech opera! Those of you that know The Little Mermaid are familiar with this story. Mermaid, Prince, Se...

Ep. 71: Composers Drinking Whisky - Part 2, with Christopher Cerrone

28 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Christopher Cerrone is back with us for Composers Drinking Whisky - Part 2! In this episode, we throw names of composers at Chris, and he tells us wha...

Ep. 70: Composers Drinking Whisky - Part 1, with Christopher Cerrone

21 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Composer Christopher Cerrone joins us as our first guest in the first episode of our new sub-series - Composers Drinking Whisky! In this episode, Chri...

Ep. 69: Adriana Lecouvreur

13 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Adriana Lecouvreur is popping up at more and more opera houses recently, perhaps because Queen Netrebko has taken on the role of the title character. ...

Ep. 68: The Rite of Spring

06 Oct 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Imagine going to see a new ballet and the audience breaks out in a riot. This is exactly what happened when Stravinsky's "The Rite of Spring" had its ...

Ep. 67: 18-19 Season Preview with Opera Wire Pt. 2

30 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

As promised, here is part two of our season preview conversation with Opera Wire. In this episode, David and Francisco Salazar tell us what exciting p...

Ep. 66: 18-19 Season Preview with Opera Wire Pt. 1

22 Sep 2018

Contributed by Lukas

OAD is back for Season 3! We're kicking things off in a big way with special guests, David and Francisco Salazar from OperaWire.com. In this episode, ...

Ep. 65: La Fanciulla del West

04 May 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In the final episode of Season 2, we discuss Puccini's poorly researched "Spaghetti Western" opera, La Fanciulla del West. This epic tale is your clas...

Ep. 64: Don Giovanni

27 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Ahead of Heartbeat Opera's performances of the opera next week, Elspeth and Naomi talk about Mozart's take on the legendary Don Juan. In addition to l...

Ep. 63: Felix Mendelssohn

11 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we talk about the Mendelssohn sibling with more notoriety but less moral fiber! Felix was a very talented composer and father of five, but ...

Ep. 62: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel

06 Apr 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we return to another bad ass lady who deserves a lot more love and recognition in the classical music canon: Fanny Mendelssohn Hensel...

Ep. 61: Synesthesia

30 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Think colors are simply something that can be seen? Today's episode features our friend, Lauren Miller, who is part of a special group of people whose...

Ep. 60: Lully

23 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In today's episode, we talk about the father of French opera, Jean-Baptiste Lully. This non-French dude had quite the scandalous life is very much res...

Ep. 59: Claude Debussy

17 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Debussy composed some of the most beautiful music we have ever heard. Does that automatically make him a good person? In today's episode, we find out ...

Ep. 58: Michael Kelly

12 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Which classical music figure connects Mozart, King George III, and Jane Austen? In today's episode we learn about tenor and friend of Mozart, Michael ...

Ep. 57: The "Bel Canto Bully"

02 Mar 2018

Contributed by Lukas

At OAD, we spend a lot of time talking about the people that composed or performed opera, but very little talking about those behind the scenes in ope...

Ep. 56: George Antheil

23 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Hold on to your hats and wigs, because we're talking about the self-proclaimed bad boy of 20th Century music, George Antheil! Though he never realized...

Ep. 55: Tosca

16 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Jealousy, lust, imprisonment, torture, fugitives, murder, mayhem , and epic love - TOSCA has got it ALL! The music is awesome - and we'll tell you why...

Ep. 54: Operatic Rejections

09 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

In honor of Valentine's Day, we bring you the most epic operatic rejections! We often think of opera's many romantic love stories, but it turns out th...

Ep. 53: The Mute Girl of Portici

02 Feb 2018

Contributed by Lukas

This week's unknown opera is a quintessential example of the French Grand Opera style. In addition to being perhaps the only opera in which the title ...

Ep. 52: The Bloody Nun

26 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Nothing says "the world's best art form" like the title of Charles Gounod's unknown opera "La nonne sanglante" or "The Bloody Nun." Yes, the opera is ...

Ep. 51: Gounod you didn't!

19 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

Best known for his Faust and Romeo et Juliette, Charles Gounod almost joined the priesthood early in life, ending his composing career before it began...

Ep. 50: Opera - The Origin Story

12 Jan 2018

Contributed by Lukas

To celebrate episode number 50 (!!!) on Opera After Dark, we give you...OPERA: THE ORIGIN STORY. It all started with a group of Italian dudes(before I...

Ep. 49: Holiday Favorites

28 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Holidays from Opera After Dark! In this special episode, we are bringing you the classical pieces that always get us in the holiday spirit. And ...

Ep. 48: Star Wars Fantasy Casting - Part 2

22 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

And here is part two of our epic Star Wars Opera fantasy casting! Much like follow up episodes in the actual Star Wars saga, it's not nearly as good a...

Ep. 47: Star Wars Fantasy Casting - Part 1

15 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

We all knew this was coming, and now it is finally here! Opera After Dark is outrageously excited to present our Star Wars Opera Fantasy Castings. Yes...

Ep. 46: Les mamelles de Tirésias

08 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we talk about Poulenc's early opera "Les mamelles de Tirésias"... which translates to... "The Breasts of Tiresias." Which, as you ca...

Ep. 45: La Wally

01 Dec 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today we bring you another unknown opera by Alfredo Catalani, a contemporary of Puccini (he would be so pissed if he heard us say that). If you don't ...

Ep. 44: Orchestral works that check all the boxes

17 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we deliberately diverge from the world of opera and vocal music to talk about some of the greatest instrumental music ever composed. ...

Ep. 43: The Merlin Opera

10 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we bring you another random and obscure opera, this time about King Arthur and his homie Merlin. Created by little-known composer Isaac Albe...

Ep. 42: Alexander Scriabin

03 Nov 2017

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we talk about a composer that tried to usher in the apocalypse, but then died in the most random and unintimidating way. Listen in as ...

Ep. 41: Happy Halloween!

31 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Happy Halloween to all of our listeners! To celebrate this most cherished holiday, the OAD team recorded a special episode to discuss our favorite sca...

Ep. 40: Criminal Minds

28 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

When it comes to classical music composers, a surprising number have had run ins with the law. Although occasionally for random and whimsical reasons,...

Ep. 39: Dame Ethel Smyth

20 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

The third and final installment of OAD's current run of opera's badass women features Dame Ethel Smyth, who for over 100 years was the only female co...

Ep. 38: Francesca Caccini

13 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Our next installment of OAD's Bad Ass Women series features none other than the first woman to ever compose an opera: Francesca Caccini. It's time to ...

Ep. 37: Barbara Strozzi

06 Oct 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today we introduce you to another badass lady of the classical canon: Barbara Strozzi! Incredibly prolific composer (much more prolific than most of h...

Ep. 36: The Poisoned Kiss

29 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

This week we take on another ridiculous and unknown opera plot in Ralph Vaughan William's The Poisoned Kiss. The fairytale libretto features an epic r...

Ep. 35: Dinorah

22 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

Today we dive into the glorious DINORAH by Meyerbeer - and we are joined by a guest who, we think, is the only soprano to have ever sung the title rol...

Ep. 34: What we want to see in 17-18

15 Sep 2017

Contributed by Lukas

As the 2017-2018 opera season is getting under way, we talk about what productions and casts around the world are getting us really excited for the co...