WWFM - The Sunday Opera (2025)

28/06/2025

It might be difficult for you to get to Milan right now, but this week’s Sunday Opera (6-29 3:00 p.m.) is going to be going there for the beginning of a series of operas from La Scala. We’re beginning with Giuseppe Verdi’s “La forza del destino” (“The Force of Destiny”) in a production starring Anna Netrebko, Ludovic Tezier, and Brian Jagde.

Don Alvaro (Brian Jadge) is a newcomer to Seville, probably from South America. He has fallen in love with Leonora (Anna Netrebko), the daughter of the Marquis of Calatrava (Fabrizio Beggi) who has forbidden the match. The lovers plan to elope, but Leonora hesitates at the last minute, and they are caught by her father who challenges Alvaro. To try to prove Leonora is pure, Alvaro throws down his gun which accidentally discharges, killing the Marquis. This accident sets the wheels of fate in motion.

Through the remaining three acts, Leonora’s brother, Don Carlo (Ludovic Tezier), seeks revenge, and fate deems that he and a disguised Alvaro end up serving together in the Spanish army. Eventually, Carlo and Alvaro have their sword fight which ends outside of the cave where Leonora has been living her ascetic life (as one does). Carlo is mortally wounded, and Alvaro runs off to get a surgeon. Meanwhile, Leonora leaves her cave, recognizes Carlo, and bends down to him to try to embrace her dying brother. However, he stabs her in the heart as he dies, and Leonora pleads with Alvaro to stop blaming God and cursing fate which he does as she dies.

No one is really happy in this opera.

They are joined by Vasiliisa Berzhansaya as Preziosilla, Alexander Vinogradov as Padre Guardiano, Marco Filippo Roman as Fra Mlitone, Hunhong Li as Alcade, Carlo Bosi as Trabuco, and Zhieldo Hyseni as the surgeon. Riccardo Chailly leads the La Scala Orchestra and Chorus.

Stay with us after the opera for more music of Verdi including his String Quartet in E Minor performed by the Enso Quartet and the Ballet from his opera “Jersalem” which was the French language version of “I Lombardi alla prima crociata.”

18/06/2025

Umberto Giordano wrote 18 operas in all, but only two of them are produced with any regularity: “Fedora” and “Andrea Chenier.” On this week’s Sunday Opera (6/22 3:00 p.m.), we’ll be looking at two of his other operas that, although not unknown, aren’t produced nearly as often, and this came about after a conversation with one of our long-time listeners in Bethlehem, PA. Those operas are “La cena delle beffe” (“The Jester’s Supper”) and “Madame Sans-Gene. (“Madame Carefree”).

We’ll begin our afternoon with the tragedy, “La cena delle beffe.” The libretto for this four-act work is by Sem Benelli and was adapted from Benelli’s play of the same name. It premiered at La Scala in 1924 and was a huge success. Among its many other productions mounted around the world, the opera came to the Metropolitan Opera in 1926, played for twelve performances, and disappeared.

The opera is a revenge piece. Gianetto (Fabio Armiliato) has been wronged by brothers Neri and Gabriello (Marco Chingari & Francesco Piccoli). Not only have they stolen the woman he loves, Ginevra (Rita Lantieri), but they humiliated him by placing him in a sack and “pricking” him with their swords. Through the course of the work, Gianetto carries out his revenge which ends with two deaths and a case of madness, but his victory is not a happy one.

The cast in this live recording from Poggia in 1988 also includes Guide De Julis, Maria Augusta Miceli, Gigliola Caputi, Giovanna Manci, and Enrico Marini. Gian Paolo Sanzogno conducts the Orchestra Sinfonica di Piacenza.

To lighten things a bit, we’re turning to a charming “realistic” comedy that takes place in late 18th century Paris that had its premier at the Met in 1915, was seen nineteen times through 1918, and then it also disappeared.

Caterina (Madame Carefree) (Mirella Freni) is a resourceful laundress who becomes a duchess when her husband, Lefebvre (Giorgio Merighi) receives his title from Napoleon (Mauro Buda). Caterina knew Napoleon when he was an unknown soldier and she, just a simple laundress. About that time, she and Lefebvre (her fiancé at the time) save a wounded Austrian soldier named Count Neipperg (Valter Borin) with whom they forge a lifelong friendship.

Caterina is not a favorite at court, however. Her easy-going ways and lack of sophistication are the cause of scorn from the women of the court. It doesn’t bother her, but Napoleon decides she must divorce her husband and leave court – he doesn’t remember her from his early life. At their meeting, Caterina reminds him of who she is (and that he still owes her 60 francs for the laundry she did for him), and their reminiscences soften Napoleon’s view of her. When Neipperg is caught trying to enter the Empress’ chambers, Napoleon decrees that he is to be executed. Once again, Caterina saves Neipperg by proving his innocence while reminding Napoleon that the Empress is faithful to him. With this, Neipperg is saved, and Caterina and Napoleon leave his chamber arm in arm, much to the chagrin of the court, and announce that they’re “going on a hunt.”

This cast from a 1999 performance stage in Modena (Freni’s hometown) also includes Marzia Giaccaia, Muriel Tomao, Frederica Bragaglia, and Riccardo Ristori. Stefano Ranzani is our conductor on this recording, and he’s leading The Chorus of the Teatro Comunale di Modena and the Orcestra Sinfonica Dell’Emmilia Romanga “Arturo Toscanini.”

12/06/2025

We’re turning to another opera that’s been forgotten although it was quite popular when it premiered in 1920 on this week’s Sunday Opera (6/15 3:00 p.m.), and as a bonus, it’s written in the Basque idiom. It’s Spanish composer Jesus Guridi’s “Amaya.” Guridi (1886 – 1961) played an important role as a Spanish / Basque composer who wrote operas and zarzuelas as well as orchestral, piano, choral, and organ works.

“Amaya” deals with religious and nationalistic conflicts on which hangs the future of the Basque people in the 8th century. Christianity is threatening the old religion, the Moors are invading Spain, and Pagan Amaya (Rebecca Copley), who is the presumptive leader of her people since the sudden death of her father, has to choose between the love of a Christian invader Teodosio (Cesar Hernandez) and that of a long-time Basque admirer, Asier (Rosendo Flores).

Teodosio has pledged to help Amaya’s people to defeat the Moors, which he eventually does, but because of the treachery of Asier, he inadvertently kills his parents and becomes a hermit. Amaya, who had converted to Christianity and married Teodosio) stays true, and after several year, she visits Teodosio’s cave. While she is there, Asier, who has been wounded in battle, comes to Teodosio to explain his treachery, and asks to be forgiven and baptized before he dies. Teodosio does, realizes that Amaya is there, and the two are reunited.

performance is sung in the Basque dialect, and the cast includes Marianne Cornetti, Itxaro Mentxaka, Carlso Conde, Angel Pazos, and Gorka Robles. Theo Alcantara conducts the Bilbao Choral Society and Symphony Orchestra.

Please stay tuned after the opera for more music of Guridi planned, including the Sinfonica Pirenaica (Pyrenean Symphony) and the String Quartet in A minor.

06/06/2025

Victor Hugo’s novel “Angelo, the Tyrant of Padua” has been used for several operatic adaptations with Amilcare Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda” probably being the best known, but on this week’s Sunday Opera (6/8 3:00 p.m.), we’re looking at a different treatment by librettist Angelo Zanardini in Alfredo Catalani’s “Dejanice” which had its premiere in 1883.

In Zandarini’s text, Dejanice (Carla Basto) was once a Syracusan patrician, but has been reduced to being an exclusive concubine. She is in love with Admeto (Ottavio Garaventa), a Tuscan adventurer, who is in love with Argelia (Maria Luisa Garbato), the daughter of one of Syracuse’s triumvirates, Dardano (Rene Massis).

Dardano is against the union of Argelia and Admeto, so Admeto agrees to run away with a Carthaginian captive named Labdaco (Carlo Zardo) to raise an army to defeat Syracuse. Dejanice sees her chance to be with Admeto, so she joins them.

Through the action of the opera, Angelia and Admeto are finally reunited, but because Dardano is still against their marriage, they decide to poison themselves. However, Dejanice arrives in the nick of time to stop them and tells them that she has killed Dardano by placing poisoned lilies in his rooms so that they can be together. After telling them that she is removing two obstacles from their lives; one hate and one love. With that, she stabs herself and dies.

They’re joined in this live recording by the Orchestra and Chorus of the Teatro del Giglio di Lucca conducted by Jan Latham-Koenig.

After the opera, join Michael Kownacky for more music by Catalani including his mass that he wrote when he was eighteen, his String Quartet in A, and a “Romantic Symphony” entitled “Il Mattino.”

29/05/2025

It’s an afternoon of some “interesting” relationships on this week’s Sunday Opera (6/1 3:00 p.m.) with Ivar Hallstrom’s “Duke Magnus and the Mermaid” and Louis Spohr’s treatment of “Beauty and the Beast” (“Azore et Zamire”).

“Duke Magnus and the Mermaid” centers on Magnus who believes he hears a mermaid calling him to his death which he welcomes since his lost his daughter. Through the events of the opera, there are two happy couples, a restored daughter, and sanity regained, so it’s a very happy ending.

The cast is headed by Lars Johansson as the Duke, and he’s joined by Johan Rydh, Mattias Ermdahl, Staffan Alveteg, Ea Markland, Ingel Bohlin, Emelie Sigelius, and Jonas Olofsson. Niklas Willen conducts the Vadstena Academy Choir and the Norrkoping Symphony Orchestra.

The libretto for Spohr’s treatment of “Beauty and the Beast” is pretty much the story everyone knows with only a few changes of location and characters. (Sorry. There’s no Mrs. Potts here.)

Azor (The Beast) is sung by Matthew Pena, Zemire (Beauty) is Shiree Kidron, and Robert Stafford is Sandor, Zemire’s father. Her two sisters are performed by Rachel Calloway and Marissa Famiglietti, and Ali is Paul Shikany. They’re joined by the Manhattan School of Music Opera Theatre Orchestra and vocal ensemble conducted Christopher Larkin.

Once again, we’re pleased to bring you some excellent works that are well performed with which you just might be unfamiliar.

23/05/2025

Although Giacomo Meyerbeer was one of the most celebrated composers during his lifetime and wrote some sixteen operas, many of his works often go overlooked. We’re going to remedy that, a bit, on this week’s Sunday Opera (5/25 3:00 p.m.) with a recording of his last work, “L’Africaine” or “Vasco da Gama” in its edited final version.

We’d love to bring you the original version of “Vasco Da Gama,” but since the opera itself runs almost four-and-a-half hours, it won’t quite fit, so we’re pleased to bring you the version that was edited for time and clarity.

The story is a fictional account of a segment of Da Gama’s life where he is shipwrecked by manages to make his way back to Lisbon along with two “slaves” he as acquired somewhere, Selica and Nelusko. In Lisbon, his girlfriend Ines has been pursued by the president of the Royal Council, Don Pedro, and after Da Gama is imprisoned, Ines agrees to marry Don Pedro in order to secure Da Gama’s release from prison.

This begins a journey to the home of Selica (who is a queen) and Nelusko (her consort) where Don Pedro and his crew are killed. Only Da Gama and Ines survive and are able to return to Portugal when Selica releases them from her unnamed exotic island. After which, Selica sits beneath the extremely poisonous Manchineel tree, inhales its blossoms’ poisonous fragrance, and slowly dies as Da Gama and Ines sail homeward.

In this recording from 2018, you’ll hear Michael Spyres as Da Gama, Claudia Mahnke is Selica, Kirsten Mackinnon is Ines, Brian Mulligan is Nelusko, and Andreas Bauer Kanabas is Don Pedro. Other members of the cast include Thomas Faulkner, Bianca Andrew, and Michael McCown. They are all joined by the Frankfurt Opera Chorus and the Frankfurt Opera and Museum Orchestra. Our conductor is Antonella Manacroda.

We’ll have just a bit of time after the opera to sample more of Meyerbeer’s music, and this comes from another opera we’ve showcased on the Sunday Opera, “La Prophete.” You’ll hear the overture and fourth act Coronation March performed by the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra conducted by Darrell Ang.

16/05/2025

Stanislaw Moniuszko has been dubbed the father of Polish national music, but only a few of his works have been seen outside of Poland where they are performed regularly. On this week’s Sunday Opera (5/18 3:00 p.m.) we’ll hear one of them, his “The Haunted Manor” (“Straszny Dwor”), and although it is labeled as a romantic comedy, it’s considered to be one of the finest examples of patriotic Polish themed music.

The story centers around two brothers who try to avoid the marriage who have decided not to marry because their “beautiful young wives” would make them want to stay home and not go to war to defend their country. However, to escape themachinations of their meddling aunt who wants to see them married, they accidentally find the women they love and want to marry in a purportedly haunted house.

The cast includes Andrzej Hiolski, Bozena Betley-Sieradzka, Wiera Baniewicz, Zdzislaw Nikodem, and Wieslaw Ochman who are joined by the Polish Radio Symphony Orchestra and Choir conducted by Jan Krenz.

As always, we hope you’ll stay tuned after the opera for more music, this time including Moniuszko’s lovely Mass for Chorus, Four Voices, and Organ in D flat major, a charming “fantastic overture” entitled “Bajka,” and an overture from another of his forgotten operas, “Paria” (The Pariah).

09/05/2025

Giachino Rossini wrote 39 operas, and unfortunately, only a handful are regularly performed. However, we’re going to look at one of those lesser-known works (number 18 of the 39) on this week’s Sunday Opera (5/11 3:00 p.m.). it’s “Ricciardo e Zoraida” which premiered in Naples in 1818 and is considered by many to be a perfect example of bel canto singing.

The libretto is by Francesco Berio di Salsa and is based on two cantos of an epic poem by Niccolo Forteguerri. The recording is of a live performance that took place at the Rossini in Wildbad Festival in 2013.

In brief, King Ircano (Nahuel Di Pierro) has been ousted from his kingdom. He and his daughter Zoraide (Alessandra Marianelli) have established a new home near the boarder of Dongola in Nubia. Zoraide has fallen in love with the Crusader Ricciardo (Maxim Moronov), but she is also in the object of desire of lustful king of Nubia, Agorante (Randall Bills), much to the chagrin of his wife, Zomira (Silvia Beltrami) who tries to undermine Zoraide at every turn.

Through the course of the opera, Agorante kidnaps Zoraide in order to force her to marry him. Ricciardo and his Crusaders attack Agorante, but are defeated, and Ricciardo is sentenced to death along with Ircano. Zoraide can save one of them if she agrees to marry Agorante, and she chooses to save her father.

Just as all hope seems to be lost, a friend of Ricciardo, Ernesto (Artavaszd Sargsyan) arrives, defeats Agorante’s army, and frees the captives for a happy ending.

Joining the principal cast members are Bartosz Zolubak, Anna Brull, and Diana Mian. Jose Miguel Perez-Sierra conducts the Camerata Bach Choir Poznan and the Virtuosi Brunensis.

We have just enough time to squeeze in more music of Rossini after the opera, his Messa di Lugo (also known as the Messa di Ravenna). This early version of the Messa di Gloria written between 1802 and 1808, is said to be more operatic than the longer and better-known work.

The performance of the Messa di Lugo to which we’ll be listening comes from the same Rossini in Wildbad festival as the opera. The soloists are Elbe Mohlmann, Cosmina Cordun, Giovanni Botta, Pavel Brslik, Teru Yoshihara, and Dariusz Machej. They’re joined by the Czech Chamber Soloists Brno and the Czech Chamber Choir. The conductor here is Gabriele Bellini.

01/05/2025

Antal Dorati was best known as a conductor who led performances on over 700 recordings, but on this week’s Sunday Opera (5/4 3:00 p.m.), we’re going to look at Dorati the composer with his only opera, “Der Kunder” (“The Chosen”) and two more of his works.

Dorati was born in Budapest in April of 1906 and made his conducting debut at the age of 18 with the Budapest Royal Opera. He would go on to lead several of the world’s major orchestras like the BBC Philharmonic, the Royal Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra (in Washington D.C.), and the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, becoming a naturalized American citizen in 1943, shortly before he led the Dallas Symphony Orchestra. Many suggest that it was his time with the Minneapolis Symphony that cemented his reputation as a conductor.

Today’s opera was written in 1984 (or 1986 by some sources) and is based on a 1956 mystery play by Martin Buber with Dorati adapting the libretto. It deals with a period in the life of Elijah as he takes on the corrupt rule of King Ahab and his concubine, the Baal priestess Jezebel through to his ascension into heaven in a flaming chariot sent to collect him by God.

The cast includes Tomasz Konieczny as Elijah, Michael Schade as Ahab, Rachel Frenkel as Jezebel, Ron Silberstein as the shepherd Elisha, Mi-Young Kim as a caring woman named Tanit, Yuval Oren as her child, and Marek Gasztecki as Naboth and the Master of Rites. Various roles are also played by Joo-Hoon Shin and Makar Phura. Martin Fischer-Dieskau (son of Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau) initiated this world premier recording and acts as conductor of the Teatr Wielki Choir Poznan and the Beethoven Academy Orchestra Cracow.

After the opera, we have two more of Dorati’s compositions scheduled. We’ll begin with his Symphony No. 1 which was written in 1957 and was initially recorded with the Minneapolis Symphony. We’re turning to a live recording featuring the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra lead by the composer.

Our final piece is the wonderfully atmospheric “Night Music” which was written for a solo flute and small orchestra. We’ve turned to a recording featuring flutist Sharon Bezaly who is joined by the Allborg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Moshe Atzmon.

We hope you’ll join us for this sampling of a different side of Antal Dorati.

25/04/2025

We’re taking a look at two versions of the Orpheus legend that were written about 100 years but stylistically lightyears apart on this week’s Sunday Opera (4/27 3:00 p.m.) with Franz Joseph Haydn’s “L’anima del filosofo ossia Orfeo ed Euridice” and Jacque Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld.”

“L’anima del filosofo” was the last of the thirteen operas written by Haydn, and along with his prior opera, “Armida,” was not performed in his lifetime. It was written in 1791 but wouldn’t see its premiere until 1951.

It follows the legend fairly closely with Euridice (Celia Bartoli) stepping on a serpent as she tries to escape from kidnappers and Orfeo (Uwe Heilmann) travels to the realm of Pluto (Andrea Silvestrelli) to win her back only to fail as he looks at her, which he was forbidden to do, just before they were about to leave the underworld.

The recording from 1997 also includes Ildebrando D’Arcangelo as Euridice’s father King Creonte, Bartoli returning as Genio, Angela Kzimierczuk as a Bacante, and chorus of courtiers performed by Roberto Scaltriti, Jose Fardilha, Colin Campbell, and James Oxley. They’re joined by the Academy of Ancient music conducted by Christopher Hogwood.

Where Haydn’s work is serious and respectful, Offenbach’s is anything but, and although the operetta was initially well received, a damning review by Jules Janin of the Journal des débats which basically called it blasphemous and lascivious which, of course, made French audiences flock to see it.

Eurydice (Mary Hegarty) and Orpheus (David Fieldsend) have definitely fallen out of love. She has fallen in love with Aristaeus (Barry Patterson) who is actually Pluto, god of the Underworld, in disguise. Orpheus, who is not the son of Apollo but a rustic music teacher, is in love with a shepherdess named Chloe.

Since Pluto wants Eurydice, he convinces Orpheus to help trick Eurydice to walk into a field of snakes to be bitten. She does, and Pluto takes her down to the Underworld where she is eternally bored.

Although Orpheus is delighted with his new life with Chloe, Public Opinion (Jill Pert), a character in no other version of the story, arrives to spoil his fun and tell him that he must bring Eurydice back.

Jupiter (Richard Stuart) gets involved when all of the gods of Olympus go to the Underworld (where they happily join in the “Infernal Gallop”), and just before Orpheus and Eurydice make it out of the Underworld, he lets loose a lightning bolt making Orpheus turn around, sending Eurydice back. It does end happily; however, Jupiter gives Eurydice to the demi-god Bacchus so that she can be the eternal party-girl she’s wanted to be.

This 1995 recording by the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company was the first operetta that they recorded that wasn’t by Gilbert and Sullivan, and the delightful English translation was completed by Jeremy Sams.

The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company Chorus and Orchestra is conducted by John Owen Edwards, and the large ensemble includes Rosemarie Arthars as Cupid, Joanne Pullen as Diana, Gareth Jones as John Styx, Frances McCafferty as Juno, Carl Donohue as Mars, David Cavendish as Mercury, Pamela Baxter as Minerva, Richard Woodall as Morpheus and Sian Syn Gibson as Venus.

If you’re not familiar with Haydn’s operas, here’s a chance to hear one of his best and also the last opera he wrote. The Offenbach, well, it’s just plain fun, and everyone needs some fun right now.

18/04/2025

We’re dusting off some English history on this week’s Sunday Opera (4/20 3:00 p.m.) through a work by Camille Saint-Saens, a live 1991 recording of his rarely performed “Henry VIII.” The libretto by Armand Silvestre and Leonce Detroyat looks at a small section of the infamous life of a man driven by ego, a thirst for power, and the overpowering need to have a male heir.

The opera begins with Henry (Philippe Rouillon) already scheming to rid himself of his wife, Catherine of Aragon (Michele Command). She was the widow of his older brother, and he dutifully married her, but she has not supplied him with an heir. He decides the marriage is cursed, and looks to the Pope to have it annulled, but as Catherine (and Spain) are staunch Catholics, the Pope declines, and Henry turns his sights on the young Anne Boleyn (Lucile Vignon), and declares himself “The Defender of the Faith,” creating the Anglican Church, and severing ties with Rome. All does not bode well, however, and Henry’s changeability hints to Boleyn that her time as queen will prove to be short.

The cast also includes Philippe Bohee as the “Duke” of Norfolk, Gerard Serkoyan as Cardinal Campeggio, Alain Gabriel as Gomez (a Spanish suitor of Anne’s), Alexandre Laiter as the Count of Surrey, and Jean-Marc Loisel as Thomas Cranmer, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Alain Guingal conducts the Chorus of the Theatre des Arts Rouen and the Orchestre Lyrique Francais.

Directly after the opera, we’ll hear three more works by Saint-Saens including the Suite Algerienne which includes his often excerpted March militaire Francaise as its fourth movement, the symphonic poem Phaeton, and a Shakespearean song, “La Mort d’Ophelie” featuring soprano Sarah Walker.

13/04/2025

Because of a technical issue, "The Snow Maiden" will begin at 4:00 today (4/13/25) - Sorry for the late start.

WWFM - The Sunday Opera