Opera For Everyone

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Rating
4.4
from
177 reviews
This podcast has
113 episodes
Language
Explicit
No
Date created
2017/08/20
Average duration
120 min.
Release period
34 days

Description

Opera for Everyone is a radio show and podcast that makes opera understandable, accessible, and enjoyable for all. Pat Wright hosts the show, inviting guest co-hosts to participate in the mission she and Keely Herron developed after lively discussions of operas they had enjoyed seeing together. Music soars. Epiphanies abound. Hilarity ensues. The show airs Sundays from 9.00 a.m. to 11.00 a.m. on 89.1 KHOL in Jackson, Wyoming. Cover artwork by illustrator Rosie Brooks (www.rosiebrooks.com)

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from Opera For Everyone podcast


Ep. 115 Berg's Lulu & Erica Miner's Prelude to Murder
2024/01/22
Two things never go out of fashion: opera and mystery.  In this episode, mystery writer and former opera violinist Erica Miner talks with us about her opera mystery series and Lulu, Berg’s high-body-count melodrama.  Lulu, which features prominently in Erica’s new novel, centers on a beautiful young woman whose admirers descend into obsession.  Join us for a fascinating discussion of the nuts and bolts of opera, how it has informed Erica’s writings, and a close look at Berg’s masterpiece. Erica Miner is the author of Prelude to Murder, the second book in the Julia Kogan Opera Mystery Series.  For more on Erica, visit ericaminer.com
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Ep. 114 Amahl and the Night Visitors
2023/12/31
In Amahl and the Night Visitors, a young boy and his mother unexpectedly play host to the Magi on their way to meet the infant Jesus.  Originally written for television, this opera uniquely bridges the ancient and modern in a heartfelt exploration of the meaning of hospitality. In the second half of this episode, we are joined by Grant to talk about the role of Epiphany in the Christmas story, and enjoy some of the more beloved songs associated with the timeless story of the Magi. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen. For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
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Ep. 113 L’Italiana in Algeri by Rossini
2023/11/19
By turns funny, serious, and seriously funny, L’Italiana in Algeri is a fascinating assembly of romantic tropes: a spurned wife, a shipwrecked lover, a pirate king, and a daring escape.  At the same time, it deals with serious themes of agency, power, and silence.  Set in a world that is both alien and familiar, this opera has something to say to all of us. Guest co-host Emily Cohen, executive director of Opera For Everyone’s home station KHOL, joins us for an opera in which she once performed!
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Ep. 112 The Egyptian Helen by Richard Strauss
2023/10/02
“The face that launched a thousand ships.” Helen of Troy, the most beautiful woman in the world, has a problem.  Her husband plans to kill her, but she just wants him to fall in love with her again.  She may just need a miracle to pull it off, but if anyone can do it, she can.  Richard Strauss and Hugo von Hofmannsthal aimed for a light and comic operetta with Die Ägyptische Helena, but delivered a profound and dramatic work of art about the road to repairing broken relationships. Hosted by Pat, Kathleen, and Grant For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
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Ep. 111 Tosca by Giacomo Puccini
2023/08/26
One of the top ten most-performed operas in the world, Puccini’s Tosca is considered by some the greatest of operas.  A painter provides refuge for an escaped political prisoner, which begins a chain of events that starts with petty jealousy and ends in a death leap.  Things spiral further and further out of control in this epic confrontation of tyranny and passion, set in the tempestuous era of the Napoleonic Wars.  Join Pat and Greg for an in-depth discussion of the story and the power of this masterpiece.
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Ep. 110 Das Liebesverbot by Wagner
2023/08/01
Richard Wagner’s style is one of the most distinctive and recognizable in all of opera.  But Wagner wasn’t always the Wagner we’ve come to know. The earliest of Wagner’s operas to be performed in his lifetime was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure,  Das Liebesverbot, where he is still developing his craft and working on his relationship to German opera.  The result is an opera which does not shy away from Italian styles. It even makes the villain of the piece the one German character among a multitude of Italians bumping up against the moral codes of their city, Palermo, Sicily!  Discover this infrequently performed opera with us, learning about how Wagner became Wagner… and experiencing a lively story of the conflict between personal morality and the enforcement of communal rules.  Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
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Ep. 109 Die Frau Ohne Schatten by Richard Strauss
2023/06/26
At once a sweeping story about humanity and a deeply personal look at a married couple with unfulfilled aspirations, Die Frau Ohne Schatten is often considered the magnum opus of the famed partnership between composer Richard Strauss and librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal.  Moving between lofty, other-worldly, and gritty settings, this opera simultaneously puzzles and inspires audiences.  Being human, this opera tells us, is a messy business, but ultimately, the greatest pursuit and prize in all creation. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
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Ep. 108 Lucrezia Borgia by Donizetti
2023/05/21
One of history’s most infamous women, Lucrezia Borgia has inspired artists, dramatists, and TV show writers for centuries.  Donizetti’s opera follows the play by Victor Hugo, telling of Lucrezia’s effort to find the kind of love that might change her life.  However, it isn’t easy being a powerful woman in Renaissance Italy.  Gaetano Donizetti, a prolific composer in the Bel Canto style, gives us an opera with a fascinating story, and, of course, “beautiful singing.” Hosted by Pat, Kathleen, and Grant For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
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Ep. 107 Macbeth by Verdi
2023/04/22
“Double, double toil and trouble.”  Composer Giuseppi Verdi enthusiastically declared that Shakespeare’s Macbeth “is one of the greatest creations of man!”  Harnessing this passionate admiration, he went on to craft the first of his three completed operas based on Shakespeare plays.  Verdi’s Macbeth is full of powerful choral pieces, arias from a royal couple lurching toward self-destruction, and Verdi’s own personal vision of a people yearning to free themselves from despotic oppression.  In the end, Macbeth concludes that life is “a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing,” but to Verdi, the tyrant’s downfall brings soaring triumph to a suffering people, and perhaps something closer to self-determination. Hosted by Pat & Kathleen Van De Wille  For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
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Ep. 106 Giulio Cesare in Egitto by Handel
2023/03/26
One of the world’s most formidable generals and one of history’s most beguiling politicians are joined by two frustrated young men and an irresistible widow in Handel’s Baroque masterpiece, Giulio Cesare in Egitto.  Join Pat, Kathleen, and Grant for a journey through history, literature, and myth in exploring the influences and meaning of this enduring opera.   For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
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Ep. 105 The Marriage of Figaro and Elly Uncomposed with Valerie Niemerg
2023/02/25
One of the world’s most beloved operas, Mozart’s  Le Nozze di Figaro, is not only the focus of this episode, but also the inspiration for Elly Uncomposed: A Novel Opera, a magical realist novel by author and retired opera singer, Valerie Niemerg.  Like the opera Figaro, some truly serious and important topics are addressed in Elly Uncomposed, but with a charmingly comical touch. Join Valerie and Pat for a wide-ranging conversation about her delightful book, stories about her time in professional opera, and an exploration of Le Nozze di Figaro.
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Ep. 104 Nabucco by Verdi
2023/01/13
A people yearns for freedom.  The power of their prayers, set to Verdi’s incomparable music, have stirred audiences ever since the première of Nabucco in 1842.  The impact of this opera may relate to Verdi’s own struggle to overcome personal tragedies preceding the composition the music.  It also resonates with the passions of the Italian people of his day, and their desire to free themselves from foreign domination.  Drawing inspiration from scripture, Verdi and his librettist created an opera that tells a timeless story, and gave Italians one of their great anthems, Va pensiero. Hosted by Pat and Grant
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Podcast reviews

Read Opera For Everyone podcast reviews


4.4 out of 5
177 reviews
JJRROMI 2021/06/27
Something more needed
Credit the singers in the show notes, please!
tara starlong 2024/02/03
Nice Opera Podcast
I bet you have the opera Ruddigore (The Witch’s Curse) on this
Nnpvlv 2024/01/17
One of the best
Excellent explanation without condescending. Highlighting moments that I missed in the past. Through your podcasts I made so many discoveries. Thank...
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Missjita 2024/01/02
A strong introduction to opera which enhances seeing it live
This podcast provides wonderful context, both about the era of composition and the historical era in which a given opera is set. The hosts have deligh...
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CandiceK711 2023/10/22
Fantastic coverage of Tosca
As a life long lover of Tosca, I was so pleased by your episodes. Thorough, educational, and fun!
Cbrownson 2022/12/02
Wonderful
I’ve been binging the back catalog of this delightful show. Pat and her guests are charming, insightful, and very entertaining. It’s a real joy to lis...
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MickeyMike28 2022/11/04
Great Podcast for Beginners
Great podcast for those who are not accustomed to opera. Pat does a great job doing the serious and historical overview while her guests do the comedi...
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August Consumer 2022/03/07
Air of juvenile adolescents presenting art
The presentation is hosted by two broadcasters who present the most complicated art with the air of juvenile adolescents talking about art. So sad the...
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142389 2021/10/02
Bravissimo to The best Opera podcast!
Opera for Everyone is the most consistent Opera podcast out there! The banter is just enough to be entertaining while staying educational, and it’s a ...
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ShrGuy 2021/08/09
Benvenuto is as advertised: hilarious slapstick
Stimulated by OFE, I got a DVD of Berlioz’s Benvenuto Cellini. The DVD production was directed by Terry Gilliam (best known for Monte Python). The sco...
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