Opera For Everyone
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- 25. Okt. 2026
Über den Podcast
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)
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Ep. 147 Puccini's La Bohème
You cannot escape reality. That being said, artists since time immemorial have tried. Puccini’s La Bohème follows a group of young people seeking to escape the world of the ordinary, living in an attic and …
Shownotes
You cannot escape reality. That being said, artists since time immemorial have tried. Puccini’s La Bohème follows a group of young people seeking to escape the world of the ordinary, living in an attic and sacrificing everything for their art and romantic ideals. Our popular cultural image of the “starving artist” comes in large part from La Bohème and its descendants. Most famous among those descendants is Jonathan Larson’s Rent, which is directly based on Puccini’s opera. In turn, Puccini’s librettists owe much to author Henri Murger and others before him. This chain of tradition has gone on to inspire countless other works of art, and moves us–veterans and newcomers alike–to laughter and tears. You’ll likely find yourself wanting to go back to spend more time with these charming, flawed, thoroughly human bohemians.
Pat and co-host Kathleen Van De Wille are joined by Opera Omaha’s principal guest conductor, Steven White, and general manager, Allison Swenson. We are grateful for Opera Omaha’s help in our exploration of La Bohème.
Opera Omaha will be performing La Bohème November 13 and 15, 2026.
Ep. 146 Tristan und Isolde by Wagner
Before the story of Lancelot, Arthur and Guinevere, there was another story of a knight who clandestinely loves the wife of the king. With hazy origins at an unclear point in history, this story has been retold …
Shownotes
Before the story of Lancelot, Arthur and Guinevere, there was another story of a knight who clandestinely loves the wife of the king. With hazy origins at an unclear point in history, this story has been retold again and again over the centuries… and never quite so powerfully as in Wagner’s masterpiece, Tristan und Isolde.
This opera, though rightly celebrated for its compositional style and its innovations, is most treasured for its majestically beautiful portrayal of two people helplessly tangled up in an irresistible, impossible love.
Join Pat and co-host Gerald Malone for a deep dive into Wagner’s spectacular Tristan und Isolde.
Gerald Malone’s website, TheRestIsOpera.com is brimming with commentary on opera productions that he has seen around the world, as well as “scuttlebutt” about opera from a delightfully well-informed little dog.
Ep. 145 Parsifal by Wagner
Richard Wagner refused to call Parsifal an opera, but instead considered it a rite of “consecration.” For many years, its performance was restricted to the small German town of Bayreuth: the destination of a …
Shownotes
Richard Wagner refused to call Parsifal an opera, but instead considered it a rite of “consecration.” For many years, its performance was restricted to the small German town of Bayreuth: the destination of a new kind of artistic/religious pilgrimage.
The story itself is somewhat perplexing; both mythic and strangely fragmentary. It is a tale of knights, witches, sorcerers, and one pure innocent fool… all of them engaged in a mystical struggle between good and evil.
It is this cosmic aspiration that has made Wagner’s final operatic composition an enduringly controversial work of art. People adore Parsifal, revile it, groan at the thought of its great length, and celebrate its beauty and power… and often, do so all at once.
Join Pat & Grant & Kathleen for an exploration of the most operatic not-opera ever written.
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 144 Wagner's Lohengrin
Lohengrin is THE quintessential “knight in shining armor” coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress. Swanning in on his mysterious boat, he is a literal answer to her prayers. But though he may be a gift …
Shownotes
Lohengrin is THE quintessential “knight in shining armor” coming to the rescue of a damsel in distress. Swanning in on his mysterious boat, he is a literal answer to her prayers. But though he may be a gift from God, terms and conditions very much apply. Opposing this knight and damsel are an evil sorceress and her hapless husband. Good triumphs over evil in the end, though, as you might have guessed if you’ve ever experienced another Wagner opera, the ending isn’t quite a happy one for the virtuous maiden.
Join Pat & Grant & Kathleen for an exploration of the utterly Romantic, and thoroughly Wagnerian opera.
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep, 143 The Wreckers by Ethel Smyth
Cornwall in the mid-eighteenth century was a remote and isolated region along the southwest coast of Britain, one where a ship and its crew might easily be dashed on the jagged rocks. And sometimes, that …
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Cornwall in the mid-eighteenth century was a remote and isolated region along the southwest coast of Britain, one where a ship and its crew might easily be dashed on the jagged rocks. And sometimes, that catastrophe might be nudged along by missing or misplaced warning lights. The inhabitants who practiced this deception often justified their actions, claiming to be favored by God. Stories of these “wreckers” of ships and a visit to the desolate region fired the imagination of composer Ethel Smyth, leading to the creation of The Wreckers, or Les Naufrageurs, as it was called in its original French.
For over one hundred years Ethel Smyth held the distinction of being the only female composer to have a work (Der Wald) performed at New York’s Metropolitan Opera in 1903. She is not as well-known today as many of her male contemporaries, though she was exceptionally well-regarded in her day. Join Pat and guest co-host Gerald Malone in getting to know this fascinating and talented woman and one of her masterpieces.
Gerald Malone’s website, TheRestIsOpera.com is brimming with commentary on opera productions that he has seen around the world, as well as “scuttlebutt” about opera from a surprisingly well-informed little dog.Ep. 142 Alcina by Handel
A seemingly all-powerful sorceress rules over her own island domain. She enchants not only nature, but also men, who are helpless to resist her charms. And when she does tire of those besotted men, it’s nothing …
Shownotes
A seemingly all-powerful sorceress rules over her own island domain. She enchants not only nature, but also men, who are helpless to resist her charms. And when she does tire of those besotted men, it’s nothing that a transfiguration from man to animal cannot solve. However, downfall is imminent when she truly falls in love with one of the ensnared men. It turns out that this man’s true love is a fearsome warrior woman, whose skills rival those of Charlemagne’s famed paladins. (Big trouble for Alcina!)
This story, like Vivaldi’s Orlando Furioso (Ep. 130), is based on a 16th century epic that is so rich in dramatic detail and power that it has inspired countless works of art in myriad mediums. Alcina is one of the three (!) operas by Handel based on this source material. Join Pat and guest co-host Jeff Counts as we meet this enchanting woman and the characters who surround her.
Jeff Counts is the general manager of the Grand Teton Music Festival and KHOL’s film critic.Ep. 141 Attila by Verdi
Known to history as “The Scourge of God,” Attila was a rampaging conqueror who famously turned aside from the city of Rome after a meeting with the Pope. In this version, Attila is also opposed by a vengeful …
Shownotes
Known to history as “The Scourge of God,” Attila was a rampaging conqueror who famously turned aside from the city of Rome after a meeting with the Pope. In this version, Attila is also opposed by a vengeful slave, a morally flexible Roman general, and a wily and determined warrior woman. Historical? Not so much. But this stunning opera from early-career Verdi, Attila is a work that deserves to be heard and enjoyed, full of exquisite arias, duets, ensembles, choral numbers, and what may be opera’s most expeditious on-stage lead character death.
Hosted by Pat with co-host Grant
Ep. 140 Moby Dick by Jake Heggie
All hands on deck! This episode of Opera for Everyone dives headlong into a leviathan of 21st-century opera: Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick (2010). Adapted from Melville’s classic American novel, this seafaring drama …
Shownotes
All hands on deck! This episode of Opera for Everyone dives headlong into a leviathan of 21st-century opera: Jake Heggie’s Moby-Dick (2010). Adapted from Melville’s classic American novel, this seafaring drama is a gripping operatic meditation on obsession, authority, and the power of friendship. With Gene Scheer’s cinematic libretto and Heggie’s muscular score, the opera captures both the immensity of the sea and the intensity of life aboard the Pequod.
Joining Pat on this voyage is guest Candice M. Kelsey, educator, poet, and Melville enthusiast, who brings a literary lens to the opera’s adaptation. Batten down the hatches and sail with us into operatic waters where the whale is white, the questions are vast, and the music is epic.
For more on Candice Kelsey visit candicemkelseypoet.com
Ep. 139 Le Prophète by Meyerbeer
When an entrenched oligarchy and a cynical revolution go to war with one another, what happens to all the people in the middle? Some may be victimized, others silenced, and yet others swept up in the churn of …
Shownotes
When an entrenched oligarchy and a cynical revolution go to war with one another, what happens to all the people in the middle? Some may be victimized, others silenced, and yet others swept up in the churn of events. In Giacomo Meyerbeer’s Le Prophète, Jean of Leiden finds himself assuming the mantle of prophet and messiah, setting up expectations for himself that he can never fulfil. This epic French Grand Opera, loosely based on a real historical figure who came to be known as “King of the New Jerusalem,” was a spectacular success. However, for many reasons, not least of them the jealousy and resentment from composer Richard Wagner, Meyerbeer is not well-known today. Nevertheless, his works offer many delights, as well as heart-rending drama. Join host Pat, along with guest co-host Gerald Malone for a close look at Meyerbeer’s Le Prophète.
Gerald Malone’s website, TheRestIsOpera.com is brimming with commentary on opera productions that he has seen around the world, as well as “scuttlebutt” about opera from a suspiciously well-informed little dog.
Ep. 138 Rienzi, The Last of the Tribunes, by Wagner
Richard Wagner’s first truly successful opera, set in medieval Rome, sees a young nobleman in love with a young plebeian woman. While this might sound like it’s going to be an operatic love story, it’s quite a …
Shownotes
Richard Wagner’s first truly successful opera, set in medieval Rome, sees a young nobleman in love with a young plebeian woman. While this might sound like it’s going to be an operatic love story, it’s quite a different thing entirely: Grand Opera, Wagner-style. Based on a controversial and visionary historical figure who became a footnote, but aspired to change the face of history, it has soaring music, but this opera is less concerned with romance than the fortunes of a leader trying to accumulate power in order to bring peace and equality to his people.
Hosted by Pat, Kathleen, and Grant
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 137 The Threepenny Opera by Weill and Brecht
Mac the Knife, terror of the London criminal underworld, is a character paradoxically best known to many as the subject of the upbeat, bubbly eponymous 1955, 1959, and 1960 hit single. However, his fictional …
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Mac the Knife, terror of the London criminal underworld, is a character paradoxically best known to many as the subject of the upbeat, bubbly eponymous 1955, 1959, and 1960 hit single. However, his fictional roots go much deeper, to a nearly 300-year old opera called The Beggar’s Opera. From here, Mac’s trail led to 1928’s The Threepenny Opera, by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, that is the subject of today’s episode.
Join Pat and guest Maria Coulter for a conversation about this opera, which is as atypical as it was popular. A classically trained soprano, Maria is able to provide special insights, having performed the role of Lucy Brown in 2022.
Ep. 136 Ravel's L'Enfant et les sortilèges
Can an opera, that most complex of art forms, take you back to childhood? Unlikely though it might seem, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (“The Child and the Enchantments”) does just that through the talents of …
Shownotes
Can an opera, that most complex of art forms, take you back to childhood? Unlikely though it might seem, L’Enfant et les Sortilèges (“The Child and the Enchantments”) does just that through the talents of composer Maurice Ravel and writer Colette. This one-act opera, fantastical though it is, can transport you to all-too-real, seemingly lost memories. Over the course of the story, our nameless child protagonist wrestles with his powerlessness and power, responsibility and dependence, piteousness and pity.
Join host Pat with Erica Miner, the mystery writer, lecturer and former Met Opera violinist, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of French composer Maurice Ravel on this episode of Opera for Everyone.
For more on Erica Miner, visit ericaminer.com
Ep. 135 The Rake's Progress
Which is stronger: the temptations of a shadowy wish-granter, or the love of a virtuous woman? In The Rake’s Progress, Tom’s true love Anne seeks to save him from himself, seeking to unwind the schemes of the …
Shownotes
Which is stronger: the temptations of a shadowy wish-granter, or the love of a virtuous woman? In The Rake’s Progress, Tom’s true love Anne seeks to save him from himself, seeking to unwind the schemes of the literal devil. Yet when the dust settles, it is hard to say who has triumphed… Tom is saved, but it is a messy and piteous sort of salvation.
In the only full opera composed by Igor Stravinsky, powerful supernatural elements are key to the drama, but the characters–archetypal in many respects–become believable individuals given full life by Stravinsky’s shimmering, evocative, and powerful music.
Hosted by Pat and Kathleen
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 134 King Arthur by Henry Purcell
King Arthur stands astride the intersection of history, myth, legend, and politics. In every age of the history of Britain, he is reinterpreted for new audiences and new purposes. When composer Henry Purcell …
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King Arthur stands astride the intersection of history, myth, legend, and politics. In every age of the history of Britain, he is reinterpreted for new audiences and new purposes. When composer Henry Purcell and poet-librettist John Dryden set out to write their opera about Arthur, they did so following a century in which England had seen monarchs rise, fall, be beheaded, exiled, returned in triumph, and driven out in disgrace. King Arthur takes place not in Camelot, but in a world of clashing cultures and ideals. Arthur finds his Britons beset by Saxon invaders, but after his victory, he is able to lead as both peoples transition from fighting one another, to become a stronger people together.
Join us for a close look at this fascinating work or art, and enjoy (in English, of course!) Dryden’s poetry and Purcell’s rich and tuneful music.
Hosted by Pat with guest co-host Gerald Malone.
Gerald Malone’s website, TheRestIsOpera.com is brimming with commentary on opera productions that he has seen around the world, and “scuttlebutt” about opera from a suspiciously well-informed little dog. Gerald Malone is also the Opera Critic of ReactionLife, a UK-based online current affairs and cultural publication.Ep. 133 Semele by Handel
It might at first sound like it would be nice to be the lover of the king of the Olympian gods, attended by divine spirits, and living in a luxurious palace among the clouds. But this happily-ever-after turns …
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It might at first sound like it would be nice to be the lover of the king of the Olympian gods, attended by divine spirits, and living in a luxurious palace among the clouds. But this happily-ever-after turns sour after Princess Semele asks Jupiter for the gift of immortality. After a bit of intrigue amongst the gods–not least among them Jupiter’s resourceful and ruthless wife Juno–disaster strikes the princess Semele and her dreams are reduced to ashes.
An “English opera” from the later career of Baroque master, George Frideric Handel, Semele teems with engaging arias as well as sumptuous choral pieces. Inspired by a tale told by Ovid, Handel and his librettist, William Congreve crafted a work of art that beguiles and entertains supremely.
Hosted by Pat and Kathleen
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 132 Verdi's Aida
The young Aida loves the dashing military commander Radamès, and he adores her with a burning passion.Their mutual love is, however, somewhat complicated by the fact that Aida is a slave, enslaved by a princess …
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The young Aida loves the dashing military commander Radamès, and he adores her with a burning passion.Their mutual love is, however, somewhat complicated by the fact that Aida is a slave, enslaved by a princess who is equally smitten with the heroic warrior. Further complicating matters, Radamès’ military renown is founded on successfully prosecuting a war against Aida’s people. In this violent clash of the personal and political, Aida triumphs in her quest to be together “ever after” with Radamès, but certainly not in the way they had hoped. Join us this episode to marvel at the spectacle and scale of Giuseppe Verdi’s enduringly popular epic opera, Aida.
Hosted by Pat with guest co-host Gerald Malone.
Gerald Malone’s website, TheRestIsOpera.com is brimming with commentary on opera productions that he has seen around the world, and “scuttlebutt” about opera from a suspiciously well-informed canine. Gerald Malone is also the Opera Critic of ReactionLife, a UK-based online current affairs and cultural publication.
Ep. 131 Wagner's Tannhäuser
If you’re going to have a love triangle, why not have a singing knight, a literal saint, and the Goddess of Love herself? Come and enjoy the kind of sweeping, romantic, metaphysical yet dramatic opera that …
Shownotes
If you’re going to have a love triangle, why not have a singing knight, a literal saint, and the Goddess of Love herself? Come and enjoy the kind of sweeping, romantic, metaphysical yet dramatic opera that could only come from the utterly unrestrained Richard Wagner. Evil and good, bondage and freedom, power and love clash cataclysmically, and a legendary story is definitively rewritten.
Hosted by Pat with guest co-hosts Kathleen and Grant
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 130 Orlando Furioso by Vivaldi
Once upon a time, there was a heroic knight, the greatest of Charlamagne’s famed paladins, and his name was Orlando (or Roland, depending on whom you ask.) Among his many heroic deeds and great journeys was …
Shownotes
Once upon a time, there was a heroic knight, the greatest of Charlamagne’s famed paladins, and his name was Orlando (or Roland, depending on whom you ask.) Among his many heroic deeds and great journeys was this: a quest to a magical isle to abduct the headstrong princess Angelica and steal the ashes of Melin (yes, that Merlin). As his failure to win Angelica’s heart leads him down the path to madness, we must ask: is there hope for this broken hero after all?
Antonio Vivaldi, famed composer of The Four Seasons, is not widely known for his operas, however, he composed between 70 and 100 in his lifetime. Join us for a discussion of this treasure of Baroque opera.
Hosted by Pat and Jeff Counts (General Manager of the Grand Teton Music Festival, and KHOL’s film critic)
Ep. 129 Roméo et Juliette by Berlioz
You’ve never heard the story of Romeo and Juliet told like this! Not even if you have listened to the three previous episodes in which Pat and Kathleen discuss three operas based on the enduring tale of the …
Shownotes
You’ve never heard the story of Romeo and Juliet told like this! Not even if you have listened to the three previous episodes in which Pat and Kathleen discuss three operas based on the enduring tale of the “star-crossed lovers,” Ep. 120 Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Ep. 124 Vaccai’s Giulietta e Romeo, Ep. 126 Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi.
Hector Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette is a “dramatic symphony” in which three choirs and three soloists help tell the story of the two iconic lovers, who are themselves voiced by the orchestra. Please join us for our discussion of this magnificent and unusual work.
Hosted by Pat and Kathleen
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 128 Médée (Medea) by Charpentier
What can one woman do, when set against the entire world? Quite a lot, if she happens to be the sorceress Medea. This French Baroque opera written by Marc Antoine Charpentier takes on the ancient tale of …
Shownotes
What can one woman do, when set against the entire world? Quite a lot, if she happens to be the sorceress Medea. This French Baroque opera written by Marc Antoine Charpentier takes on the ancient tale of Medea’s struggle to find a place for herself in the world of mythic Greece’s heroes and kingdoms, which eventually descends into fire, chaos, and death.
Hosted by Pat, with guest host Petria Fossel
Ep. 127 Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg
Can a young man win a wife through a singing competition? He just might, if he’s in Richard Wagner’s romantic comedy (yes, you read that right, “Richard Wagner’s romantic comedy,”) Die Meistersinger von …
Shownotes
Can a young man win a wife through a singing competition? He just might, if he’s in Richard Wagner’s romantic comedy (yes, you read that right, “Richard Wagner’s romantic comedy,”) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg. Young Walter may not be trained in the masters’ techniques, but ultimately his passion wins the hearts of the beautiful Eva, the singing masters, and the people of Nuremberg. Join Pat and guest co-host Gerald Malone for an in-depth discussion of one of Wagner’s most intriguing operas.
Gerald Malone is the Opera Critic of ReactionLife, a UK-based online current affairs and cultural publication.
Ep. 126 Bellini's I Capuleti e i Montecchi
Ill-fated lovers caught up in a world incapable of supporting love not sanctioned by officialdom… it’s a story for the ages. Join Pat and Kathleen for their third look at the Romeo and Juliet story in operatic …
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Ill-fated lovers caught up in a world incapable of supporting love not sanctioned by officialdom… it’s a story for the ages. Join Pat and Kathleen for their third look at the Romeo and Juliet story in operatic form, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, by bel canto master, Vincenzo Bellini. If you haven’t already, we invite you to listen to Episode 120 on Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and Episode 124 on Nicola Vaccai’s Giulietta e Romeo.
Hosted by Pat and Kathleen
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 125 Puccini's Il Tabarro & Erica Miner's Overture to Murder
“Seems an opera house is the perfect place for mischief and mayhem,” says the hard-boiled Inspector Cristina as she seeks to unravel the mystery at the heart of Overture to Murder, the meticulously researched …
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“Seems an opera house is the perfect place for mischief and mayhem,” says the hard-boiled Inspector Cristina as she seeks to unravel the mystery at the heart of Overture to Murder, the meticulously researched third book of Erica Miner’s “Julia Kogan Opera Mystery Series.”
Mayhem and mischief are no strangers to the opera house, both on and off-stage. Join us for a discussion of both Erica’s new book and Giacomo Puccini’s Il Tabarro, a powerful, gritty verismo opera inspired by the dramatic potential of the darker human impulses.
For more on Erica Miner, visit ericaminer.com
Ep. 124 Giulietta e Romeo by Nicola Vaccai
A great story is one that we are never done with, and there are few stories in human history with as many retellings and reimaginings as the epic tale of Romeo and Juliet. Nicola Vaccai wrote this 1825 opera …
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A great story is one that we are never done with, and there are few stories in human history with as many retellings and reimaginings as the epic tale of Romeo and Juliet. Nicola Vaccai wrote this 1825 opera based not on the Elizabethan play, but on the source materials from which Shakespeare drew. Here, the Montagues and Capulets are not merely feuding families, but armies waging war as a part of the titanic power struggles between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy that wracked medieval and renaissance Italy. However, the heart of the story remains the doomed romance between young lovers caught in a maelstrom beyond their control.
This is the second in a (non-contiguous) series in which Pat and Kathleen closely consider the Romeo and Juliet story in opera. For an episode that presents an operatic take on Shakespeare’s play about these famous lovers, please listen to Opera for Everyone, Episode 120.
Hosted by Pat and Kathleen
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 123 Mozart's Idomeneo
Trying desperately to return home alive from the Trojan War, King Idomeneo makes a terrible promise to the sea god from the deck of his storm-ravaged ship. The consequence of his promise is worse than he could …
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Trying desperately to return home alive from the Trojan War, King Idomeneo makes a terrible promise to the sea god from the deck of his storm-ravaged ship. The consequence of his promise is worse than he could imagine, and only after many twists does he achingly find his way to peace. The emotional depth of the characters of Idomeneo gives Mozart ample opportunity to demonstrate his compositional powers in this, his first fully mature and unquestionably successful opera.
Hosted by Pat, with guest co-host Gerald Malone
Gerald Malone is the Opera Critic of the UK online current affairs and cultural publication, ReactionLife.
Ep. 122 Zoroastre by Jean-Philippe Rameau
It’s a battle for the fate of the universe as the Dark Side plots, schemes, and fights to gain dominance over the Light Side. Though this opera predates Mozart’s The Magic Flute by several decades, you may find …
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It’s a battle for the fate of the universe as the Dark Side plots, schemes, and fights to gain dominance over the Light Side.
Though this opera predates Mozart’s The Magic Flute by several decades, you may find echoes here of Mozart’s beloved work, as it is also heavily influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment and the principles of Freemasonry. Jean-Philippe Rameau was the pre-eminent French composer of his day, and close with thinkers such as Voltaire. Rameau’s librettist for Zoroastre, Louis de Cahusac, was the secretary for the Grand Master of the Freemasonry’s Grand Lodge in Paris.
Join Pat and Grant for a deep dive into this grand, mythical story’s cosmic stakes and spiritual resonances.
Ep. 121 Mozart's Die Zauberflöte
Die Zauberflöte (“The Magic Flute”) is, by any measure, one of the most popular, successful, and well-known operas ever written, delighting adults and children alike. Yet experiencing Mozart’s The Magic Flute …
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Die Zauberflöte (“The Magic Flute”) is, by any measure, one of the most popular, successful, and well-known operas ever written, delighting adults and children alike. Yet experiencing Mozart’s The Magic Flute has left countless opera-goers reflecting contentedly on the sumptuous musical feast, but scratching their heads over the plot and characters. With the help of conductor Ben Manis, Opera for Everyone takes a close look at both Mozart’s musical genius and a narrative journey into a fantastical and dreamlike world. In this realm of magic and incarnate forces, we try to discover what can be understood, and what must simply be felt and experienced.
Hosted by Pat and Conductor Ben Manis
Ep. 120 Gounod's Roméo et Juliette
Of all the love stories ever told, none quite compare to the enduring power of Romeo and Juliet. Over four centuries ago, English playwright William Shakespeare crafted a timeless story harnessing both the …
Shownotes
Of all the love stories ever told, none quite compare to the enduring power of Romeo and Juliet.
Over four centuries ago, English playwright William Shakespeare crafted a timeless story harnessing both the powers of profound love and deep hatred, and his tale of “star-crossed lovers” has become an inspiration to countless artists. Two and a half centuries later, French composer Charles Gounod and his librettists took Shakespeare’s play as a starting point, and crafted it into an exquisitely beautiful and heart-rending opera. Join us for an in-depth discussion of how this story plays out as a French grand opéra.
Hosted by Pat and Kathleen
For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.
Ep. 119 Zoraida di Granata by Donizetti
An unscrupulous king pressures a woman to marry him. She resists, knowing her heart belongs to the man who truly loves her, the chief general in the king’s army. Into this love-triangle, toss in a scheming …
Shownotes
An unscrupulous king pressures a woman to marry him. She resists, knowing her heart belongs to the man who truly loves her, the chief general in the king’s army. Into this love-triangle, toss in a scheming underling of the king, a sympathetic maid of the woman, a devoted best friend of the general, and you have all the ingredients for a gripping story. Enhance the whole tale with a magnificent score, and you have a delightful opera, and, in fact, the first fully successful opera by the most prolific composer of the Bel Canto style, Gaetano Donizetti. Though Donizetti composed 70 operas, only a small number of those are regularly staged these days. We invite you to meet Zoraida di Granata, and enjoy an early work from a beloved composer.
Hosted by Pat and Janet
OFE Presents a Brief Conversation with KHOL's Executive Director
KHOL in Jackson WY is Opera for Everyone’s home radio station, and Wyoming’s only community radio station. If you have ever wanted to support Opera for Everyone, please consider supporting KHOL at …
Shownotes
KHOL in Jackson WY is Opera for Everyone’s home radio station, and Wyoming’s only community radio station. If you have ever wanted to support Opera for Everyone, please consider supporting KHOL at 891KHOL.org/donate.
June 15 marks the beginning of KHOL’s summer membership drive.
Thank you everyone!
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