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...
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.
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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 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.
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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 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.
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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 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
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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 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.
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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