Ep. 118 A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten

Ep. 118 A Midsummer Night's Dream by Benjamin Britten

Author: Opera for Everyone May 20, 2024 Duration: 1:58:33

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”  Shakespeare’s iconic "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" gives us some of the Bard’s most memorable (and ridiculous) characters and situations.  Benjamin Britten, together with his partner Peter Pears, so appreciated the merits of Shakespeare’s play that they faithfully adapted the script into a libretto for Britten’s 1960 opera of the same name.

The good-natured story shifts among fairy and human characters and their antics on a midsummer night.  Observing the chaos, Puck, puckish henchman to the fairy king, exclaims, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” True enough, but there’s plenty of entertaining foolishness here from mortals and fairies alike. And, after all, doesn’t love make fools of us all?

Hosted by Pat and Kathleen

For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

 


There’s a particular kind of magic that happens when the curtain rises, but you don’t need a ticket to experience it. Opera For Everyone is a conversation that pulls back the velvet rope, hosted by Pat Wright. It grew from her lively talks with Keely Herron after seeing performances together, sparking a mission to make this grand art form feel like a shared discovery rather than a distant spectacle. Each episode invites a guest co-host into the mix, where the focus is on connection-breaking down stories, history, and the sheer power of the human voice without relying on jargon or pretense. You’ll hear the music itself, of course, those moments where everything soars, but you’ll also find plenty of epiphanies and genuine hilarity along the way. It’s a reminder that opera is about raw emotion and dramatic storytelling, elements that resonate with anyone. Originally broadcast on 89.1 KHOL in Jackson, Wyoming, this radio show found its second life as a podcast, allowing these accessible and enjoyable discussions to reach listeners anywhere, anytime. Tune in and you might just find yourself swept up in a world you thought was meant for someone else.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 139

Opera For Everyone
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 120 Gounod's Roméo et Juliette [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:30
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 prof…
Ep. 119 Zoraida di Granata by Donizetti [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:35
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 t…
OFE Presents a Brief Conversation with KHOL's Executive Director [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 5:52
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. Jun…
Ep. 117 The Fairy Queen by Henry Purcell [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:38
Was it only a dream? Baroque composer Henry Purcell was on his way to establishing a national operatic tradition based on the dramatic and musical traditions of the English, when, alas, his life was cut short after just…
Ep. 115 Berg's Lulu & Erica Miner's Prelude to Murder [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:32
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,…
Ep. 114 Amahl and the Night Visitors [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:27
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…
Ep. 113 L’Italiana in Algeri by Rossini [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:13
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 se…
Ep. 112 The Egyptian Helen by Richard Strauss [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:09:00
“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 mi…
Ep. 111 Tosca by Giacomo Puccini [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:58:35
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…