OPERAWISE: OPÉRA COMIQUE

OPERAWISE: OPÉRA COMIQUE

Author: Seattle Opera April 29, 2020 Duration: 18:19

In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Opéra comique, a native French form of lower-brow musical theater, features spoken dialogue, catchy tunes with easy-to-sing refrains, and middle-class values. Many of the opéra-comiques still performed today (including Carmen, The Daughter of the Regiment, and Beatrice and Benedict, as well as opéra-comique derivatives such as Faust and The Tales of Hoffmann) deal, sentimentally or ironically, with a way of life and a value system which now belongs mostly to ancient history.

Musical examples on this podcast drawn from Seattle Opera recordings of Carmen, 2019, conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti; Beatrice and Benedict, 2018, conducted by Ludovic Morlot; Les contes d'Hoffmann, 2014, conducted by Yves Abel and starring Leah Partridge, Alfred Walker, and Tichina Vaughn; La fille du régiment starring Spiro Malas, Monica Sinclair, Joan Sutherland, and Luciano Pavarotti and conducted by Richard Bonynge (Decca 1967); Richard Coeur de Lion starring Michel Trempont and conducted by Edgard Doneux (EMI Classics 1956); and Faust, starring Victoria de los Angeles and Boris Christoff, conducted by André Cluytens (EMI 1953).

Stay tuned for another podcast introducing another kind of opera next week!


Ever wondered how a grand opera production comes together, or what it feels like to stand in the wings just before the curtain rises? The Seattle Opera Podcast pulls back the velvet curtain on this intricate world. From the company that has been a cornerstone of the Pacific Northwest arts scene since 1963, this series offers a genuine backstage pass. You’ll hear directly from the singers, conductors, directors, and designers who bring these powerful stories to life, discussing everything from vocal technique and set construction to the emotional core of a character. Episodes might delve into a beloved European classic one week and a groundbreaking new American work the next, reflecting the company’s dynamic repertoire. This isn't just a lecture about music and drama; it's an immersive audio experience where you can listen to artists explain their craft, hear snippets of rehearsals, and gain a deeper appreciation for opera as a living, collaborative art form. Tune in to this podcast for conversations that are as passionate and detailed as the productions themselves, all brought to you directly from the heart of Seattle's opera community.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 131

Seattle Opera Podcast
Podcast Episodes
OPERAWISE: OPERA BUFFA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:04
In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Opera buffa, the beloved old Italian tradition of opera comedy, is what you get by a…
OPERAWISE: VERISMO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:44
In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Verismo was a late nineteenth-century reaction against the excesses of the great tra…
Opera and Literature: PUSHKIN (Part 2) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:32
Dacia Clay, KING FM Creative Director and host of the Classical Classroom Podcast, chats with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean about Pushkin, the great Russian poet, novelist, and playwright. Pushkin's brilliant wor…
OPERAWISE: MUSIC DRAMA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:57
In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Music Drama was the personal solution to the problems of presenting opera in ninetee…
Opera and Literature: PUSHKIN (Part 1) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:44
Dacia Clay, KING FM Creative Director and host of the Classical Classroom Podcast, chats with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean about Pushkin, the great Russian poet, novelist, and playwright. Pushkin's brilliant wor…
OPERAWISE: BEL CANTO MELODRAMA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:24
In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Bel Canto Melodrama refers to for serious Italian opera from the first part of the n…
OPERAWISE: GRAND OPERA [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:58
In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Grand opera developed in the mid-19th century and centered on performances at the Op…
OPERAWISE: Opera Seria [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:21
In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Opera seria, traditional Italian serious opera, developed in the mid-1600s and laste…
LA BOHÈME 101 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:57
"Men die and governments change, but the songs of La bohème will live forever," wrote Thomas Alva Edison to Giacomo Puccini. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces La bohème, with musical examples from Seattle…
Joshua Stewart shares CHARLIE PARKER'S YARDBIRD with KNKX [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:27
Seattle's jazz community is getting excited about Charlie Parker's Yardbird. Tenor Joshua Stewart, who makes his Seattle Opera debut as Charlie Parker (a role he has now sung in many other cities), visited radio station…