OPERAWISE: SINGSPIEL

OPERAWISE: SINGSPIEL

Author: Seattle Opera May 6, 2020 Duration: 19:59

In this series of podcasts, Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean gives listeners a taste of nine different types of traditional opera. Singspiel (that's German for SongPlay) mixes songs, dialogues, choruses, and marvelous orchestral writing with fun and fantasy for a lowbrow, family friendly art form—the ancestor of today's Star Wars movies. Mozart's ever-popular Magic Flute is the perfect introduction to Singspiel, as well as one of the most beloved operas ever written. Another wonderful Singspiel, Weber's Der Freischütz, demonstrates the power of this form to send a wonderfully creepy chill down your spine.

Musical examples on this podcast drawn from Seattle Opera productions of The Magic Flute, 2017, conducted by Julia Jones and starring John Moore, Andrew Stenson, and Christina Poulitsi; Der Freischütz, 1999, conducted by Gerard Schwarz and starring Harry Peeters and Gabor Andrasy; Fidelio, 2003, conducted by Gerard Schwarz and starring Jane Eaglen and Kevin Langan; The Flying Dutchman, 2016, conducted by Sebastian Lang-Lessing; also Marschner's Hans Heiling conducted by Ewald Körner (Marco Polo 1992); Fidelio starring Lucia Popp, Adolf Dallapozza, Gundula Janowitz, and René Kollo and conducted by Leonard Bernstein (Deutsche Gramophon, 1978); Der Stein der Weisen, Jane Giering-De Haan and Kevin Deas conducted by Martin Pearlman (Telarc, 1999); and the 1993 EMI recording of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg conducted by Wolfgang Sawallisch.

Stay tuned for one more 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
MACBETH Intermission Chat with GORDON HAWKINS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:39
Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann spoke with baritone Gordon Hawkins as an intermission feature for "Seattle Opera Mornings on KING FM." In addition to discussing Macbeth and several of his other grea…
ROMÉO ET JULIETTE Intermission Chat with SPEIGHT JENKINS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:54
Seattle Opera's current General Director, Christina Scheppelmann, chatted with Speight Jenkins, who led the company for three decades, from 1983 through 2014. Speight is a legend in the world of opera, and as you'll hear…
NORMA Intermission Chat with JANE EAGLEN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:19
Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann spoke with soprano Jane Eaglen as an intermission feature for "Seattle Opera Mornings on KING FM." Eaglen remembers the dramatic circumstances of her Seattle debut, a…
RUSALKA Intermission Chat with PHIL KELSEY [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:29
Phil Kelsey, Seattle Opera's Assistant Conductor, remembered the fantastic fall 1990 Seattle Opera premiere of Rusalka during an intermission chat with Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Kelsey, who had musically prepared several…
Intermission Chat with BALLARD OPERA MAN (aka STEPHEN WALL) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:56
Stephen Wall has sung with Seattle Opera for almost 40 seasons...but this season has brought him additional fame, as "Ballard Opera Man," offering regular outdoor recitals for his neighbors (with room for them to maintai…
NABUCCO Intermission Chat with GORDON HAWKINS [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 17:10
Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann spoke with baritone Gordon Hawkins as an intermission feature for "Seattle Opera Mornings on KING FM." Between Acts 2 and 3 of NABUCCO, Hawkins, who has sung almost a…
VOICEWISE Podcast: The Chorus [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:58
Many of opera's greatest and most overwhelming moments happen thanks to the chorus. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces many of the typical functions of the opera chorus, such as saluting a leader, singing i…
VOICEWISE Podcast: Basses and Bass-Baritones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:31
Come down to the bassment and enjoy the deep sound of the bass and bass-baritone voices with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Basses play dads, priests, kings, old bearded guys, God, and the Devil; they get to be e…
VOICEWISE Podcast: Baritones [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:03
Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces the baritone voice, a sound which celebrates the beauty and power of masculinity. In opera, baritones play clowns and kings, urban sophisticates and unlettered innocents;…
MADAMA BUTTERFLY Intermission Chat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 18:31
Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann spoke with Marketing Director Kristina Murti about the 2017 production of Madama Butterfly as an intermission feature for "Seattle Opera Mornings on KING FM." They di…