The Wagner Problem: Performance and Programming in the 21st Century

The Wagner Problem: Performance and Programming in the 21st Century

Author: Seattle Opera November 9, 2022 Duration: 1:17:35

Richard Wagner is once again making an appearance on the Seattle Opera stage, renewing questions about the controversial composer's compatibility with contemporary social values. Wagner's objectionable views and dominant position in the opera canon have long vexed opera lovers, prompting some to wonder what role Wagner should play for modern opera companies. 

Join esteemed musicologists and music critics from around the globe as they reflect on the ethics of performing Wagner in the 21st century and envision a more equitable model for classical music. The conversation will address how opera companies might present works by problematic artists, as well as what they can do more broadly to diversify programming. What gets the privilege of being called classical music, and what gets left out of that definition? What role should opera companies play in the cultivation of new music? And how can we find a balance between traditional works and overlooked voices?


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: 100

Seattle Opera Podcast
Podcast Episodes
LAKMÉ Intermission Chat with VISWA SUBBARAMAN [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:28
Viswa Subbaraman will make his Seattle Opera debut next spring conducting FLIGHT. This young American conductor discussed Lakmé, and the operatic tradition of "exoticism"—European artworks using images of non-European pl…
OTELLO Intermission Chat with NAOMI ANDRÉ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:48
University of Michigan professor Naomi André is also Seattle Opera's Scholar-in-Residence. For an intermission feature on "Seattle Opera Mornings on KING FM," she discussed Verdi's OTELLO and its 1967 premiere at Seattle…
ANNA BOLENA Intermission Chat with CARLO MONTANARO [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:58
Italian conductor Carlo Montanaro was in Seattle, working on our fall video version of THE ELIXIR OF LOVE, when he chatted with Seattle Opera General Director Christina Scheppelmann about Donizetti for an intermission fe…
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…