SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8

Metropolitan Opera Broadcast Series: Massenet: WERTHER
Artist's Choice Chosen by Lawrence Brownlee
Alfredo Kraus in a performance from February 3, 1979
Richard Bonynge (Conductor)
Alfredo Kraus (Werther)
Régine Crespin (Charlotte)
Kathleen Battle (Sophie)
Lenus Carlson (Albert) (3 hrs.)

Opera in Iowa: No opera today

Weber, Carl Maria von: Abu Hassan, Overture – London Philharmonic Orchestra/Carl Schuricht (rec 1948) (Decca 483 1643)

Delalande, Michel-Richard: Jubilate Deo – Mieke Van Der Sluis (soprano), Heidi Brunner (mezzo), Gilles Ragon, Ian Honeyman (tens), Bernard Deletre (bass), Nantes Vocal Ensemble, La Grand Écurie et la Chambre du Roy/Paul Paul Colléaux (Erato 2292-45608)

Mahler, Gustav: Symphony No 2 in C minor, Resurrection – Yvonne Kenny (sop), Jard van Nes (mezzo), London Philharmonic Choir & Orch/Klaus Tennstedt (rec 1989) (LPO 0044)
Dowland, John: A Fancy – Paul O’Dette (lute) (Harmonia Mundi HMX 2907162) (2 hrs.)
[Source: Radio New Zealand Limited]

The Opera Show with Mairi Nicolson: No details available (2 hrs.)

RTHK RADIO 4 HONG KONG

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Sunday Opera: No details available yet (3 hrs.)

Bacharian Ich habe genug tolkas av två fantastiska veteraner: barytonen Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau och mezzosopranen Lorraine Hunt-Lieberson. Samma musik - olika temperament!

Husbandet L'arpeggiata ledda av Christina Pluhar hörs i ett av deras publika genombrottsalbum: Los Pajaros Perdidos från 2011 och där hittar vi också den svensk-chilenska mezzon Luciana Mancini.

I övrigt hör vi bland andra Göteborg Baroque ledda av Magnus Kjellson i musik ur Dietrich Buxtehudes kantatcykel Membra Jesu Nostri (Buxwv 75) och Les Arts Florissants spelar Monteverdis musik ur Vesper För Den Heliga Jungfrun: Laetatus sum.

Belgiska B'Rock från Gent spelar Telemanns ouvertyrsvit La Bizarre (Svit Twv 55: G(-Dur) 2).

Detta och mer därtill är ni varmt välkomna till.

P.S. Lyssnaren Johan Bagge hörde av sig till Söndagsmorgon och undrade över flöjten som pojken spelar på målningen ovan. Han håller ju flöjten åt vänster och frågan var om det var vanligt eller om det var för att konstnären skulle få ett bättre ljus i bilden.
Jag blev honom svaret skyldig, men Johan gav sig inte och skrev då till f.d. Musikmuseet - alltså Scenkonstmuseet.
Musikintendenten där, Lars Almgård Kruthof, svarade så här: ”Det stämmer att de flesta som spelar travers spelar högerhänt men det är ett instrument som även passar mycket bra för vänsterhänta. Det finns flera historiska avbildningar från medeltid och framåt där musikerna håller flöjten åt så att säga fel håll. Hur vanligt detta varit är svårt att svara på.” Och Johan Bagge tillägger: ”Blockflöjten på väggen är för högerfattning, de ser man på lillfingerhålet.” (2 hrs.)

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Opera: Florian Leopold Gassmann: L'opera seria
Hudební komedie o 3 dějstvích
Libreto Ranieri de Calzabigi Záznam představení v Teatro alla Scala v Miláně 29.3.2025
Zpívají:
Pietro Spagnoli (Fallito, impresário)
Mattia Olivieri (Delirio, libretista)
Giovanni Sala (Sospiro, skladatel)
Josh Lovell (Ritornello, kastrát)
Julie Fuchs (Stonatrilla, primadona)
Andrea Caroll (Smorfioza)
Serena Gamberoni (Porporina)
Allesio Arduini (Passagallo, baletní mistr)
Alberto Allegrezza (Bragherona, matka Porporiny)
Lawrence Zazzo (Befana, matka Smorfiozy)
Filippo Mineccia (Caverna, matka Stonatrilly)
Hrají členové souboru Les Talens Lyriques a Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala
řídí Christophe Rousset
Připravila Dagmar Henžlíková (2 hrs., 48 min.)

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Oper in fünf Akten
In französischer Sprache
Le docteur Faust - Jonathan Tetelman
Méphistophélès - Kyle Ketelsen
Valentin - Florian Sempey
Wagner - Thomas Mole
Marguerite - Olga Kulchynska
Siebel - Emily Sierra
Marthe - Dshamilja Kaiser
Bayerischer Staatsopernchor
Bayerisches Staatsorchester

Dazwischen:
PausenZeichen
Sylvia Schreiber im Gespräch mit Mitwirkenden (2 hrs.)

Opera, o lume: Nadia Boulanger - Orașul mort
cu: Melissa Harvey, Laurie Rubin, Joshua Dennis, Jorell Williams
Ansamblul "Talea", dirijor Neal Goren (Înregistrare în premieră mondială)
Album în premieră, lansat pe 9 ianuarie 2026, inclus în cadrul proiectului Discurile anului 2026;

Soprana Roberta Mameli - albumul "The Ghosts of Hamlet"
Arii uitate din opere din opere ale barocului italian
(Ansamblul "Le Concert de L'hostel Dieu", clavecinist și dirijor Franck-Emmanuel Comte)
Album în premieră, lansat pe 28 februarie 2025, inclus în cadrul proiectului Discurile anului 2025 (3 hrs.)

Teatro de Ópera: Benjamin Britten e Peter Pears (libreto)
“Sonho de Uma Noite de Verão”
James Bowman contratenor no papel de Oberon;
Lillian Watson, soprano  como Titânia;
John Graham Hall, tenor  como Lisandro;
Della Jones,  mezzo-soprano  como Hérmia;
Henry Herford, barítono  como Demétrio;
Jill Gomez, soprano  como Helena;
Donald Maxwell, barítono  no papel de Bottom
City of London Sinfonia sob a regência de Richard Hickox (3 hrs.)

WWUH
Hartford, Connecticut, USA

Sunday Afternoon at the Opera: We’ve recently had (3 hrs., 30 min.)

RADIO BEETHOVEN
Santiago, CHILE

La Opera: Christoph Willibald Gluck

Orfeo y Euridice
Grabación realizada en 2023
Corresponde a la versión original de 1762, y en ella participa el siguiente reparto:
Orfeo : Jakub Józef Orliński (contratenor)
Eurídice: Elsa Dreisig (soprano)
El dios Amor: Fatma Said (soprano)
Coro y Orquesta Il Giardino d’Amore
bajo la dirección de Stefan Plewniak (3 hrs.)

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The WWFM Sunday Opera: Christoph Willibald Gluck's "Demofoonte"
We've recently had two contemporary operas on the Sunday Opera, but for this week’s program, we’re heading back to the 18th century for an opera that takes place around the 12th century BC in Christoph Willibald Gluck’s “Demonfoonte” or “Demofonte” or a variety of other titles. Based on a very popular libretto by Pietro Metastasio, the opera had its premier in Milan in 1743.

The story is set in ancient Thrace during a “legendary and mythical” time.

King Demofonte (Colini Balzer) asks the oracle of Apollo how long the practice of the annual sacrifice of a virgin will continue. The answer is puzzling: "as long as the innocent usurper sits on the throne."

The nobleman Matusio (Vitoria Prato) tries to protect his daughter Dircea (Sylvia Schwartz) from being sacrificed. He and Demofonte are unaware that Dircea is secretly married to Timante (Aryea Nussbaum Cohen), the older son of Demofonte and the heir to the throne. However, Demofonte wants Timante to marry Creusa (Ann Hallenberg), a princess of Phrygia.

Timante's younger brother Cherinto (Romina Basso) is accompanying her to the kingdom of Thrace, and as often happens in these things, he falls in love with her. When Timante meets Creusa, he admits that he can't marry her but does not explain why, which causes a new set of complications.

Dircea has been caught while trying to flee the country and imprisoned, and Demofonte orders her immediate sacrifice. Timante tries to release her but with no success, and he is also imprisoned. Creusa asks Demofonte for mercy on their behalf, and the king releases Timante and Dircea. After he finds out that Cherinto and Creusa are in love, Timante decides to give up the throne in favor of Cherinto.

Another traditional plot point of Baroque operas occurs in the third act when they suddenly find a letter revealing that Dircea is really the daughter of Demofonte, which makes Timante and Dircea brother and sister. Timante is in despair and tries to avoid Dircea.

Another convenient surprise when a second letter reveals that Timante is the son of Matusio, not Demofoonte, so they aren’t brother and sister. Now, everybody is happy. The marriage of Timante and Dircea becomes legal, and Cherinto is the real crown prince and can marry Creusa, the innocent usurper, Timante has renounced the crown, and no more virgins are sacrificed.

Also in the cast is Nerea Barraondo as Adrasto, a captain of the royal guards. Our conductor is Alan Curtis who not only reconstructed this version of the opera, but he also wrote the recitatives and is leading the ensemble he founded in the 1970s, Il Complesso Barocco.

There will be time for more instrumental music of Gluck after the opera when we’ll hear his Flute Quintet in G major, selection arranged for chamber orchestra from another of his operas, “Orfeo ed Euridice,” and his Symphony No. 2 in G which often goes by the title of ‘Weimarer.” (3 hrs., 30 min.)