Seattle Opera Podcast

Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! Rossini’s cheerful comedy rounds out Seattle Opera’s season in May 2024. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces THE BARBER OF SEVILLE with musical examples drawn from Seattle Opera archival recordings from 1992 (conducted by Edoardo Mueller and starring John Del Carlo and Kevin Langan); 2011 (conducted by Dean Williamson and starring José Carbo, Lawrence Brownlee, Sarah Coburn, and Kate Lindsey); and 2017 (conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti and starring Sofia Fomina, Matthew Grills, Will Liverman, Kevin Glavin, and Daniel Sumegi).

Composer Anthony Davis and Conductor Kazem Abdullah discuss X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X with KING FM's Myah Rose. Coming to Seattle Opera February 24 through March 9, Davis's first opera premiered at New York City Opera in 1986. Kazem Abdullah first discovered the opera when he found a recording at the public library in Toledo, OH, where he grew up, just as Myah Rose was intrigued when she found a recording at the University of Michigan. Abdullah, who conducted Davis's Pulitzer Prize-winning opera The Central Park Five in Portland recently, has also conducted performances of X in Detroit and New York's Metropolitan Opera. He and Davis discuss the challenges and rewards of this important American work.

Enjoy this sample-platter of music and voices from Seattle Opera’s 2024/25 season. Dramaturg Jonathan Dean and Aren Der Hacopian, Director of Artistic Administration and Planning introduce a mainstage season including Pagliacci (Aug ‘24), Jubilee (World Premiere, Oct ’24), Les Troyens à Carthage in concert (Jan ’25) The Magic Flute (Feb/Mar ’25) and Tosca (May ’25). Musical clips include tenor Diego Torre (Canio in Pagliacci at Lyric Opera Kansas City); Monica Conesa (Seattle’s Nedda, here singing “Casta diva” in Jordan last year); spirituals from Jessye Norman & Kathleen Battle, Paul Robeson, and Marion Anderson; the Les Troyens Act 4 ballet played by the Strasbourg Philharmonic; J’nai Bridges (Delilah in Seattle in 2023); Russell Thomas (Otello at Canadian Opera Company in 2019); Duke Kim (La traviata’s Alfredo in Seattle in 2023); Rodion Pogossov (Belcore in Elixir of Love in Seattle in 2022); Sharleen Joynt (Morgana in Alcina in Seattle in 2023); Vanessa Goikoetxea (Alcina in Seattle in 2023); and Lianna Haroutounian (Cio-Cio San in Madame Butterfly in Seattle in 2017).

ALCINA, opening October 14, will be only the fourth-ever Handel opera given at Seattle Opera. General Director Christina Scheppelmann, stage director Tim Albery, and conductor Christine Brandes discuss this great opera composer, and the rebirth of interest in his work, with Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Starting about 19 minutes in, all three share favorite music from Handel operas. Musical excerpts include singing “Va, tacito” from Giulio Cesare (Marijana Mijanovic and Les Musiciens du Louvre conducted by Mark Minkowski); “Vivo in te” from Tamerlano (Karina Gauvin and Max Emanuel Cenčić, with Il pomo d’oro conducted by Ricardo Minasi); “Piangerò” from Giulio Cesare (Sabine Devieilhe and Pygmalion, conducted by Raphael Pichon); “Cara speme” from Giulio Cesare (Anne Sofie von Otter and Les Musiciens du Louvre conducted by Mark Minkowski); “Se pietà” from Giulio Cesare (Sabine Devieilhe and Pygmalion, conducted by Raphael Pichon); “L’empio, sleale, indegno” from Giulio Cesare (Brian Asawa, the Seattle Opera orchestra conducted by Gary Thor Wedow); “Dopo notte” from Ariodante (Lorraine Hunt and the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra conducted by Nicholas McGegan); “Son nata a lagrimar” from Giulio Cesare (Bernarda Fink and Marianne Rørholm, with Concerto Köln conducted by René Jacobs); and a passage from “L’Allegro, il Penseroso, ed il Moderato” (Paul McCreesh conducted the Gabrieli Consort and Players).

Meet the characters and explore the rich vocal history of DAS RHEINGOLD with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. With recorded music examples ranging from 1904 to 2015, Dean considers how DAS RHEINGOLD challenges its singers to feats of lyrical and heroic singing—and even listens for the dreaded “Bayreuth Bark.” Includes special examples from Seattle Opera’s 1976 English-language RING, plus “tag-team” musical examples—where switching singers mid-aria offers an opportunity to hear even more amazing voices. Musical credits: 100 Jahre Bayreuth als Schallplate, the Early Festival Singers: Anton von Rooy (Wotan), 1908; Hans Breuer (Mime), (1904); Ernestine Schumann-Heink (Erda), 1907. Les Introuvables du Chant Wagnerien: Friedrich Schorr (Wotan), 1929. 1953 Bayreuth; Clemens Krauss conducts Ludwig Weber (Fasolt), Josef Greindl (Fafner), Erich Witte (Loge), Hermann Uhde (Donner), Paul Kuen (Mime). 1953, RAI Roma; Wilhelm Furtwängler conducts Lorenz Fehenberger (Froh). 1976, Seattle Opera; Henry Holt conducts Malcolm Rivers (Alberich) and Noel Tyl (Wotan) singing Andrew Porter’s English translation. 1978, Covent Garden; Colin Davis conducts George Shirley (Loge). 1989, Bayerische Staatsoper; Wolfgang Sawallisch conducts Nancy Gustafson (Freia), Kurt Moll (Fafner), Marjana Lipovsek (Fricka), Julie Kaufmann (Woglinde), Angela Maria Blasi (Wellgunde), and Birgit Calm (Flosshilde). 1991, Bayreuth; Daniel Barenboim conducts John Tomlinson (Wotan), Matthias Hölle (Fasolt), and Helmut Pampuch (Mime). 1995, Seattle Opera; Hermann Michael conducts Monte Pederson (Wotan). 2013, Seattle Opera; Asher Fisch conducts Greer Grimsley (Wotan), Stephanie Blythe (Fricka), and Dennis Peterson (Mime). 2015, Hong Kong Philharmonic; Jaap van Zweden conducts Kwangchul Youn (Fasolt), Stephen Milling (Fafner), and Kim Begley (Loge).

In June Seattle Opera presents BOUND, a one-act chamber opera (music by Huang Ruo, libretto by Bao-Long Chu). This opera features Vanessa Vo playing đàn bầu (monochord) and đàn tranh (Vietnamese zither). In this podcast, Vo demonstrates and discusses these instruments with Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Plus, as a bonus: Vo’s performance, on the đàn bầu of “Summertime” from Gershwin’s PORGY AND BESS, arranged by Nguyen Le, with Frank Martin at the piano. This performance was chosen as one of NPR’s Songs We Love in 2015.

In this conversation Briq House and Moonyeka share their perspective on Seattle Opera’s La traviata. Speaking with Gabrielle Nomura Gainor, the two sex-positive artists and community leaders discuss the "fallen woman" archetype in Verdi's opera, the joy and challenges surrounding sex work—and other politics of pleasure for women and femmes–particularly QTBIPOC (Queer, Trans, Black, Indigenous People of Color). Briq House has been featured in The Seattle Times, Time Magazine, and on the cover of The Stranger. She was honored in the Top 50 Most Influential Burlesque Performers in the World List (21st Century Burlesque Magazine). Moonyeka is a nonbinary Filipinx interdisciplinary artist who provides sacred, erotic, healing spaces. With roots in street-styles dance (including Tutting and Popping), you may have seen them on the award-winning film series, If Cities Could Dance. Learn more at msbriqhouse.com and instagram.com/m00nyeka. Notes: This conversation includes a candid discussion of human sexuality, sex work, and pleasure.

After our world-premiere performances of A THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS in February and March, audiences stayed to discuss the show with cast, crew, and staff. Hear highlights from those post-show Q&As. In addition to audience members, voices include those of Christina Scheppelmann (General Director), Khaled Hosseini (novelist), Sheila Silver (composer), Tess Altiveros (Nana/Woman #1/Wajma), Martin Bakari (Jalil/Wakil/Guard), Viswa Subbaraman (Conductor), Humaira Gilzai (Afghan Cultural Consultant), Ibidunni Ojikutu (Wife #2/Woman #2), John Moore (Rasheed), Rafael Moras (Tariq), Andrew Potter (Mullah/Sharif/Soldier), Sarah Coit (Wife #3/Fariba), Sarah Mattox (Wife #1/Woman #3), Ashraf Sewailam (Driver/Hakim), Karin Mushegain (Mariam), and Roya Sadat (Director).

Seattle Opera scholar-in-residence Dr. Naomi André, explores issues of orientalism, cultural representation, and musical exoticism in opera. French composer Camille Saint-Saëns wrote his biblical epic Samson and Delilah (1877) at a time when European powers were aggressively pursuing imperial expansion. As part of the cultural project of colonialism, Europe’s artists became fascinated with the representation of non-European peoples, frequently turning to caricatures and stereotypes to justify European incursions. Such orientalist portrayals present numerous challenges when presenting these works in the 21st century. When does inspiration become exploitation? Who gets to tell stories about whom? And what happens when issues of gender, religious belief, and nation intersect with the power dynamics that underlie these works?

Figaro! Figaro! Figaro! Rossini’s cheerful comedy rounds out Seattle Opera’s season in May 2024. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces THE BARBER OF SEVILLE with musical examples drawn from Seattle Opera archival recordings from 1992 (conducted by Edoardo Mueller and starring John Del Carlo and Kevin Langan); 2011 (conducted by Dean Williamson and starring José Carbo, Lawrence Brownlee, Sarah Coburn, and Kate Lindsey); and 2017 (conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti and starring Sofia Fomina, Matthew Grills, Will Liverman, Kevin Glavin, and Daniel Sumegi).

In 1986 composer Anthony Davis and librettist Thulani Davis created an opera about the civil rights activist, with a story by Christopher Davis. The revised version comes to Seattle for the first time in winter/spring 2024, in a co-production shared with Detroit Opera, Opera Omaha, the Metropolitan Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces X: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MALCOLM X 101, with musical examples from from the 2022 Boston Modern Orchestra Project recording of the opera conducted by Gil Rose and starring Davone Tines, Whitney Morrison, Ronnita Miller, Victor Robertson, Joshua Conyers, and Jonathan Harris. Special thanks to Glenn Hare.

In Fall 2023 Seattle Opera will present Handel’s ALCINA, a magical opera seria about the vagaries of love, attraction, and gender. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces Handel operas and ALCINA, with musical examples from recital albums by Andreas Scholl and Sarah Connolly as well as recordings of ALCINA dating from 1959 (conducted by Ferdinand Leitner and starring Joan Sutherland); from 1962 (conducted by Richard Bonynge and starring Sutherland, Teresa Berganza, Monica Sinclair, and Luigi Alva); and 1999 (conducted by William Christie and starring Renee Fleming, Susan Graham, Kathleen Kuhlmann, Timothy Robinson, and Natalie Dessay).

The introductory first opera of Wagner’s RING cycle is a unique and fascinating work in its own right: both a lively fantasy and a trenchant satirical allegory. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces DAS RHEINGOLD, with musical examples from previous Seattle Opera productions including 1977 (conducted by Henry Holt and starring Malcolm Rivers), 1995 (conducted by Hermann Michael and starring Julian Patrick), 2005 (conducted by by Robert Spano and starring Ewa Podles), and 2013 (conducted by Asher Fisch and starring Mark Schowalter). Special thanks to Alex Minami.

Seattle Opera subscriber Dr. Chris Rebholz, a practicing Buddhist, discusses Wagner’s Tristan with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. Fascinated by Buddhism when he wrote Tristan und Isolde, Wagner created an opera all about compassion, karma, desire, enlightenment, and the difficulty of reconciling both conventional and ultimate reality (aka “Day vs. Night”). Dr. Rebholz teaches adult classes on Buddhism at Seattle’s Sakya Monastery of Tibetan Buddhism. A clinical and forensic psychologist, in private practice, who specializes in evaluating neurodiverse adults for healthcare and the courts, she teaches corporate seminars on neurodiversity as well as continuing legal education on issues of mental health and the law. Musical examples from Seattle Opera’s 2022 Tristan und Isolde starring Mary Elizabeth Williams, Ryan McKinney, and Amber Wagner and conducted by Jordan de Souza.

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?

Join us for a conversation with Kira Thurman, author of Singing Like Germans: Black Musicians in the Land of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms, and Seattle Opera scholar-in-residence Dr. Naomi André. Drawing on her experience as a classically trained pianist who grew up in Vienna, Austria, Thurman traces the sweeping story of Black musicians performing in Germany and Austria over more than a century. As musicians like Marian Anderson and Grace Bumbry broke barriers on stage and in concert halls, they found opportunities in German-speaking Europe that were denied to them in the Jim Crow-era U.S. In doing so, they also challenged categories of Blackness and Germanness and complicated the public's understanding of how music is tied to racial and national identity.

American soprano Mary Elizabeth Williams, beloved in Seattle for performances such as Tosca, Abigaille in NABUCCO, and Serena in PORGY AND BESS, just made her role debut as Isolde, the first time she’s ever sung a Wagner opera. She discussed the character, the singing, and her two-and-a-half year journey towards this achievement with Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean. This podcast features clips of Williams singing Tosca (conducted by Julian Kovatchev) and “Pace, pace, mio Dio” from LA FORZA DEL DESTINO (conducted by Carlo Montanaro), as well as Amber Wagner singing Brangäne in TRISTAN (conducted by Jordan de Souza).

Annegret Oehme, Associate Professor of German Studies at the University of Washington, discusses TRISTAN UND ISOLDE with Jonathan Dean. Wagner’s inspiration for this amazing opera was the 12th century poem by Gottfried von Straßburg, a classic of medieval German literature. Wagner built on Gottfried’s timeless tale of impossible, frenzied love: some elements (such as the love potion) he transposes directly into opera, others he discards (the fight with the dragon), others he repurposes (the white and black flags). Minnelied example courtesy of Studio der Frühen Musik. Special thanks to Meg Stolz and Dennis Robinson, Jr.

Sopranos Tess Altiveros and Shelly Traverse both have lots of Seattle Opera credits: mainstage productions (Tess sang Giannetta in this summer’s ELIXIR OF LOVE; Shelly was Chan in CHARLIE PARKER’S YARDBIRD and Hero in BEATRICE AND BENEDICT), chamber operas (ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE, THE FALLING AND THE RISING, THE COMBAT), and much, much more. Tess was even in the Children’s Chorus in the ‘90s. For ELIXIR, they were also understudies; Tess covered Salome Jicia (our Adina), and Shelly covered Tess! For our ELIXIR radio broadcast intermission, these two gifted performers discussed this summer’s opera and some of the many other ways they have--and will continue to--contribute to Seattle Opera.

Verdi’s masterpiece returns to Seattle Opera May 2023. Initially this sumptuous, tuneful, utterly human tragedy sparked controversy, but it quickly became one of the world’s most beloved operas. Seattle Opera Dramaturg Jonathan Dean introduces La traviata, with musical examples from previous Seattle Opera productions including 1996 (conducted by Gerard Schwarz and starring Gordon Hawkins and Lauren Flanigan), 2009 (conducted by Brian Garman and starring Francesco Demuro and Eglise Guttierez), and 2016 (conducted by Stefano Ranzani and starring Angel Blue).