Opera at Eight

In addition to the opera excerpts presented throughout the day, WETA VivaLaVoce features a complete opera at 8 pm each day: Opera at 8. These opera performances are taken from the extensive WETA Classical library, ranging from classic recordings to the most recent releases.

Current Episode

Le Cid

December 26, 2024

Jules Massenet

Grace Bumbry [Chimene] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Rodrigue] ** Paul Plishka [Don Diegue] ** Clinton Ingram [Don Arias] ** Theodore Hodges [Don Alonzo] ** Arnold Voketaitis [Le Comte de Gormas] ** Eleanor Bergquist [L'Infante] ** Jake Gardner [Le Roi] ** Peter Lightfoot [l'Envoye Maure] ** John Adams [St. Jacques] ** Byrne Camp Chorale ** Opera Orchestra of New York ** Eve Queler (conductor)

  • Farnace

    Episode

    Antonio Vivaldi

    Max Emanuel Cencic [Farnace] ** Ruxandra Donose [Tamiri] ** Mary Ellen Nesi [Berenice] ** Ann Hallenberg [Selinda] ** Karina Gauvin [Gilade] ** Daniel Behle [Pompeo] ** Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro [Aquilio] ** Coro della Radiotelevisione svizzera, Lugano ** I Barocchisti ** Diego Fasolis (conductor)

  • Beatrice di Tenda

    Episode

    Vincenzo Bellini

    Edita Gruberova [Beatrice di Tenda] ** Vesselina Kasarova [Agnese] ** Igor Morosow [Filippo Maria Visconti] ** Don Bernardini [Orombello] ** Branko Robinsak [Anichino] ** Daniel Sumegi [Rizzardo] ** Wiener Jeunesse-Chor ** ORF-Symphonieorchester ** Pinchas Steinberg (conductor)

  • La Pietra del Paragone

    Episode

    Gioachino Rossini

    José Carreras (tenor) [Giocondo] ** Beverly Wolff (mezzo-soprano) [Marchesina Clarice] ** Elaine Bonazzi [Baronessa Aspasia] ** Anne Elgar [Donna Fulvia] ** John Reardon [Conte Asdrubale] ** Andrew Foldi [Macrobio] ** Justino Diaz [Pacuvio] ** Raymond Murcell [Fabrizio] ** The Clarion Concerts Orchestra and Chorus ** Newell Jenkins (conductor)

  • Falstaff

    Episode

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Renato Bruson [Sir John Falstaff] ** Leo Nucci [Ford] ** Dalmacio González [Fenton] ** Michael Sells [Dr Cajus] ** Francis Egerton [Bardolfo] ** William Wildermann [Pistola] ** Katia Ricciarelli [Mrs. Alice Ford] ** Barbara Hendricks [Nannetta] ** Lucia Valentini Terrani [Mrs. Quickly] ** Brenda Boozer [Mrs. Meg Page] ** Los Angeles Master Chorale [Townspeople, Ford's servants, people dressed as sprites, fairies, witches, etc.] ** Los Angeles Philharmonic ** Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor)

  • Die Fledermaus

    Episode

    Johann Strauss Jr.

    Wolfgang Brendel [Gabriel von Eisenstein] ** Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano) [Rosalinde] ** Tom Krause [Frank] ** Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano) [Prinz Orlofsky] ** Richard Leech (tenor) [Alfred] ** Olaf Bär (baritone) [Dr. Falke] ** Anton Wendler [Dr. Blind] ** Edita Gruberova [Adele] ** Karin Göttling [Ida] ** Otto Schenk [Frosch] ** Vienna State Opera Chorus ** Vienna Philharmonic ** André Previn (conductor)