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

Zoroastre (Tragédie en musique)

March 13, 2026

Jean-Philippe Rameau

Mark Padmore (haute-contre) [Zoroastre, instituteur des Mages (Zoroaster, founder of the Magi)] ** Nathan Berg (bass) [Abramane, Grand Prêtre d'Ariman (Abramane, High Priest of Ariman)] ** Gaëlle Méchaly (soprano) [Amélite, héritière présomptive du trône de la Bactriane (presumptive heiress to the throne of Bactria)] ** Anna Maria Panzarella (soprano) [Érinice, princesse du sang des rois de la Bactriane (princess of the blood of kings of Bactria)] ** Matthieu Lécroart (bass) [Zopire, prêtre d'Ariman (priest of Ariman)] ** François Bazola (bass) [Narbanor, prêtre d'Ariman (priest of Ariman)] ** Éric Martin Bonnet (bass) [Oromasès. roi des Génies (king of the Genii)] ** Stéphanie Révidat (soprano) [Céphie, jeune Bactrienne de la Cour d'Amélite (Bactrian girl of Amélite's court)] ** Matthieu Lécroart (bass) [La Vengeance] ** Éric Martin Bonnet (bass) [Ariman (voix souterraine)] ** Chœur des Arts Florissants [Jeunes Bactriens et Bactriennes ** Furies ** Esprits des Éléments ** Démons ** Esprits infernaux ** Troupes différentes de peuples (peoples of various natinos) ** Montagnards (mountain dwellers) ** Prêtres (priests)] ** Les Arts Florissants ** William Christie (conductor)

  • Adriana Lecouvreur

    Episode

    Francesco Cilea

    Renata Scotto (soprano) [Adriana Lecouvreur] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Maurizio] ** Sherill Milnes [Michonnet] ** Elena Obraztsova (mezzo-soprano) [La Principessa di Bouillon] ** Giancarlo Luccardi [Il Principe di Bouillon] ** Florindo Andreoli [L'Abate di Chazeuil] ** Lillian Watson [Mlle. Jouvenot] ** Anne Murray (mezzo-soprano) [Mlle. Dangeville] ** Paul Crook [Poisson] ** Paul Hudson [Quinault] ** Paul Crook [Un Maggiordomo] ** Ambrosian Opera Chorus ** Philharmonia Orchestra ** James Levine (conductor)

  • Medea

    Episode

    Luigi Cherubini

    Maria Callas [Medea] ** Renata Scotto (soprano) [Glauce] ** Miriam Pirazzini [Neris] ** Mirto Picchi [Giasone] ** Giuseppe Modesti [Creonte] ** Lidia Morimpietri [Prima ancella] ** Elvira Galassi [Seconda ancella] ** Alfredo Giacomotti [Capo delle guardie] ** Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala ** Tullio Serafin (conductor)

  • Ariadne auf Naxos

    Episode

    Richard Strauss

    Anna Tomowa-Sintow [Primadonna/Ariadne] ** Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano) [The Composer] ** Kathleen Battle (soprano) [Zerbinetta] ** Gary Lakes [The Tenor/Bacchus] ** Hermann Prey (baritone) [A Music Master] ** Otto Schenk [The Major-domo] ** Ewald Aichberger [An Officer] ** Heinz Zednik (tenor) [A Dancing Master] ** Günter von Kannen [A Wig-Maker] ** Alfred Sramek [A Footman] ** Urban Malmberg (bass) [Harlequin] ** Josef Protschka (tenor) [Scaramouche] ** Kurt Rydl [Truffaldino] ** Hans Sojer [Brighella] ** Barbara Bonney (soprano) [Naiad] ** Helga Müller Molinari [Dryad] ** Dawn Upshaw (soprano) [Echo] ** Vienna Philharmonic ** James Levine (conductor)

  • Titon et l'Aurore

    Episode

    Jean-Joseph Cassanéa de Mondonville

    Jean-Paul Fouchécourt [Titon] ** Catherine Napoli [L'Aurore] ** Philippe Huttenlocher [Prométhée] ** Jennifer Smith (soprano) [Palès] ** Anne Monoyios (soprano) [L'Amour] ** Ensemble Vocal Françoise Herr ** Les musiciens du Louvre ** Marc Minkowski (conductor)

  • Tiefland

    Episode

    Eugen d'Albert

    Paul Schöffler [Sebastino] ** Oskar Czerwenka [Tommaso] ** Gré Brouwenstijn [Marta] ** Judith Hellwig [Pepa] ** Ruth Nixa [Antonia] ** Kerttu Metsälä [Rosalia] ** Dodi Protero [Nuri] ** Eberhard Wächter [Moruccio] ** Hans Hopf [Pedro] ** Waldemar Kmentt [Nando] ** Vienna State Opera Chorus ** Vienna Symphony Orchestra ** Rudolf Moralt (conductor)

  • L'italiana in Algeri

    Episode

    Gioachino Rossini

    Ruggero Raimondi (baritone) [Mustafà] ** Patrizia Pace [Elvira] ** Anna Gonda [Zulma] ** Alessandro Corbelli [Haly] ** Frank Lopardo (tenor) [Lindoro] ** Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano) [Isabella] ** Enzo Dara [Taddeo] ** Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus ** Vienna Philharmonic ** Claudio Abbado (conductor)

  • Dalibor

    Episode

    Bedřich Smetana

    Ivan Kusnher [Vladislav] ** Leo Marian Vodicka [Dalibor] ** Vratislav Kriz [Budivoj] ** Jiri Kalendovsky [Benes] ** Miroslav Kopp [Vítek] ** Eva Urbanová [Milada] ** Jirina Markova [Jitka] ** Bohuslav Marsik [Judge] ** Chorus of the Prague National Theatre ** Orchestra of the Prague National Theatre ** Zdenek Kosler (conductor)

  • Samson et Dalila

    Episode

    Camille Saint-Saëns

    Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Samson] ** Waltraud Meier (mezzo-soprano) [Dalila] ** Alain Fondary [Le Grand-Prêtre de Dagon] ** Jean-Philippe Courtis [Abimelech] ** Samuel Ramey (bass) [Un Vieillard Hébreu] ** Christian Papis [Un Messager Philistin] ** Daniel Galvez Vallejo [Premier Philistin] ** François Harismendy [Deuxiéme Philistin] ** Chœurs et Orchestre de l'Opéra-Bastille ** Myung-Whun Chung (conductor)

  • Giustino

    Episode

    George Frideric Handel

    Michael Chance (alto) [Giustino] ** Dorothea Röschmann (soprano) [Arianna] ** Dawn Kotoski [Anastasio] ** Juliana Gondek [Fortuna] ** Dean Ely [Polidarte] ** Jennifer Lane (mezzo-soprano) [Leocasta] ** Mark Padmore (tenor) [Vitaliano] ** Drew Minter [Amanzio] ** Dean Ely [Voce di Dentro] ** kammerchor cantamus halle ** Freiburg Baroque Orchestra ** Nicholas McGegan (conductor)

  • Roland

    Episode

    Jean-Baptiste Lully

    Nicolas Testé [Roland] ** Anna-Maria Panzarella [Ang!lique] ** Olivier Dumait [Médor] ** Monique Zanetti [Témire] ** Robert Getchell [Astolfe] ** Saomé Haller [La fée principale, Logistille] ** Evgueniy Alexiev [Ziliante ** Demogorgon ** Un suivant d'Angélique] ** Emiliano Gonzalez-Toro [Un insulaire ** Tersandre] ** Anders. J. Dahlin [Un insulaire ** Un suivant d'Angélique ** Coridon, un pâtre]] ** Marie-Hélène Essade [Un amante contente ** Une suivante d'Angélique ** Une postourelle] ** Delphine Gillot [Une suivante d'Angélique ** Une amante contente, La Gloire] ** Les Talens Lyriques ** Christophe Rousset (conductor)

  • Maria Stuarda

    Episode

    Gaetano Donizetti

    Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano) [Elisabetta, Regina d'Inghilterra] ** Edita Gruberova [Maria Stuarda, Regina di Scozia] ** Iris Vermillion (mezzo-soprano) [Anna Kennedy] ** Francisco Araiza [Roberto, Conte di Leicester] ** Simone Alaimo [Lord Guglielmo Cecil] ** Francesco Ellero d'Artegna [Giorgio Talbot, Conte di Shrewsbury] ** Bavarian Radio Chorus ** Munich Radio Orchestra ** Giuseppe Patanè (conductor)

  • Lohengrin

    Episode

    Richard Wagner

    Kurt Moll [Heinrich der Vogler (Henry the Fowler)] ** Siegfried Jerusalem [Lohengrin] ** Cheryl Studer [Elsa von Brabant] ** Hartmut Welker [Friedrich von Telramund] ** Waltraud Meier [Ortrud] ** Andreas Schmidt [The King's Herald] ** Bojidar Nikolov [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Franz Kasemann [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Claudio Otelli [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Peter Koves [Nobleman of Brabant] ** Amy-Linda Domaracki [Page] ** Ingrid Sieghart [Page] ** Senta Fischer [Page] ** Elisabeth Mach [Page] ** Vienna State Opera Chorus [Saxon and Thuringian counts and nobles ** Brabantine counts and nobles, noblewomen, pages, vassals, ladies, serfs] ** Vienna Philharmonic ** Claudio Abbado (conductor)