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.

  • Parsifal

    Episode

    Richard Wagner

    James Morris (bass) [Amfortas] ** Jan-Hendrik Rootering [Titurel] ** Kurt Moll [Gurnemanz] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Parsifal] ** Ekkehard Wlaschiha [Klingsor] ** Jessye Norman (soprano) [Kundry] ** The Metropolitan Opera Chorus [Knights of the Grail ** Esquires ** Flower Maidens ** Voice from Above ** Youths and Boys] ** The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra ** James Levine (conductor)
  • Katya Kabanova

    Episode

    Leoš Janáček

    Zdenek Kroupa [Savel P. Dikoi] ** Beno Blachut [Boris Grigorievich] ** Ludmila Komancova [Marpha I. Kabanova] ** Bohumir Vich [Tikhon I. Kabanov] ** Drahomira Tikalova [Katya Kabanova] ** Viktor Koci [Vania Kudriash] ** Ivana Mixova [Varvara] ** Rudolf Zedlicka [Kuligin] ** Eva Hlobilova [Glasha] ** Marcela Lemariova [Feklusha] ** Chorus of the Prague National Theatre [Town-dwellers] ** Orchestra of the Prague National Theatre ** Jaroslav Krombholc (conductor)
  • Motezuma

    Episode

    Antonio Vivaldi

    Vito Priante [Motezuma] ** Marijana Mijanovic [Mitrena] ** Roberta Invernizzi (soprano) [Teutile] ** Maite Beaumont [Fernando] ** Romina Basso [Ramiro] ** Inga Kalna [Asprano] ** Il Complesso Barocco ** Alan Curtis (conductor)
  • Vanessa

    Episode

    Samuel Barber

    Christine Brewer (soprano) [Vanessa] ** Susan Graham [Erika] ** Catherine Wyn-Rogers [The Old Baroness] ** William Burden [Anatol] ** Neal Davies [The Old Doctor] ** Simon Birchall (bass) [Nicholas] ** Stephen Charlesworth [Footman] ** BBC Singers [Servants, Guests, Peasants] ** BBC Symphony Orchestra ** Leonard Slatkin (conductor)
  • Thésée

    Episode

    Jean-Baptiste Lully

    Howard Crook [Thésée] ** Laura Pudwell [Medée] ** Ellen Hargis [Æglé] ** Harry van der Kamp [Ægée] ** Suzie LeBlanc [Cleone] ** Mireille Lebel [Dorine ** Venus ** Une autre Bergere] ** Amanda Forsythe [La Grande Prestresse de Minerve ** Minerve ** Olivier Laquerre [Arcas] ** Marc Molomot [Bachus ** Un Vieillard ** Un Berger] ** Marek Rzepka [Mars ** Un Combattant] ** Aaron Engebreth [Un Plaisir] ** Un Jeux] ** Aaron Sheehan [Un autre Plaisir] ** Un Jeux ** Un Vieillard] ** Yulia Van Doren [Cerés ** Une Bergere] ** Teresa Wakim [Cerés ** Boston Early Music Festival Orchestra and Chorus ** Paul O'Dette & Stephen Stubbs (Musical Directors)
  • Macbeth

    Episode

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Leo Nucci (baritone) [Macbeth] ** Samuel Ramey (bass) [Banco] ** Shirley Verrett [Lady Macbeth] ** Anna Caterina Antonacci [Dama] ** Veriano Luchetti [Macduff] ** Antonio Barasorda [Malcolm] ** Sergio Fontana [Medico] ** Gianfranco Casarini [Servo] ** Gastone Sarti [Sicario] ** Giuseppe Morresi [Araldo] ** Natale de Carolis [Prima apparizione] ** Barbara Briscik [Seconda apparizione] ** Marco Fanti [Terza apparizione] ** Coro del Teatro Comunale di Bologna [Streghe, messaggeri del re, nobili e profughi scozzesi, sicari, soldati inglesi, bardi] ** Orchestra del Teatro Comunale di Bologna ** Riccardo Chailly (conductor)
  • La sonnambula

    Episode

    Vincenzo Bellini

    Joan Sutherland (soprano) [Amina] ** Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) [Elvino] ** Nicolai Ghiaurov (bass) [Rodolfo] ** Isobel Buchanan [Lisa] ** John Tomlinson [Alessio] ** Piero de Palma (tenor) [Notaro] ** Della Jones [Teresa] ** London Opera Chorus ** National Philharmonic Orchestra ** Richard Bonynge (conductor)
  • Hamlet

    Episode

    Ambroise Thomas

    Thomas Hampson (baritone) [Hamlet] ** June Anderson [Ophélie] ** Samuel Ramey (bass) [Claudius, Roi du Danemark] ** Gregory Kunde [Laërte] ** Denyce Graves [La Reine Gertrude] ** Jean-Philippe Courtis [Le Spectre] ** Gerard Garino [Marcellus] ** François Le Roux [Horatio] ** Michel Trempot [Polonius] ** Thierry Felix [Premier Fossoyeur] ** Jean-Pierre Furlan [Second Fossoyeur] ** Ambrosian Opera Chorus ** London Philharmonic Orchestra ** Antonio de Almeida (conductor)
  • Werther

    Episode

    Jules Massenet

    Roberto Alagna (tenor) [Werther] ** Angela Gheorghiu (soprano) [Charlotte] ** Thomas Hampson (baritone) [Albert] ** Patricia Petibon (soprano) [Sophie] ** Jean-Philippe Courtis [Le Bailli] ** Jean-Paul Fouchécourt [Schmidt] ** Jean-Marie Fremeau [Johann Faust] ** Pierre Dupont [Brühlmann] ** Sophie Boulanger [Kätchen] ** James Savage-Hanford [Hans] ** Kirsty Gifford [Gretel] ** Christopher Waine [Karl] ** Sally Cannon [Clara] ** Joel Gunger [Max] ** Sarah Baillie [Fritz] ** Tiffin Children's Choir [Les Enfants] ** London Symphony Orchestra ** Antonio Pappano (conductor)
  • Les Troyens

    Episode

    Hector Berlioz

    Jon Vickers [Enée] ** Josephine Veasey [Didon] ** Berit Lindholm (soprano) [Cassandre] ** Peter Glossop [Chorèbe] ** Heather Begg [Anna] ** Roger Soyer [Narbal] ** Anthony Raffell [Panthée] ** Anne Howells [Ascagne] ** Ian Partridge [Poète tyrien] ** Pierre Thau [Priamus] ** Elizabeth Bainbridge [Hécube] ** Maldwyn Davies (tenor) [Hylas] ** Raimund Herincx [Sentinelle] ** Denis Wicks [Sentinelle] ** David Lennox [Hélénus] ** Wandsworth Boys' Choir ** Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ** Sir Colin Davis (conductor)
  • Die Frau ohne Schatten

    Episode

    Richard Strauss

    Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Der Kaiser] ** Julia Varady (soprano) [Die Kaiserin] ** Reinhild Runkel [Die Amme] ** Albert Dohmen [Der Geisterbote] ** José van Dam (baritone) [Barak, der Färber] ** Hildegard Behrens (soprano) [Baraks Frau] ** Sumi Jo [Die Stimme des Falken] ** Robert Gambill [Die Erscheinung eines Jünglings] ** Alzbieta Ardam [Eine Stimme von oben] ** Eva Lind [Der Hüter der Schwelle] ** Gottfried Hornik (bass) [Der Einäugige] ** Hans Franzen [Der Einarmige] ** Wilfried Gahmlich [Der Bucklige] ** Vienna Boys Choir ** Vienna State Opera Concert Chorus ** Vienna Philharmonic ** Sir Georg Solti (conductor)
  • Die Zauberflöte

    Episode

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Nicolai Gedda [Tamino] ** Gundula Janowitz [Pamina] ** Walter Berry [Papageno] ** Lucia Popp [Königin der Nacht] ** Gottlieb Frick (bass) [Sarastro] ** Franz Crass [Sprecher ** Zweiter Geharnischter ** Zweiter Priester] ** Elisabeth Schwarzkopf [Erste Dame] ** Christa Ludwig (mezzo-soprano) [Zweite Dame] ** Marga Höffgen [Dritte Dame] ** Ruth-Margret Pütz [Papagena] ** Gerhard Unger [Monostatos ** Erster Priester] ** Karl Liebl [Erster Geharnischter] ** Agnes Giebel [Erster Knabe] ** Anna Reynolds [Zweiter Knabe] ** Josephine Veasey [Dritter Knabe] ** Philharmonia Chorus and Orchestra ** Otto Klemperer (conductor)