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

Elektra

February 1, 2026

Richard Strauss

Regina Resnik [Klytämnestra] ** Birgit Nilsson (soprano) [Elektra] ** Marie Collier [Chrystotemis] ** Gerhard Stolze [Aegisth] ** Tom Krause [Orest] ** Tugomir Franc [Der Pfleger] ** Margareta Sjöstedt [Die Vertraute] ** Margarita Lilowa [Die Schleppträgerin] ** Helen Watts (alto) [Erste Magd] ** Maureen Lehane [Zweite Magd] ** Yvonne Minton (mezzo-soprano) [Dritte Magd] ** Jane Cook [Vierte Magd] ** Felicia Weathers [Fünfte Magd] ** Pauline Tinsley [Aufseherin] ** Gerhard Unger [Junger Diener] ** Leo Heppe [Alter Diener] ** Vienna Philharmonic ** Sir Georg Solti (conductor)

  • Tannhäuser

    Episode

    Richard Wagner

    Matti Salminen (bass) [Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Tannhäuser] ** Andreas Schmidt (baritone) [Wolfram von Eschenbach] ** William Pell [Walther von der Vogelweide] ** Kurt Rydl [Biterolf] ** Clemens Bieber [Heinrich der Schreiber] ** Oskar Hillebrandt [Reinmar von Zweter] ** Cheryl Studer (soprano) [Elisabeth] ** Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano) [Venus] ** Barbara Bonney (soprano) [Ein Junger Hirt] ** Margaret Stobart [Erster Edelknabe] ** Jeanette Wilson [Zweiter Edelknabe] ** Ingrid Baier [Dritter Edelknabe] ** Karen Shelby [Vierter Edelknabe] ** Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden [Thüringische Ritter, Grafen und Edelleute ** Edelfrauen ** Ältere und jungere Pilger] ** Philharmonia Orchestra ** Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)

  • Fidelio

    Episode

    Ludwig van Beethoven

    Martti Talvela [Don Fernando] ** Theo Adam (bass) [Don Pizarro] ** James King (tenor) [Florestan] ** Gwyneth Jones [Leonore] ** Franz Crass [Rocco] ** Edith Mathis [Marzelline] ** Peter Schreier [Jaquino] ** Eberhard Büchner [Erster Gefangener] ** Günter Leib [Zweiter Gefangerer] ** Rundfunkchor Leipzig ** Staatskapelle Dresden ** Karl Böhm (conductor)

  • Hérodiade

    Episode

    Jules Massenet

    Cheryl Studer (soprano) [Salomé] ** Nadine Denize (mezzo-soprano) [Hérodiade] ** Martine Olmeda [Une jeune Babylonienne] ** Ben Heppner (tenor) [Jean] ** Thomas Hampson (baritone) [Hérode] ** José van Dam (baritone) [Phanuel] ** Marcel Vanaud [Vitellius] ** Jean-Philippe Courtis [Le Grand Prêtre] ** Jean-Paul Fouchécourt [Une voix dans le temple] ** Chour et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse ** Michel Plasson (conductor)

  • Catone in Utica

    Episode

    Antonio Vivaldi

    Cecilia Gasdia [Cesare] ** Marilyn Schmiege [Marzia] ** Susanna Rigacci [Arbace] ** Margarita Zimmermann [Emilia] ** Lucrezia Lendi [Fulvio] ** Ernesto Palacio [Catone] ** I Solist Veneti ** Claudio Scimione (conductor)

  • Il Pirata

    Episode

    Vincenzo Bellini

    Maria Callas [Imogene] ** Constantino Ego [Ernesto] ** Pier Miranda Ferraro [Gualtiero] ** Glade Peterson [Itulbo] ** Chester Watson [Goffredo (Solitario)] ** Regina Sarfaty [Adele] ** Chorus and Orchestra of the American Opera Society ** Nicola Rescigno (conductor)

  • Manon Lescaut

    Episode

    Giacomo Puccini

    Mirella Freni (soprano) [Manon Lescaut] ** Renato Bruson [Lescaut] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Il Cavaliere Renato Des Grieux] ** Kurt Rydl [Geronte di Ravoir] ** Robert Gambill [Edmondo] ** George Macpherson [L'Oste] ** John Fryatt [Il Maestro di Ballo] ** Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano) [Un Musico] ** Handel Thomas [Sergente degli Arcieri] ** Mark Curtis [Un Lampionaio] ** John Tomlinson [Un Comandante di Marina] ** Paschal Allen [Un Sergente] ** Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ** Philharmonia Orchestra ** Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)

  • Les Huguenots

    Episode

    Giacomo Meyerbeer

    Ghylaine Raphanel [Marguerite de Valois] ** Françoise Pollet [Valentine] ** Danielle Borst [Urbain] ** Richard Leech (tenor) [Raoul de Nangis] ** Gilles Cachemaille (bass) [Le Comte de Nevers] ** Boris Martinovic [Le Comte de Saint-Bris] ** Nicola Ghiuselev [Marcel] ** Jean-Luc Maurette [De Tavannes] ** Christian Jean [De Cossé/Bois Roé/Un Moine] ** Marc Barrard (baritone) [De Thoré] ** Antoine Garcin [De Retz] ** Herve Martin [De Meru/Un Moine/Un Archer] ** Christian Boulay [Maurevert/Un Moine] ** Chours de l'Opéra de Montpellier ** Orchestre Philharmonique de Montpellier ** Cyril Diederich (conductor)

  • Il trovatore

    Episode

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Giorgio Zancanaro [Il Conte di Luna] ** Rosalind Plowright [Leonora] ** Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano) [Azucena] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Manrico (Il trovatore)] ** Evgeny Nesterenko [Ferrando] ** Anna di Stasio (mezzo-soprano) [Ines] ** Walter Gullino [Ruiz] ** Alfredo Giacomotti [Un vecchio zingaro] ** Aldo Verrecchia [Un messo] ** Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia [Seguaci] ** Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia ** Carlo Maria Giulini (conductor)

  • Così fan tutte

    Episode

    Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

    Renée Fleming (soprano) [Fiordiligi] ** Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano) [Dorabella] ** Olaf Bär (baritone) [Guglielmo] ** Frank Lopardo (tenor) [Ferrando] ** Adelina Scarabelli [Despina] ** Michele Pertusi [Don Alfonso] ** London Voices [Soldiers, servants, mariners] ** Chamber Orchestra of Europe ** Sir Georg Solti (conductor)

  • Lo frate 'nnamorato

    Episode

    Giovanni Battista Pergolesi

    Alessandro Corbelli [Marcaniello] ** Nuccia Focile [Ascanio] ** Amelia Felle [Nena] ** Bernadette Manca di Nissa [Nina] ** Luciana D'Intino [Luggrezia] ** Ezio di Cesare [Carlo] ** Elizabet Norber-Schulz [Vannella] ** Nicoletta Curiel [Cardella] ** Bruno de Simone [Don Pietro] ** Luca Bonini [Lo schermidore] ** Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala ** Riccardo Muti (conductor)

  • La Damnation de Faust

    Episode

    Hector Berlioz

    Richard Leech (tenor) [Faust] ** Gilles Cachemaille (bass) [Méphistophélès] ** Françoise Pollet [Marguerite] ** Michel Philippe [Brander] ** Chours de l'Orchestre symphonique de Montréal ** Orchestre symphonique de Montréal ** Charles Dutoit (conductor)

  • Eugen Onegin

    Episode

    Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

    Rosemarie Lang [Larina] ** Mirella Freni (soprano) [Tatjana] ** Anne Sofie von Otter (mezzo-soprano) [Olga] ** Ruthild Engert [Filipjewna] ** Thomas Allen (baritone) [Eugen Onegin] ** Neil Shicoff [Lenski] ** Paata Burchuladze [Fürst Gremin] ** Michel Sénéchal (bass) [Triquet] ** Jürgen Hartfiel [Ein Hauptmann] ** Gunter Emmerlich [Saretzki] ** Rundfunkchor Leipzig ** Staatskapelle Dresden ** James Levine (conductor)