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.

  • I Vespri Siciliani

    Episode

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Cheryl Studer (soprano) [Elena] ** Chris Merritt [Arrigo] ** Giorgio Zancanaro [Monforte] ** Ferruccio Furlanetto [Procida] ** Gloria Banditelli [Ninetta] ** Ernesto Gavazzi [Danieli] ** Enzo Capuano [Bethune] ** Francesco Musinu [Vaudemont] ** Paolo Barbacini [Tebaldo] ** Marco Chingari [Roberto] ** Ferrero Poggi [Manfredo] ** Coro del Teatro alla Scala [Sicilian men and women, French soldiers] ** Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala ** Riccardo Muti (conductor)
  • Madama Butterfly

    Episode

    Giacomo Puccini

    Mirella Freni (soprano) [Cio-cio-san] ** Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) [B. F. Pinkerton] ** Christa Ludwig (mezzo-soprano) [Suzuki] ** Robert Kerns (baritone) [Sharpless] ** Michel Sénéchal (bass) [Goro] ** Marius Rintzler [Il Bonzo] ** Elke Schary [Kate Pinkerton] ** Giorgio Stendoro [Il principe Yamadori] ** Hans Helm [Il commissario imperiale] ** Wolfgang Scheider [Lo zio Yakusidè] ** Siegfried Rudolf Frese [L'ufficiale del registro] ** Evamaria Hurdes [La madre di Cio-cio-san] ** Erna Maria Mühlberger [La zia di Cio-cio-san] ** Martha Heigl [La cugina di Cio-cio-san] ** Vienna State Opera Chorus [Parenti ed amiche di Cio-cio-san ** Marinai] ** Vienna Philharmonic ** Herbert von Karajan (conductor)
  • Prince Igor

    Episode

    Alexander Borodin

    Constantin Chekerliiksi [Igor Svastoslavich] ** Boris Christoff [Prince Galitsky ** Khan Konchak] ** Todor Todorov [Vladimir] ** Cyril Dulguerov [Eroshka] ** Alexei Milkovsky [Skula] ** Luben Mikhailov [Lovlur] ** Julia Wiener [Yaroslavna] ** Reni Penkova [Konchakovna] ** Radka Gaeva [Nurse] ** Liliana Bareva [Polovtsian Girl] ** Chorus and Orchestra of the National Opera Theatre of Sofia ** Jerzy Semkov (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)
  • 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)
  • La Wally

    Episode

    Alfredo Catalani

    Eva Marton [Wally] ** Francesco Ellero d'Artegna [Stromminger] ** Alan Titus [Vincenzo Gellner] ** Francisco Araiza [Giuseppe, servo di Violetta] ** Birgit Calm [Afra] ** Julie Kaufmann [Walter] ** Michele Pertusi [Il Pedone] ** Bavarian Radio Chorus ** Münchner Rundfunkorchester ** Pinchas Steinberg (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)
  • Louise

    Episode

    Gustave Charpentier

    Beverly Sills (soprano) [Louise] ** Nicolai Gedda [Julien] ** Mignon Dunn [La mère] ** José van Dam (baritone) [La père] ** Éliane Lublin [Irma] ** Christiane Chateau [Camille] ** Sonia Nigoghossian [Élise] ** Marie Bertola [Marguerite] ** Martine Surais [Gertrude] ** Claude Vierne [La première] ** Carla Rutili [Madeleine] ** Mireille Laurent [L'apprentie] ** Elya Weismann [Blanche] ** Maria Mella [Suzanne] ** Martyn Hill [Le noctambule] ** Jacques Mars [Le chiffonier] ** Jean-Jacques Doumène [Le bricoleur] ** Chœur et Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opera de Paris ** Julius Rudel (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)
  • Dardanus

    Episode

    Jean-Philippe Rameau

    Christiane Eda-Pierre (soprano) [Vénus] ** Frederica von Stade (soprano) [Iphise, fille de Teucer (Iphise, daughter of Teucer)] ** Georges Gautier (tenor) [Dardanus, fils d'Electra et Jupiter (Dardanus, son of Elektra and Jupiter)] ** Michaël Devlin (Anténor, roi d'un pays voisin (Antenor, king of a neighboring country)] ** Roger Soyer (bass-baritone) [Teucer, roi de Phrygie (Teucer, King of Phrygia)] ** José van Dam (bass) [Isménor, un magicien] ** Véronique Dietschy (soprano) [Une Phrygienne] ** Hélène Garetti (soprano), Annick Dutertre (soprano), Monique Marandon (soprano), Jean-Philippe Courtis (bass) [Les Songes (Dreams)] ** Chœurs du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris [Ministres, les grands, le peuple (Ministers, princes, and people)] ** Orchestre du Théâtre National de l'Opéra de Paris ** Raymond Leppard (conductor)
  • Mefistofele

    Episode

    Arrigo Boito

    Samuel Ramey (bass) [Mefistofele] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Faust] ** Eva Marton [Margherite ** Sergio Tedesco [Wagner] ** Tamara Takács [Marta] ** Éva Farkas [Pantalis] ** Antal Pataki [Nereo] ** Hungaroton Opera Chorus [Celestial host ** Mystic Chorus ** Cherubim ** Penitents ** Promenaders ** Crossbow Shooters ** Huntsmen ** Students ** Countrymen ** Townsfolk ** Burghers ** Witches ** Warlocks ** Corytides ** Sirens ** Dorids ** Coryphaie ** Warriors ** Hungarian State Orchestra ** Nyiregyházi Boys' Choir ** Giuseppe Patanè (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)