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.

  • 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)
  • Das Rheingold

    Episode

    Richard Wagner

    James Morris (bass) [Wotan] ** Siegfried Lorenz [Donner] ** Janet Baker (mezzo-soprano) ** Siegfried Jerusalem [Loge] ** Ekkehard Wlaschiha [Alberich] ** Heinz Zednik (tenor) [Mime] ** Kurt Moll [Fasolt] ** Jan-Hendrik Rootering [Fafner] ** Christa Ludwig (mezzo-soprano) [Fricka] ** Mari Anne Häggander [Freia] ** Birgitta Svendén [Erda] ** Hei-Kyung Hong [Woglinde] ** Diane Kesling [Wellgunde] ** Meredith Parsons [Flosshilde] ** The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra ** James Levine (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)
  • Le Prophète

    Episode

    Giacomo Meyerbeer

    Marilyn Horne [Fidès] ** James McCracken [Jean de Leyden] ** Renata Scotto (soprano) [Berthe] ** Jules Bastin [Le Comte d'Oberthal] ** Jerome Hines [Zacharie] ** Jean Dupouy [Jonas] ** Christian du Plessis [Mathisen] ** Oliver Broome [Paysan] ** John Noble [Paysan] ** Patricia Clark (soprano) [Paysanne] ** Shirley Minty [Paysanne] ** Ambrosian Opera Chorus ** Boys Choir, Haberdashers' Aske's School, Elstree ** Royal Philharmonic Orchestra ** Henry Lewis (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)
  • 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)
  • La Cenerentola

    Episode

    Gioachino Rossini

    Agnes Baltsa [Cenerentola (Angiolina)] ** Francisco Araiza [Don Ramiro] ** Simone Alaimo [Dandini] ** Ruggero Raimondi (baritone) [Don Magnifico] ** Carol Malone [Clorinda] ** Felicity Palmer (soprano) [Tisbe] ** John Del Carlo [Alidoro] ** Ambrosian Opera Chorus ** Academy of St. Martin in the Fields ** Sir Neville Marriner (conductor)