Classical WETA Opera House

Saturdays on Classical WETA 90.9 FM

Classical WETA is Washington's home for opera year round.

Classical WETA is Washington's home for opera year round. From December through May, experience the power and passion of the Metropolitan Opera. The rest of the year features performances from leading opera houses around the world, including Washington National Opera.

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Upcoming broadcasts

Pelléas et Mélisande

Saturday, January 19, 2019 - 12:30pm

Composer:

CLAUDE DEBUSSY

Conductor:

Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Debussy’s only completed full-length opera features a constantly shifting palette of tones and colors (with very little expository recitative and no conventional arias). The score is a perfect musical reflection of the story’s ambiguity and symbolism, and its sensuous vocal lines and ravishing orchestral writing easily cast a spell on audiences who especially enjoy listening beyond standard operatic techniques.

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Marnie

Saturday, January 26, 2019 - 1:00pm

Composer:

NICO MUHLY

Conductor:

Robert Spano

Marnie is a musical-dramatic vision of a troubled character within a flawed society. In adapting Winston Graham’s 1961 novel for the stage, Nico Muhly has composed a score that is simultaneously rooted in lyric tonality and highly innovative techniques, reflecting his deep interest in both ancient musical forms and genuinely new expressions of them.

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Previous broadcasts

Adriana Lecouvreur

Saturday, January 12, 2019 - 1:00pm

Composer:

FRANCESCO CILEA

Conductor:

Gianandrea Noseda

Adriana Lecouvreur is a deft combination of frank emotionalism, flowing melody, and pseudo-historical spectacle.

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Otello

Saturday, January 5, 2019 - 1:00pm

Composer:

GIUSEPPE VERDI

Conductor:

Gustavo Dudamel

Often cited as Italian opera’s greatest tragedy, Otello is a miraculous union of music and drama, a masterpiece as profound philosophically as it is thrilling theatrically. And while all three lead roles are demanding, the title character in particular requires an astounding natural instrument capable of both powerful and delicate sounds, superb musical intelligence, and impressive acting abilities.

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