Perhaps best known for its popular Anvil Chorus, Giuseppi Verdi's opera Il Trovatore has dazzled audiences since its premiere in 1853. Its intricate plot and dramatic music have helped it become a staple of the operatic repertoire. In this episode, composer, conductor, and lecturer Victoria Bond guides us through this thrilling work.
Jul 2023
Ep. 224: Expanding the Canon Part III - Foreign Works
On today's episode of The Metropolitan Opera Guild Podcast, we have the last of three episodes exploring how the operatic canon is being expanded, featuring Guild lecturer Matthew Timmermans. In this final episode, he will dive into how the Met’s production of foreign works such ... Show More
1h 9m
Jun 2023
Ep. 223: Expanding the Canon Part II - Star-Studded Revivals
Today, we have the second of three episodes exploring how the operatic canon is being expanded, featuring Guild lecturer Matthew Timmermans. In this episode, he will dive into star-studded revivals
—looking at somewhat unknown operas that are often revived with all-star casts, su ... Show More
1h 4m
Jun 2023
Ep. 222: Expanding the Canon Part I - New Works
On today's episode of The Metropolitan Opera Guild Podcast, we have the first of three episodes exploring how the operatic canon is being expanded, featuring Guild lecturer Matthew Timmermans. In this first episode, he will dive into two new productions that have pushed the bound ... Show More
1h 11m
Dec 2023
'Medea,' by Charpentier (and Druckman)
Synopsis
On today’s date in 1693, a new opera based on an old legend had its premiere performance at the Académie de la Musique in Paris. The new opera was by French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The old legend was that of Medea, the sorceress who murdered her childr ... Show More
2 m
Mar 2021
Introduction to Opera + Mozart, Marriage of Figaro (Part 1)
In the late 16th century, a new art form emerged, borne out of a desire to re-engage with Greek dramas of the past. This art form was incredibly ambitious; it would involve music, words, and dance, all written to entertain court patrons and their subjects. Soon, this new idea had ... Show More
1h 13m
Apr 2024
Puccini victorious
Synopsis
On today’s date in 1926, Giacomo Puccini’s last opera, Turandot, had its belated premiere at the La Scala Opera House in Milan, with Arturo Toscanini conducting. The originally scheduled 1925 premiere had to be postponed, as Puccini had died in November 1924, leaving Tur ... Show More
2 m