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Robert Schumann and Franz Liszt each only wrote one opera, and we're showcasing excellent recordings of each on this week's Sunday Opera. Schumann's "Genoveva" is based on the life of Genevieve of Brabant, and Liszt's "Don Sanche, ou Le chateau de l'amour" ("Don Sanche, or The Castle of Love") was reportedly written by Liszt when he was 13 and features Don Sanche's love for Elzire and how a wizard named Alidor who lives in the "Castle of Love" helps him win hers.
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This week's Opera is Berlioz's "Benvenuto Cellini" which has a mostly fictitious libretto even though Berlioz wanted to base it on Cellini's memoirs. The recording comes from the Metropolitan Opera's 2003 production featuring Marcello Giordano in the title Role.
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This week's opera is Meyerbeer's 1856 Work that looks at Peter the Great as he tries to win Catherine for his wife and includes all sorts of trials that are overcome for a happy ending.
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We're turning to the music of Rameau this week and an excellent recording of the 1744 version of "Dardanus" about the trials of the son of Electra and Jupiter (Zeus) as he expands his empire and wins his love.
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This week's Sunday Opera feature Thomas' adaptation of Shakespeare's masterwork, but this one has a moderately happy ending. The opera features Thomas Hampson, June Anderson, and Samuel Ramey. After the opera, we'll hear Thomas' String Quartet No. 1 in E.
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Today's opera is Rameau's second "dance opera" which premiered in 1739. "Les fetes d'Hebe" begins with Cupid helping Hebe escape the machinations of Momus, and they travel to the banks of the Seine to witness three pageants based on Poetry, Music, and Dance. After the opera, we'll hear a performance of the first version of the second act of the opera as well as a ballet written by the 19 year old Vladimir Dukelsky whom Broadway audiences know as Vernon Duke.
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This week's Sunday Opera is featuring Claude Debussy's only opera, 1902's "Pelleas et Melesande." Premiering to wildly mixed responses from audiences and critics alike, it's gone on to be considered by many to be a landmark musical work of the 20th century. This performance features Will Liverman and Sydney Mancasola in the title roles.
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As a part of our Fall Membership Campaign, David Osenberg will be joining host Michael Kownacky this week for a live program sampling operas and performances in various languages.
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We're back at the NCPA again this week for Gaetano Donizetti's wonderful romantic comedy "La Fille du Regiment." After the opera, we'll have more music of Donizetti including the first opera he wrote, "Il Pigmalione."
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This week's Sunday Opera comes from Barcelona and features a production from 2016 of Massenet's "Manon" about the naive young woman who goes astray which results in her untimely death.