Opera on WRTI

It's Richard Wagner's transcendent and tragic masterpiece, Tristan und Isolde on WRTI this Saturday at 1 pm. The two lovers will be sung by Canadian tenor Ben Heppner and Swedish soprano Nina Stemme. Patrick Summers conducts.

Did you enter our "Opera Lover's Dream Contest" on WRTI's spectacular Opera Day on November 16th? It was a great day, filled with 12 hours of really wonderful opera programming. The prize package for the contest included subscriptions to select Academy of Vocal Arts and Opera Philadelphia upcoming productions, and lots of must-have opera CDs.

And the contest winner is...Muriel Gordon from Wycombe, PA. Muriel has been a WRTI member since 2009. Congratulations! Brava!

Set in 15th-century northern Spain, Il trovatore tells the story of Manrico, a gypsy troubadour who has fallen in love with the Duchess of Aragon. However, the Count di Luna is also attracted to Aragon, and when he attempts to take her from Manrico, the troubadour takes the count’s life in a duel, not realizing they were brothers, and that his mother Azucena actually stole him from a family of royals many years ago.

Let's have some fun! Which recording of the famous aria "Quando m'en vo" also known as "Musetta's Waltz" is your favorite? Musetta sings the aria in the second act of Puccini's LA BOHEME. Please let us know in the comments section below. Join us for 12 hours of operatic delight on WRTI's Opera Day on November 16th, 6 am to 6 pm - and listen to an archival recording of Puccini's LA BOHEME at 1 pm.

This Saturday, November 16th, WRTI dedicates its programming to opera. The now annual "Opera Day" is a celebration of this grandest expression of music and theater.  WRTI’s Jim Cotter profiles Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato; she's not only one of America’s premiere operatic voices, but also one of the hardiest. 

From the moment she lands on the Algerian coast to rescue Lindoro, her true love, we know the resourceful Isabella is going to outsmart the conniving Mustafà, whose great hope is to find an Italian wife for himself.

Opera lives on the Christina Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware. There, as WRTI’s Susan Lewis reports, audiences experience the power of operatic voices in an intimate setting - uniquely presented by OperaDelaware.

OperaDelaware's next performance, Inside the Opera Studio: Opera Undressed, hosted by OperaDelaware Music Director Jeffrey Miller, guides audiences through an evening of hits, and out of the way gems, in an up-close and personal performance. November 8th at 7:30 pm, and November 10th at 2 pm.