Opera on 3
Programme presenting rare and fascinating performances and vividly communicating the immediacy of the live experience
Opera on 3 - Birtwistle's Punch and Judy
Edward Gardner conducts Harrison Birtwistle's controversial modernist opera, with bass Andrew Shore and mezzo-soprano Lucy Schaufer in the title roles.
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Opera on 3 - Birtwistle's The Minotaur
In a performance given at Covent Garden, Antonio Pappano conducts the world premiere of Harrison Birtwistle's latest opera, based on a classic Greek myth.
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Opera on 3 - Bizet's Carmen
Bizet's Carmen: Petroc Trelawny introduces the controversial new production of Bizet's Carmen from English National Opera, with mezzo-soprano Alice Coote in the lead role.
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Opera on 3 - Bizet's Carmen
Bizet's Carmen: Emmanuel Villaume conducts mezzo-soprano Olga Borodina as femme fatale Carmen, with tenor Marcelo Alvarez as Don Jose in Bizet's tragic opera.
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Opera on 3 - Bizet's Carmen
Louise Fryer presents Bizet's masterpiece Carmen, in a production from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Starring Elina Garanca in the title role and Roberto Alagna as Don Jose.
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Opera on 3 - Bizet's Les pecheurs de perles
Alexandra Wilson introduces a performance of Bizet's opera Les pecheurs de perles, given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. With Nicole Cabell, Gerald Finley and John Osborn.
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Opera on 3 - Britten's Billy Budd
Britten: Billy Budd from Glyndebourne, staring Jacques Imbrailo in the title role, John Mark Ainsley as Captain Vere and Philip Ens as the bully Claggart, conducted by Mark Elder.
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Opera on 3 - Britten's Peter Grimes
Britten's Peter Grimes: Live from New York, Donald Runnicles conducts the psychological drama that established Britten as one of the great opera composers of the 20th century.
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Opera on 3 - Britten's Peter Grimes
David Alden's ENO production of Britten's Peter Grimes, with Stuart Skelton in the title role, Amanda Roocroft as Ellen Orford and Gerald Finley as Captain Balstrode.
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Opera on 3 - Britten's The Turn of the Screw
Britten's The Turn of the Screw: Rising British star Edward Gardner conducts members of the London Philharmonic and an international cast in Britten's thought-provoking opera.
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Opera on 3 - Britten's The Turn of the Screw
From the London Coliseum. Martin Handley is joined by John Bridcut to present David McVicar's ENO production of Britten's disturbing chamber opera. Charles Mackerras conducts.
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Opera on 3 - Candide
Rumon Gamba conducts ENO's production of Leonard Bernstein's comic operetta. Alex Jennings, singer (Voltaire), Toby Spence, tenor (Candide).
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Opera on 3 - Candide, Act 2
Act 2 of Robert Carsen's production for ENO of Leonard Bernstein's comic operetta Candide. Rumon Gamba conducts English National Opera Chorus and Orchestra.
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Opera on 3 - Charpentier's Louise
Charpentier's Louise: A production of Charpentier's four-act opera given this year at the Opera Bastille in Paris. With French soprano Mireille Delunsch in the title role.
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Opera on 3 - Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur
Cilea's Adriana Lecouvreur from the Royal Opera House, staged in a new production by David McVicar, starring Angela Gheorghiu and Jonas Kaufmann, conducted by Mark Elder.
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Opera on 3 - Cosi fan tutte
Riccardo Muti conducts soprano Barbara Frittoli, mezzo Angelika Kirchschlager and bass Ildebrando D'Arcangelo in Mozart's comic opera about female marital infidelity.
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Opera on 3 - Cosi fan Tutte
In an exceptional performace from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Colin Davis conducts Kiri te Kanawa and Agnes Baltsa in Cosi fan Tutte, one of Mozart's wittiest operas.
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Opera on 3 - Donizetti's La fille du regiment
Donizetti's La fille du regiment: Marco Armiliato conducts soprano Natalie Dessay and tenor Juan Diego Florez in Donizetti's opera about a girl adopted and raised by soldiers.
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Opera on 3 - Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore
Donizetti's L'Elisir d'Amore: Laurent Pelly's production for the Royal Opera House stars Aleksandra Kurzak, Stefano Secco and Ludovic Tezier, under the baton of Mikko Franck.
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Opera on 3 - Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor
Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor: James Levine conducts French soprano Natalie Dessay as Donizetti's famous tragic heroine in a new production from New York.
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Opera on 3 - Donizetti's Maria Stuarda
Donald Macleod presents an Opera North performance from the Grand Theatre, Leeds, of Donizetti's controversial opera about Mary, Queen of Scots.
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Opera on 3 - Duke Bluebeard's Castle
Adam Fischer conducts baritone Gabor Bretz and soprano Elena Zhidkova in a performance of Bartok's only opera, a one-act work with a libretto by Bela Balazs.
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Opera on 3 - Dvorak's Rusalka
Louise Fryer presents the 2009 Glyndebourne production of Dvorak's Rusalka, conducted by Jiri Belohlavek. With Anna Maria Martinez as Rusalka and Brandon Jovanovich as the prince.
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Opera on 3 - Edinburgh International Festival 2007
Performances of operas by Bernstein and Vivaldi from the arts event with a global reach
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Opera on 3 - Gershwin's Let 'Em Eat Cake
From the Grand Theatre in Leeds, Wyn Davies conducts William Dazeley and Rebecca Moon in the British premiere of George and Ira Gershwin's 1933 Broadway musical.
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Opera on 3 - Gershwin's Porgy and Bess
Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts the Arnold Schoenberg Choir and the Chamber Orchesta of Europe in Gershwin's opera Porgy and Bess. Featuring Jonathan Lemalu and Isabelle Kabatu.
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Opera on 3 - Glass's Satyagraha
Glass's Satyagraha: Dante Anzoli conducts Philip Glass's opera, set to a text from an ancient Sanskrit scripture, recounting Mahatma Gandhi's early experiences in South Africa.
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Opera on 3 - Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride
Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride: Mezzo-soprano Susan Graham sings the title role in this exciting new production from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, conducted by Ivor Bolton.
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Opera on 3 - Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride
Gluck's Iphigenie en Tauride: Presented live from the New York Met, one of the supreme dramatic works of the 18th century, with mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in the title role.
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Opera on 3 - Gounod's Romeo et Juliette
Gounod: Romeo et Juliette. Anna Netrebko and Roberto Alagna are the star-crossed lovers in this romantic setting of Shakespeare's tragedy conducted by Placido Domingo.
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Opera on 3 - Gounod's Romeo et Juliette
In a performance given at the Grand Theatre in Leeds, John Fulljames directs tenor Leonardo Capalbo and soprano Bernarda Bobro in the title roles as the 'star-crossed lovers'.
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Opera on 3 - Gounod's Romeo et Juliette
Presented by Suzy Klein. In a performance from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, French specialist Daniel Oren conducts Gounod's version of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.
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Opera on 3 - Handel's Radamisto
From the Coliseum in London, Donald Macleod presents an English National Opera production of Handel's dramatic opera Radamisto. With countertenor Lawrence Zazzo.
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Opera on 3 - Handel's Tamerlano
In a performance given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Ivor Bolton conducts Handel's touching drama - a tale of tyranny and power, betrayal and love.
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Opera on 3 - Humperdinck: Hansel und Gretel
From the Royal Opera House, Colin Davis conducts Humperdinck's fairytale opera with a cast that includes mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirschlager and soprano Diana Damrau.
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Opera on 3 - Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel
Humperdinck's Hansel and Gretel: Soprano Christine Schafer and mezzo Alice Coote play the lead siblings in this new Met opera production sung in English.
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Opera on 3 - Janacek's From the House of the Dead
From the Metropolitan Opera, New York, Esa-Pekka Salonen conducts a performance of Janacek's final opera, based on Dostoyevsky's novel. Starring Willard White and Kurt Streit.
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Opera on 3 - Janacek's Katya Kabanova
Janacek's Katya Kabanova: In Trevor Nunn's critically acclaimed production from the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Janice Watson sings the role of Janacek's doomed heroine.
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Opera on 3 - Janacek's Katya Kabanova
In a performance given at London's Coliseum, Martin Handley presents ENO's version of Janacek's tragic opera Katya Kabanova, starring Patricia Racette and Stuart Skelton.
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Opera on 3 - Janacek's The Cunning Little Vixen
In a performance from the Royal Opera House, Charles Mackerras conducts soprano Emma Matthews and baritone Christopher Maltman in Janacek's magical opera about the life of a vixen.
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Opera on 3 - Keiser's The Fortunes of King Croesus
Keiser's The Fortunes of King Croesus: Christopher Cook introduces a performance from Opera North in Leeds of a rarely heard 18th century German opera by Reinhard Keiser.
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Opera on 3 - King Roger
Valery Gergiev conducts the Mariinsky Opera in Szymanowki's exotic but rarely-performed philosophical work at the Edinburgh International Festival 2008.
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Opera on 3 - La Calisto
Ivor Bolton conducts soprano Sally Matthews and countertenor Lawrence Zazzo in a Royal Opera House production of Cavalli's tale of the Roman gods' antics.
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Opera on 3 - Le nozze di Figaro
Direct from the Royal Opera House, Charles Mackerras conducts Ildebrando D'Arcangelo and Aleksandra Kurzak in a celebrated David McVicar production of Mozart's comic opera.
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Opera on 3 - Ligeti's Le Grand Macabre
Ivan Hewett presents Ligeti's 'nearly apocalyptic' opera, a black comedy where the promised end of the world is stymied by drunk incompetence. Contains strong language.
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Opera on 3 - Live from the Met
Live performances of the great operas from New York's Metropolitan Opera House
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Opera on 3 - Live from the Met: Elektra
From New York, Fabio Luisi conducts Richard Strauss's Elektra, with soprano Susan Bullock in the title role of the opera telling the story of Elektra and her dysfunctional family.
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Opera on 3 - Love and Other Demons
Peter Eotvos's opera in two acts, performed at Glyndebourne. Vladimir Jurowski conducts the LPO. With Allison Bell (soprano), Robert Brubaker (tenor), Nathan Gunn (baritone).
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Opera on 3 - Manon
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Martin Handley presents a new production of Massenet's great opera Manon Lescaut, starring Anna Netrebko and Vittorio Grigolo.
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Opera on 3 - Massenet's Thais
Massenet's Thais: Soprano Renee Fleming leads a star-studded cast in Massenet's exotic tale of love and redemption, recorded in concert at the Royal Opera House in June 2007.
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Opera on 3 - Massenet's Werther
Richard Farnes conducts tenor Paul Nilon and mezzo-soprano Alice Coote in an Opera North production of Massenet's four-act opera about obsessive love.
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Opera on 3 - Matilde di Shabran
Ivan Hewett introduces Carlo Rizzi conducting soprano Aleksandra Kurzak alongside tenor Juan Diego Florez in a Royal Opera House revival of Rossini's tragicomedy.
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Opera on 3 - Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea
Monteverdi's The Coronation of Poppea: Laurence Cummings conducts the ENO Orchestra in Monteverdi's final opera, which features an outstanding British cast.
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Opera on 3 - Mozart Double Bill: Le nozze di Figaro and La clemenza di Tito
Donald Macleod presents performances of Le nozze di Figaro, with the Chicago Lyric Opera under Andrew Davis, and La clemenza di Tito, conducted by Rene Jacobs.
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Opera on 3 - Mozart - Idomeneo, re di Creta
A complete performance of Mozart's opera Idomeneo, re di Creta, K366. With tenor Anthony Rolfe Johnson, mezzo Anne Sofie von Otter and soprano Sylvia McNair.
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Opera on 3 - Mozart's Die Entfuhurung aus dem Serail
Mozart's Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail: Direct from New York, David Robertson conducts Mozart's opera about the clash of cultures between East and West, set in 18th-century Turkey.
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Opera on 3 - Mozart's Don Giovanni
From London's Coliseum, Suzy Klein presents an ENO production of Mozart's opera Don Giovanni, starring Iain Paterson. With contributions from novelist Jeanette Winterson.
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Opera on 3 - Mozart's Don Giovanni
Franz Welser-Most conducts the Vienna State Opera production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, with Ildebrando D'Arcangelo in the title role and Alex Esposito as Leporello.
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Opera on 3 - Mozart's Idomeneo (Edinburgh International Festival)
Mozart's Idomeneo from the Edinburgh International Festival with a star-studded cast conducted by Sir Roger Norrington. Presented by Donald MacLeod.
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Opera on 3 - Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov
Live from London's Coliseum, Suzy Klein presents an English National Opera production of Mussorgsky's study of guilt and paranoia, with Bass Peter Rose in the title role.
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Opera on 3 - Niobe, regina di Tebe
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Louise Fryer presents a rare chance to hear Agostino Steffani's opera Niobe, regina di Tebe, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses.
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Opera on 3 - Opera on 3 from the Royal Opera House
Series of broadcasts from the 2009 spring season at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
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Opera on 3 - Partenope
Christian Curnyn makes his Coliseum debut conducting a new ENO production of Handel's comic opera, updated by Christopher Alden to the time of the surrealists.
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Opera on 3 - Peter Maxwell Davies: Taverner
Glasgow's mini-festival celebrating Peter Maxwell Davies' 75th birthday comes to and end with a concert performance of his iconic morality opera Taverner.
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Opera on 3 - Prokofiev's The Gambler
Prokofiev's The Gambler: Live from New York, Valery Gergiev conducts a rare performance of Prokofiev's first major stage work, featuring Vladimir Galouzine and Olga Guryakova.
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Opera on 3 - Prokofiev's The Gambler
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Antonio Pappano conducts tenor Roberto Sacca and soprano Angela Denoke in Prokofiev's rarely-heard opera, based on Dostoyevsky's novel.
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Opera on 3 - Prokofiev's War and Peace
Prokofiev's War and Peace: Valery Gergiev conducts a predominantly Russian cast in Prokofiev's operatic adaptation of Tolstoy's monumental novel.
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Opera on 3 - Puccini: La Boheme
Puccini's La boheme: Direct from New York, Nicola Luisotti conducts Angela Georghiu and Ramon Vargas in Puccini's portrayal of the poverty and tragedy of bohemian life in Paris.
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Opera on 3 - Puccini: La fanciulla del West
Puccini's La fanciulla del West in a production by the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, with Jose Cura as Dick Johnson and Eva-Maria Westbroek as Minnie. Antonio Pappano conducts.
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Opera on 3 - Puccini's Manon Lescaut
Puccini's Manon Lescaut: James Levine conducts soprano Karita Mattila as Manon Lescaut, with tenor Marcello Giorgani as des Grieux in Puccini's passionate but tragic opera.
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Opera on 3 - Rachmaninov's Aleko
Gianandrea Noseda conducts the BBC Philharmonic, Turin Regio Chorus and a Russian cast in Rachmaninov's one-act opera Aleko, based on Pushkin's dramatic poem The Gypsies.
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Opera on 3 - Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia
Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia: Frederic Chaslin conducts Rossini's hugely popular comic opera, featuring mezzo-soprano Elina Garanca making her highly anticipated Met debut.
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Opera on 3 - Rossini's Il Barbiere di Siviglia (The Barber of Seville)
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Donald Macleod presents Rossini's comic opera Il Barbiere di Siviglia. Artistic director Antonio Pappano conducts.
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Opera on 3 - Rossini's Il Turco in Italia
In a performance given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Maurizio Benini conducts Rossini's perceptive comedy of Neapolitan life and love, in a production set in the 1960s.
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Opera on 3 - Rossini's Otello
Rossini's Otello: Alexandra Wilson presents a concert performance of Rossini's rarely heard opera, given at Theatre Chatelet, Paris by the Lyon Opera. With tenor John Osborn.
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Opera on 3 - Skin Deep
David Sawer and Armando Ianucci's new work for Opera North, from the Grand Theatre in Leeds. Conducted by Richard Farnes and starring Geoffrey Dolton and Janis Kelly.
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Opera on 3 - Strauss's Ariadne auf Naxos
Donald Macleod presents a performance by Welsh National Opera of Strauss's opera Ariadne auf Naxos, in a revival of Neil Armfield's production. Stars mezzo Sarah Connolly.
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Opera on 3 - Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier
In an ENO production, David McVicar directs Strauss's comic opera about age and class. Featuring soprano Janice Watson, mezzo Sarah Connolly and bass John Tomlinson.
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Opera on 3 - Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier
Christopher Cook introduces a performance given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden of Strauss's comedy of manners about age and class. With Soile Isokoski as the Marschallin.
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Opera on 3 - Strauss's Salome
Philippe Jordan conducts soprano Nadja Michael as Salome and baritone Michael Volle in Strauss's disturbing opera, based on the play by Oscar Wilde.
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Opera on 3 - Strauss's Salome
Andrew McGregor presents a performance given at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden of Strauss's Salome, in a revival of David McVicar's shocking 2008 production.
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Opera on 3 - Stravinsky: The Rake's Progress
Robert Lepage directs a new production of Stravinsky's neo classical opera, based on the story behind a set of engravings by William Hogarth and with a libretto by WH Auden.
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Opera on 3 - Tchaikovsky's The Tsarina's Slippers
Martin Handley presents Tchaikovsky's only comic and rarely heard opera, a Christmas story performed for the first time at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.
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Opera on 3 - The Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny
HK Gruber conducts the Royal Scottish National Orcheestra in Weill and Brecht's capitalist satire, in a performance recorded at the Edinburgh International Festival 2008.
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Opera on 3 - The Sacrifice, by James MacMillan
Anthony Negus conducts the chorus and orchestra of Welsh National Opera in The Sacrifice. The cast includes soprano Lisa Milne, and baritones Leigh Melrose and Christopher Purves.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi: Ernani
Verdi's Ernani: Live from New York, Roberto Abbado conducts an international cast in Verdi's fifth opera, based on Victor Hugo's tragic play.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Aida
Suzy Klein presents a new production from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden of Verdi's Aida, one of the greatest love stories in opera. Featuring soprano Micaela Carosi.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Don Carlo
A Royal Opera House production, directed by Nicholas Hytner and conducted by Antonio Pappano. Tenor Rolando Villazon and Marina Poplavskaya star in Verdi's tragic love story.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Don Carlo
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. Semyon Bychkov conducts the first revival of Nicholas Hytner's Royal Opera production of Verdi's grandest opera. Listen on demand with surtitles.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Falstaff
Peter Stein directs bass-baritone Bryn Terfel as Falstaff in a revival of his production of Verdi's comic opera, in a performance given by Welsh National Opera.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's La Traviata
Verdi's La traviata: Russian soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Jonas Kaufman head the cast in a Royal Opera House production of Verdi's tragic opera. Maurizio Benini conducts.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Macbeth
Verdi's Macbeth: James Levine conducts soprano Maria Guleghina as Lady Macbeth, with baritone Lado Ataneli as her weak-willed husband in Verdi's adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Macbeth
The BBC SSO under David Robertson a concert performance at the 2009 Edinburgh International Festival of Verdi's 1865 setting of Shakespeare's Macbeth. With baritone Lado Ataneli.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Otello
Verdi's Otello: Semyon Bychkov conducts tenor Johan Botha as tragic hero Otello and soprano Renee Fleming as Desdemona in Giuseppe Verdi's version of Shakespeare's play.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Rigoletto
Christopher Cook is at the Wales Millennium Centre for the much-anticipated debut of baritone Simon Keenlyside in the title role of Verdi's famously controversial tragedy.
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Opera on 3 - Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera
Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera: Gianandrea Noseda conducts Verdi's cautionary tale about the perils of mixing love and politics, which features a stellar international cast.
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Opera on 3 - Vivaldi's Orlando Furioso
Vivaldi's Orlando Furioso: Jean-Christophe Spinosi conducts the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a stellar cast of soloists in Vivaldi's 'heroico-magical drama'.
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Opera on 3 - Wagner's Die Walkure
Wagner's Die Walkure: Lisa Gasteen, Deborah Voigt and Clifton Forbis head the cast in a live performance from New York of part two of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle.
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Opera on 3 - Wagner's Lohengrin
Andrew McGregor introduces a performance given at the 2010 Bayreuth Festival of Wagner's controversial opera Lohengrin, starring Jonas Kaufmann and Annette Dasch as Elsa.
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Opera on 3 - Wagner's Parsifal
Wagner's Parsifal: A recording of the recent production of Wagner's final opera from the Royal Opera House, with Bernard Haitink conducting a cast of leading Wagner interpreters.
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Opera on 3 - Wagner's Tannhauser
Martin Handley introduces Wagner's opera about a medieval troubadour's tussle between the sensual and the spiritual. With Johann Botha and Eva-Maria Westbroek.
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Opera on 3 - Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
Wagner's Tristan und Isolde: James Levine conducts Deborah Voigt as Isolde alongside Robert Dean Smith as Tristan in Wagner's portrait of the agony and the ecstasy of erotic love.
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Opera on 3 - Wagner's Tristan und Isolde
From the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, Antonio Pappano conducts tenor Ben Heppner and soprano Nina Stemme as the tragic lovers Tristan and Isolde in Wagner's masterwork.
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Opera on 3 - Wozzeck
A new production from the Opera Bastille in Paris of Alban Berg's dark and disturbing modernist opera, directed by Christoph Marthaler and conducted by Sylvain Cambreling.
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