In Episode 5 we threw Tosca off a roof, met some aliens and discovered an opera about irritable bowel syndrome (which we did not play. sorry.) Here’s what we did play:
- “Jusqu’au matin remplis, remplis, mon verre!” Offenbach, Les Contes d’Hoffmann
- “Tre sbirri… Una carrozza” Puccini, Tosca: Price – Di Stefano – Taddei – Corena – Wiener Philharmoniker – Herbert von Karajan
- “O galantuomo, come andò la caccia?” Puccini, Tosca: Price – Di Stefano – Taddei – Corena – Wiener Philharmoniker – Herbert von Karajan
- “Vissi d’arte…” Puccini, Tosca: Price – Di Stefano – Taddei – Corena – Wiener Philharmoniker – Herbert von Karajan
- “E lucevan le stelle…Puccini, Tosca: Price – Di Stefano – Taddei – Corena – Wiener Philharmoniker – Herbert von Karajan
- “Dreamer Deceiver” Judas Priest, Hero Hero Rock
- “Land Of Hope And Glory” The New Zealand Army Band with the Christchurch Musical Society Choir
- “Scene One – Treneti” from K’ai by Richard deCosta
- “Secrecy Departing” Tan Dun, Bitter Love
- “Processional” Henry Purcell Thomas Richner Plays The Mother Church Organ
Huge thanks to Richard deCosta for sending me tracks from K’ai. You can read more about the opera at kaiopera.richarddecosta.com.
For “Operishness in the News” I found an article in the Utne Reader titled “Which Metal Singers Have the Best Vocal Technique?”
Judas Priest was one of the writer’s picks, so I played some.
I also couldn’t resist the headline “British opera-singer/spy performed before Hitler with secrets in her underwear” in the Telegraph. Anytime there’s a headline with opera andunderwear, I’m on it. (not in it, mind you)
(don’t take that the wrong way)
The opera about IBS is “Intolerance” by Mark Ravenhill. Here’s a quote from the article:
We’ve taken lots of long walks, often in heavy rain. We’ve eaten a lot. And now we’re starting to produce our work.
The fruits of our collaboration, a half-hour operatic monologue called Intolerance, plays in London next week, as part of the Tête à Tête festival of fringe opera. We’ve put the whole thing together for £900. We’re still looking for an orchestra who will play for beer money, though….
Think of the eyestrain you’ll save yourself. And you already know to turn down when the Judas Priest song is coming up, something those poor live listeners wish they had known.
I don’t know how something can be brandy spandy new AND archived, but I am not the technical genius in this operation. The woodland elves at Sonic Trout are the technical geniuses. We are very grateful to them and their ability to cut out the bits when I completely forget what I’m talking about.
Opera Betty airs on WOMR (bless their hearts) on the second Sunday of every month. You can listen online at www.womr.org.