NPR's World of Opera

KPBX 91.1, Wednesday, 7pm-9pm

World of Opera brings listeners compelling performances from top American and international opera companies. World of Opera encompasses the seminal operas of the 17th century; the political and social satires of the 18th century; the "bel canto" masterpieces of Donizetti and Bellini; the revolutionary 19th-century works of Verdi and Wagner; and, of course, operas in the "true-to-life" verismo style of Puccini and Mascagni.

Begun in April 1984, World of Opera goes beyond the traditional, operatic vernacular to showcase opera as anything but an elitist form of art. As the series reveals, opera has been to past centuries what the cinema is to us today: a star-studded, multi-faceted, multi-media form of entertainment, evoking a world of tragedy and triumph, passion and seduction, intrigue and disaster, jealousies and dreams — a world that people return to over and over again. In fact, opera is as popular today as it ever has been.

Program Listings:
September 1, 2010
GAETANO DONIZETTI: Lucrezia Borgia
This new production features two of the greatest singers of our time -- with soprano Renee Fleming giving a spectacular and highly-emotional performance in the unforgiving title role, and Placido Domingo, the Washington National Opera's General Director, conducting. Washington National Opera; Placido Domingo, conductor

CAST: Renee Fleming (Lucrezia Borgia); Vittorio Grigolo (Gennaro); Kate Aldrich (Maffio Orsini); Ruggero Raimondi (Don Alfonso); Oleksandr Pushniak (Ascanio); Girgory Soloviov (Apostolo); Jose Ortega (Oloferno); Yingxi Zhang (Rustighello); David B. Morris (Astolfo)

September 8, 2010
ALBAN BERG: Wozzeck
One of the truly great operas of the 20th century, Berg's masterpiece has deep roots in age-old forms and traditions, yet still explores the limits of both musical and emotional expression. The production from the historic Bolshoi in Moscow features a stunning performance by baritone Georg Nigl, in one of opera's most challenging and deeply moving roles. Bolshoi Theater, Moscow; Teodore Currentzis, conductor

CAST: Georg Nigl (Wozzeck); Mardi Byers (Marie); Maxim Paster (Captain); Pyotr Migunov (Doctor); Fredrik Akselberg (Andres); Roman Muravitsky (Drum Major); Xenia Vyaznikova (Margret); Valery Gilmanov (First Apprentice); Nikolai Kazansky (Second Apprentice); Leonid Vilensky (The Idiot)

September 15, 2010
CHARLES GOUNOD: Faust
This lush drama by Gounod is surely the most popular musical representation of the immortal story of Faust, who confronts the hellish consequences of his own weakness when the devil makes him an offer he can't refuse -- but probably should have. Opera Carolina brings it to us in a production featuring a top-notch cast from the Belk Theatre in Charlotte. Opera Carolina; James Meena, conductor

CAST: Maureen O'Flynn (Marguerite); James Valenti (Faust); Chester Patton (Mephistopheles); Corey McKern (Valentin); Diane McEwen-Martin (Siébel); Jeremy Collier ( Wagner); Kim Blanchard (Marthe)

September 22, 2010
VINCENO BELLINI: I Puritani
When Bellini moved to Paris in the 1830s, he declared that French composers and opera lovers had "little understanding of real song." He apparently decided to remedy that with I Puritani -- Bellini's first opera for Paris and the last opera he composed before his death at age 33 -- is blessed by a raft of his finest melodies. Vienna State Opera; Jan Latham-Koenig, conductor

CAST: Désirée Rancatore (Elvira); José Bros (Arturo Talbot); Alexandru Moisiuc (Gualtier Walton); Christof Fischesser (Giorgio); Mariusz Kwiecien (Riccardo Forth); Benedikt Kobel (Bruno Robertson); Roxana Constantinescu (Queen Henrietta Maria)

September 29, 2010
ENGELBERT HUMPERDINCK: Hansel and Gretel
The phrase "for children of all ages" is surely overused, but it's also just right to describe Humperdinck's beautifully tuneful drama based on the familiar fairy tale. The production is this quarter's second show from Royal Albert Hall and the 2010 Proms Concerts. Royal Albert Hall, London (Proms); Robin Ticciati, conductor

CAST: Alice Coote (Hänsel); Lydia Teuscher (Gretel); Wolfgang Ablinger-Sperrkacke (Witch); Imrgard Vilsmaier (Mother); William Dazeley (Father); Tara Erraught (Sandman); Ida Falk Winland (Dew Fairy)

About the host:

Lisa Simeone joined NPR World of Opera as its host in July 2002.She has more than 25 years of experience in radio and television, including at All Things Considered, Performance Today, Weekend Edition and the Metropolitan Opera. She also hosts the nationally syndicated BP Chicago Symphony Orchestra Radio Broadcast Series, and the internationally syndicated documentary series Soundprint.

She has produced three documentaries for Soundprint: "Bachelor Party"; "Strippers: Thinly Veiled"; and "Money in the Family." For 13 seasons she hosted the nationally syndicated Baltimore Symphony Orchestra Casual Concerts with conductor David Zinman.

Simeone began her career at WBJC in Baltimore and WETA in Washington, D.C. During her ten years at Baltimore's WJHU, she developed a loyal following for her unusual mix of programming — classical, folk, and jazz, along with provocative reports, interviews, and call-in shows on a wide variety of subjects, everything from anthropology to neuroscience to philosophy to media criticism. (But she confesses that her favorite reports are on things such as bocce, The Hon Man of Baltimore, and the virtues of a well-fitting bra!).

As a freelancer, she has done voice-overs, narrations, and hosting for the Discovery Channel, PBS and commercial enterprises.

When she's not doing radio, Simeone writes articles for Style Magazine and the Urbanite, as well as book reviews and op-eds for the Baltimore Sun.

Simeone was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and earned a B.A. in Liberal Arts from St. John's College in Annapolis, Maryland (the 'Great Books School') in 1980. In 1997, she earned an M.A. from the Writing Seminars at the Johns Hopkins University.