Opera After Dark

Today is the release date (in the US) for the highly-anticipated film, Avengers: End Game. Since it's been way to long since we've done this, and because we know there are many opera/super hero fans out there, we're fantasy casting our dream Avengers Opera. Have thoughts about our choices? Find us at operaafterdark.com and let us know!

Taking a break from all the Wagner and thanks to a listener request, we're diving into Jenufa, by composer Leos Janacek. This opera is pretty dark, but filled with rich and beautiful music that matches a dark time in the composer's own life.

We are back with the next installment of Wagner's epic Ring Cycle, DIE WALKÜRE! Kyle is excited for the ride of the Valkyries. Elspeth is still against this whole thing. And this is probably Naomi's favourite opera of the cycle (we spelled "favourite" the Canadian way, just for her). We also learn more about leitmotifs in this episode. And swords stuck in trees. And weather/season-related love metaphors. And rings of fire!

The OAD team embarks on Wagner's epic opera cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen, AKA the Ring Cycle. Of course, we must start with the first of the four operas: Das Rheingold. We hope you enjoy this deep dive into Wagner's mythological world inspired by Norse mythology.

It took almost three full seasons, but we are finally talking about the polarizing composer Richard Wagner. Whether you love him or you hate him, most opera fans feel strongly about his contributions to the repertory and we are no exception. As is appropriate for Wagner, this episode is one of our longest, but it comes as our own Naomi Barrettara is about to join the Met Opera Quiz during the radio broadcast on Saturday, March 30, 2019. Be sure to tune in and cheer her on!

Today's opera directors are constantly finding ways to reinvent new productions of operas within the repertory, sometimes in strange and eye-catching ways. It can be argued that nobody reimagines opera quite like Australian director, Barrie Kosky, who is known for his provocative production concepts. OAD host, Kyle Homewood, got to witness this process firsthand, and the story is almost too good to believe.

We reach the end of our This vs. That series comparing show-stopping musicals to the operas that they are based on. This week, we discuss the musical Miss Saigon, based on the opera Madama Butterfly and with only slightly more redeemable characters but some questionable music and singing. You'll know it when you hear it! This is followed by a hilarious lesson in the Canadian dialect. Enjoy!

As we conclude our "This vs. That" series, comparing great operas to parallel works in the musical theater repertoire, we got pretty carried away with our last comparison: Madama Butterfly vs. Miss Saigon! So this is Part 1 of 2, where we share some VERY strong feelings about the character of B.F. Pinkerton, and just strong feelings in general about the VERY problematic story of Cio-Cio San as told through some of most beautiful music Puccini ever composed. Listen all the way to the end, and you will be treated to an outtake that ends in a place only tangentially related to the opera via the topic of puppets: Elspeth and Kyle's raw, emotional reaction to Warhorse!

In this episode, we cover the C in the ABC's of opera: Carmen. Although Bizet's composition is one of the most famous and often-performed operas in the world today, that was not always the case. Listen in for more about that in addition to hearing about how Don Jose ruins everyone's life!

This is the episode you have all been waiting for: when our obsession with "Elaborate Lives" is explained, and we deep dive into AIDA by Elton John and Tim Rice, comparing it to the original AIDA, a beloved opera classic by Giuseppe Verdi! Listen all the way to the end, and not only will you get a great reprise of "Elaborate Lives" with a dark minor turn, but you will ALSO learn all about Michael Bolton's secret passion...

This episode started as a 5 minute casual conversation before a recording session... and then we got carried away! So we decided to turn it into an episode for you, giving you the inside scoop on a very recent performance at The Met Opera, which Naomi was at, and which has gone down in history as her BEST night at the opera...EVER. And since this SAME performance got a little lambasted in a NYTimes review, all we can say is: Go to the opera and decide for yourself, because a truly great night at the opera really is in the ears and eyes of the beholder!

Welcome to the first installment of our "this vs.that" mini-series, comparing none other than RENT and LA BOHÈME!! From the plot, to the music, to our feelings about how different things transpire in each work, we have some good fun and listen to some good tunes! Also, you'll learn a little bit about our high school obsessions... because #SeasonsOfLove.

This episode is all about a well known classic, Verdi's RIGOLETTO. This opera has got everything - twisted plot involving a court jester, a jerk Duke, a naive girl, a hit man and his sister, a curse, love, lust, murder, and more, all tied together with incredible music. Despite the tragic tale, we had a lot of fun with this one, as you can tell by the extreme length! PS: Please forgive any lingering radiator noise. We had no control over it, and we tried to edit it out, but we can only work so much magic (such is life in NYC in the winter).

In this episode, we explore Debussy's only opera, Pelléas et Mélisande! Debussy may have intended to write the ultimate anti-opera, but the music is one of the most amazing things ever created. It is dark, moody, and tragic. It's about everything and nothing all at the same time. What does it all mean? Is it all a timeless mystery?

We are beginning 2019 with an opera that consistently ranks within the top 10 most often performed operas in the world today: La Traviata! This is a tragic one (shocker), but the music is beautiful, the plot involves a lot of partying, doomed love, and a heroine that rises above them all as the best person (despite being surrounded by horrible, selfish people), and makes the ultimate sacrifice for love.

Happy Holidays, Everyone! In this episode, we talk about some holiday themed operas, and then descend into madness with some bloopers and outtakes! Thank you for listening to us all year, and we look forward to being back with you in 2019! P.S. In order for one particular outtake to make sense, it is important to know that Kyle has a dog named Bilbo. Also, Elspeth LOVES Bilbo.

In this episode, we look at a rarely performed operatic masterpiece, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov! We will give you three guesses why we picked this topic, although, if you have listened to us before, you will probably only need one. And to be clear, the title is NOT a metaphor, a rooster actually features heavily in the story. It’s a Russian romantic work, so obviously the music is pretty dope. The crazy story (which involves a magician/wizard, a rooster, magic beans, a war, a Czar, a mystical tent, a mysterious Queen, and so much more) is brought to life brilliantly by Elspeth, and along the way, we give you our own sung renditions of several musical anecdotes(everything from Jason Derulo to Jurassic Park to Broadway Musicals).

To finish out Puccini's Il Trittico, we talk about his only comic opera: Gianni Schicchi, a story about a greedy family trying to save their inheritance from a monastery. Amidst the ridiculousness that ensues is one of the most famous arias of all time. We're sure you'll recognize it.

Following a day in the life of a 17th-century convent, Suor Angelica is the second (and most boring) opera in Puccini's Il Trittico. In all seriousness, the opera's all-female cast features some gorgeous music and a heartbreaking story of loss. It's title role has also become a calling card for many great sopranos.

Just before the 100th anniversary of its premiere performance at the Metropolitan Opera, we dive into Puccini's Il Trittico, a trilogy of one-act operas. This week we discuss the first and probably most intense of the trio, Il Tabarro (The Cloak).