Britain In Ten Operas

Renowned baritone Roderick Williams picks his top ten highlights from over three centuries of opera in Britain and discovers what our opera story can tell us about British identity.

Britain has often held an ambivalent attitude towards opera. At many points over the last 350 years, sung dramas have spoken to and for a mass audience. At other times we've viewed opera as elitist and foreign. In this three-part series we'll see how, throughout that history, the changing place of opera in British culture tells a revealing story about who we are.

In the second episode, Roderick takes us into the heart of the 19th century. Britain is at the height of her world power and opera theatres are packed to the rafters, but the shows are not our own. We'll hear how Verdi's La Traviata causes a scandal as it strikes a chord with women, and how with Bizet's Carmen, grassroots touring companies finally get opera out to the provincial masses. Then one local duo spots a gap in the market. Might witty tunesmiths Gilbert and Sullivan help us find our national voice?

With contributions from musicologist Susan Rutherford, cultural historian John Woolf, conductor Sir Mark Elder, soprano Soraya Mafi, film and stage director Mike Leigh, performance historian Eleanor Lybeck and soprano Danielle de Niese.

Produced in Cardiff by Chris Taylor and Amelia Parker

Roderick Williams investigates what our opera history tells us about British identity.

Renowned baritone Roderick Williams picks his top ten highlights from over three centuries of opera in Britain and discovers what our opera story can tell us about British identity.

Britain has often held an ambivalent attitude towards opera. At many points over the last 350 years, sung dramas have spoken to and for a mass audience. At other times we've viewed opera as elitist and foreign. In this three-part series we'll see how, throughout that history, the changing place of opera in British culture tells a revealing story about who we are.

In the second episode, Roderick takes us into the heart of the 19th century. Britain is at the height of her world power and opera theatres are packed to the rafters, but the shows are not our own. We'll hear how Verdi's La Traviata causes a scandal as it strikes a chord with women, and how with Bizet's Carmen, grassroots touring companies finally get opera out to the provincial masses. Then one local duo spots a gap in the market. Might witty tunesmiths Gilbert and Sullivan help us find our national voice?

With contributions from musicologist Susan Rutherford, cultural historian John Woolf, conductor Sir Mark Elder, soprano Soraya Mafi, film and stage director Mike Leigh, performance historian Eleanor Lybeck and soprano Danielle de Niese.

Produced in Cardiff by Chris Taylor and Amelia Parker

Roderick Williams investigates what our opera history tells us about British identity.

Renowned baritone Roderick Williams picks his top ten highlights from over three centuries of opera in Britain and discovers what our opera story can tell us about British identity.

Britain has often held an ambivalent attitude towards opera. At many points over the last 350 years, sung dramas have spoken to and for a mass audience. At other times we've viewed opera as elitist and foreign. In this three-part series we'll see how, throughout that history, the changing place of opera in British culture tells a revealing story about who we are.

In this final episode, Roderick homes in on the 1990s, when the Three Tenors took the sounds of classical opera into the popular mainstream, and he looks at why Benjamin Britten's uneasy tale of a lonely outsider connected so powerfully with British audiences after the Second World War.

With contributions from: musicologist Suzanne Aspden, conductor Sir Mark Elder, sopranos Soraya Mafi and Danielle de Niese, Barbican director Sir Nicholas Kenyon, musicologist Alexandra Wilson, popular culture historian Martin Johnes, baritone Sir Thomas Allen, musicologist Susan Rutherfork, performance historian Eleanor Lybeck, and members of Streetwise Opera.

Produced in Cardiff by Chris Taylor and Amelia Parker

Roderick Williams investigates what our opera history tells us about British identity.

Renowned baritone Roderick Williams picks his top ten highlights from over three centuries of opera in Britain and discovers what our opera story can tell us about British identity.

Britain has often held an ambivalent attitude towards opera. At many points over the last 350 years, sung dramas have spoken to and for a mass audience. At other times we've viewed opera as elitist and foreign. In this three-part series we'll see how, throughout that history, the changing place of opera in British culture tells a revealing story about who we are.

In this final episode, Roderick homes in on the 1990s, when the Three Tenors took the sounds of classical opera into the popular mainstream, and he looks at why Benjamin Britten's uneasy tale of a lonely outsider connected so powerfully with British audiences after the Second World War.

With contributions from: musicologist Suzanne Aspden, conductor Sir Mark Elder, sopranos Soraya Mafi and Danielle de Niese, Barbican director Sir Nicholas Kenyon, musicologist Alexandra Wilson, popular culture historian Martin Johnes, baritone Sir Thomas Allen, musicologist Susan Rutherfork, performance historian Eleanor Lybeck, and members of Streetwise Opera.

Produced in Cardiff by Chris Taylor and Amelia Parker

Roderick Williams investigates what our opera history tells us about British identity.

Renowned baritone Roderick Williams picks his top ten highlights from over three centuries of opera in Britain and discovers what our opera story can tell us about British identity.

Britain has often held an ambivalent attitude towards opera. At many points over the last 350 years, sung dramas have spoken to and for a mass audience. At other times we've viewed opera as elitist and foreign. In this first three-part series we'll see how, throughout that history, the changing place of opera in British culture tells a revealing story about who we are.

In this first episode, Roderick looks at our early opera story and sees how Britain's struggle with a new, flamboyant and decidedly decadent style of musical theatre from Europe mirrored the dramatic changes that were happening in British society during the eighteenth century. We hear from treasured works by Purcell and Handel, along with a celebrated patriotic anthem still famous today.

With contributions from: conductor Sir Mark Elder, musicologist Suzanne Aspden, cultural historian Danielle Thom, sopranos Soraya Mafi and Danielle de Niese, baritone Sir Thomas Allen and musicologist Susan Rutherford.

Produced in Cardiff by Chris Taylor and Amelia Parker

Roderick Williams investigates what our opera history tells us about British identity.

Renowned baritone Roderick Williams picks his top ten highlights from over three centuries of opera in Britain and discovers what our opera story can tell us about British identity.

Britain has often held an ambivalent attitude towards opera. At many points over the last 350 years, sung dramas have spoken to and for a mass audience. At other times we've viewed opera as elitist and foreign. In this first three-part series we'll see how, throughout that history, the changing place of opera in British culture tells a revealing story about who we are.

In this first episode, Roderick looks at our early opera story and sees how Britain's struggle with a new, flamboyant and decidedly decadent style of musical theatre from Europe mirrored the dramatic changes that were happening in British society during the eighteenth century. We hear from treasured works by Purcell and Handel, along with a celebrated patriotic anthem still famous today.

With contributions from: conductor Sir Mark Elder, musicologist Suzanne Aspden, cultural historian Danielle Thom, sopranos Soraya Mafi and Danielle de Niese, baritone Sir Thomas Allen and musicologist Susan Rutherford.

Produced in Cardiff by Chris Taylor and Amelia Parker

Roderick Williams investigates what our opera history tells us about British identity.