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Opera In Action

First broadcast from 19980914 to 20010716.

143 episodes

Series	Episode	Title	First Broadcast	Repeated	Description
199A	01	Peter Grimes	19990104		Robert Lloyd takes over the programme, sharing some of his experiences from thirty years on the opera stages of the world and introducing recordings by some of the singers he has most admired. Including Jon Vickers in `Peter Grimes' and Geraint Evans as Leporello in `Don Giovanni', and recordings by Mirella Freni, Cesare Siepi and Jose Carreras.
199A	02	Carmen	19990111		Robert Lloyd shares some of his experiences from thirty years on the opera stages of the world and introduces recordings by some of the singers he has most admired. This week and next, he considers the charm and the challenges of the French language, with recordings including Regine Crespin in Bizet's `Carmen' and Debussy's `Pelleas et Melisande'.
199A	02	Carmen	19990412		`BBC Music Magazine' editor Graeme Kay presents six programmes on the mechanics of opera. 2: A look at operatic complications - the letters, mistaken identities, overheard conversations and acts of God that fuel the drama of opera plots.
199A	03	Carmen	19990118		Robert Lloyd shares some of his experiences from thirty years on the opera stages of the world and introduces recordings by some of the singers he has most admired. This week, he considers the charm and the challenges of the French language in opera, with Regine Crespin singing excerpts from Bizet's `Carmen' and Debussy's `Pelleas et Melisande'.
199A	03	Carmen	19990419		BBC Music Magazine editor Graeme Kay presents six programmes on the mechanics of opera. This programme is about dialogue: composers have used every possible device for making conversations seem realistic, but with varying degrees of success.
199A	04		19990125		Robert Lloyd continues his exploration of the charm and the challenges of singing French operatic repertoire.
199A	04		19990426		Graeme Kay presents a series on the mechanics of opera. This programme looks at the orchestra and the vital part it plays in the dramatic flow of an opera.
199A	05	Bel Canto	19990201		Bass Robert Lloyd considers what the term `bel canto' means to him, with performances by Cecilia Bartoli and Joan Sutherland, among others.
199A	05	Bel Canto	19990503		Graeme Kay continues his exploration of the mechanics of opera with a look at the supernatural, what it adds to opera and how composers bring it to life.
199A	06		19990208		Robert Lloyd shares some of his experiences from thirty years as a leading operatic bass. This week, he turns his attention to the great Russian singers, from Feodor Chaliapin to the voices of the present day.
199A	06		19990510		Graeme Kay concludes his exploration of the mechanics of opera with a look at singers - what they bring to operatic roles, and how they become identified with particular characters.
199A	07	Don Giovanni	19990215		This week, Robert Lloyd considers Mozart's operatic output. He draws on his own experiences in the role of Il Commendatore in `Don Giovanni' and selects recordings by, among others, Lucia Popp and Thomas Allen.
199A	07	Don Giovanni	19990517		Martin Handley embarks on an exploration of opera from the conductor's perspective, beginning with a look at first nights.
199A	08	Fidelio	19990222		In his approach to the operas of the German tradition - Beethoven's `Fidelio', Wagner's `Ring' cycle and the operas of Kurt Weill - Robert Lloyd seeks out performances that reveal, perhaps surprisingly, something of the bel canto style of singing. Featuring recordings by Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Christa Ludwig and Ute Lemper, among others.
199A	08	Fidelio	19990524		Martin Handley continues his exploration of opera from the conductor's perspective with a look at the musical preparation required for the performance of an opera.
199A	09		19990301		This week, Robert Lloyd considers some of the English singers who helped to overcome the image of England as a land without voices. Including recordings by Eva Turner, Elizabeth Harwood, Peter Glossop and Janet Baker.
199A	09		19990531		Martin Handley continues his exploration of opera from the conductor's perspective with a look at how the orchestra works. Politics, seating plans and last-minute panics all play their part.
199A	10		19990308		In his long career, Robert Lloyd has performed frequently in the United States. Today, he reflects on the ways in which opera in America differs from elsewhere, with performances by Leontyne Price, James Morris and Dawn Upshaw.
199A	10		19990607		Martin Handley continues his exploration of opera from the conductor's perspective with a look at the role of the chorus. It is one of the foundation stones of any company, and its morale is a good barometer of the company's health.
199A	11		19990315		This week, Robert Lloyd explores the extraordinary number of fine voices that Wales has produced. Featured artists include Margaret Price, Stuart Burrows, Bryn Terfel, Della Jones and Dennis O'Neill in music by Verdi, Mozart, Handel and Puccini.
199A	11		19990614		Martin Handley continues his exploration of opera with a look at the opportunities for a singer of a long-term contract with an opera company. It can be a wonderful foundation for a young singer's career, but is the security of guaranteed work worth sacrificing the freedom to make decisions about what, when and where to sing?
199A	12		19990322		Robert Lloyd takes a personal look at what being a singer actually means, with the help of recordings by Carlo Bergonzi, Shirley Verret and Arleen Auger.
199A	12		19990621		Martin Handley continues his exploration of opera with a look at the issues of language in opera, including surtitles, English translations, and the various difficulties of opera in other languages.
199A	13		19990329		Robert Lloyd looks at how opera has changed in the last thirty years and how this has affected the great opera theatres of the world, including the Metropolitan Opera, Paris Opera, La Scala, Milan, and Covent Garden.
199A	13		19990628		Martin Handley continues his exploration of opera with a look at the work of an offstage conductor, whose job it is to direct offstage singers and musicians in live performances.
199A	14	Bbc Music Magazine	19990405		`BBC Music Magazine' editor Graeme Kay presents six programmes on the mechanics of opera. Today, he explores the call to action - how music grabs the audience's attention and how it changes the atmosphere at pivotal dramatic moments.
199A	14	Bbc Music Magazine	19990705		Martin Handley continues his exploration of opera from the conductor's point of view with a look at the risks involved in live opera recordings.
199A	15		19990712		Martin Handley continues his series with a look at opera's elitist image, its high production costs and expensive seat prices.
199C	01	The Poet, The Philosopher And The Cynic	19990719		The series continues with eight programmes in which the poet Peter Porter reflects on opera, of which he is a lifelong enthusiast. 1: `The Poet, the Philosopher and the Cynic'. Thoughts about the representation of poets on the stage, with excerpts from Puccini: La boheme; Wagner: The Mastersingers; Mozart: Cosi fan tutte; and Purcell: The Fairy Queen.
199C	02	La Forza Del Destino	19990726		In the second of eight programmes in which poet Peter Porter shares his enthusiasm for opera, he introduces duets about different kinds of relationships, with music from Verdi's `La forza del destino' and `Rigoletto', Britten's `A Midsummer Night's Dream', and Humperdinck's `Hansel and Gretel'.
199C	03	Don Giovanni	19990802		In the third of eight programmes in which poet Peter Porter shares his enthusiasm for opera, he introduces a selection of lesser-known arias from famous operas. Including music from `Don Giovanni', `Samson and Delilah', `Turandot' and `The Marriage of Figaro'.
199C	04		19990809		In the fourth of eight programmes in which poet Peter Porter shares his enthusiasm for opera, he introduces recording by Australian musicians who came to Britain, including Dame Nellie Melba, Dame Joan Sutherland, Gregory Yurisich, Yvonne Kenny, Arnold Matters and Sir Charles Mackerras.
199C	05	Marches, Dances And Rituals	19990816		In the fifth of eight programmes in which poet Peter Porter shares his enthusiasm for opera, he presents a selection of marches, dances and rituals from a range of operas, including Verdi: Un ballo in Maschera. Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier. Gluck: Orfeo. Harrison Birtwistle: Gawain.
199C	06	Entrances And Deaths	19990823		In the sixth of eight programmes in which poet Peter Porter shares his enthusiasm for opera, he draws pairs of scenes from operas by Beethoven, Britten, Handel and Stravinsky and focuses on characters' first and last appearances on the stage.
199C	07	Turn Of The Screw	19990830		Peter Porter explores the dramatic device of the letter in operas. Including excerpts from Britten's `Turn of the Screw'; Verdi's `Macbeth', `La traviata' and `Falstaff'; and Tchaikovsky's `Eugene Onegin' - the most famous letter scene of them all.
199C	08		19990906		Peter Porter concludes his series of programmes by unearthing some of the operatic treasures he would hope to find safely concealed on a desert island. Music includes precious moments from operas by Mozart, Puccini, Tippett and Strauss.
199C	09	Lucia Di Lammermoor	19990913		Graeme Kay presents the first of six programmes exploring how countries and nationalities have been treated in opera down the ages and how different composers have portrayed one country's history and people. Today, he focuses on Scotland, with excerpts from Donizetti's `Lucia di Lammermoor', Bizet's `La jolie fille de Perth', MacCunn's `Jeanie Deans', Verdi's `Macbeth' and Judith Weir's `The Vanishing Bridegroom'.
199C	10	Julius Caesar	19990920		Graeme Kay presents the second of six programmes exploring how countries and nationalities have been treated in opera down the ages and how different composers have portrayed the same country's history and people. Today, he explores Egypt, with music from Handel's `Julius Caesar', Schoenberg's `Moses and Aaron', Philip Glass's `Akhnaten' and Verdi's `Aida'.
199C	11		19990927		Graem Kaye continues his exploration of the representation of nationality in opera with a look at works about America and Americans. Music includes Bernstein's West Side Story, Britten's Paul Bunyan, Franchetti's Cristoforo Colombo and Puccini's Madam Butterfly.
199C	12	Nixon In China	19991004		Graeme Kay continues his series investigating the portrayal of nationality in opera. Today, he examines China. Music includes excerpts from John Adams's `Nixon in China', Puccini's `Turandot', Stravinsky's `The Nightingale' and Judith Weir's `A Night at the Chinese Opera'.
199C	13		19991011		Graeme Kay continues his series investigating the portrayal of nationality in opera. Today, he focuses on England, with music including excerpts from Britten: Albert Herring. Verdi: Falstaff. Purcell: King Arthur. Rossini: Il viaggio a Reims.
199C	14		19991018		Graeme Kay continues his series investigating the portrayal of nationality in opera. Today, he focuses on Russia. Music includes excerpts from Prokofiev: War and Peace. Shostakovich: Cheryomushki. Walton: The Bear. Musorgsky: Boris Godunov.
199C	15		19991025		Graeme Kay's world tour of opera continues with a look at Spain, land of the castanet, toreador and zarzuela - all of which feature in today's programme.
199C	16		19991101		Graeme Kay's world tour of opera continues with a look at Greece, both ancient and modern, and features music from Handel to Henze.
199D	01	Unsung Heroes: Alfredo Kraus	19991108		The first of six programmes in which Stephen Johnson rediscovers some great opera performers. 1: Alfredo Kraus. The Spanish tenor Alfredo Kraus, who died recently, astonished audiences by singing Bellini, Verdi and Donizetti with unrivalled youthful lyricism even in his seventies.
199D	02	Cosi Fan Tutte	19991115		The second of six programmes in which Stephen Johnson rediscovers some great opera performers. 2: Gundula Janowitz. In a career spanning four decades the German soprano Gundula Janowitz has dazzled in roles as diverse as Fiordiligi in Mozart's `Cosi fan tutte' and Eva in Wagner's `Die Meistersinger'.
199D	03	Un Re In Ascolto	19991122		The third of six programmes in which Stephen Johnson rediscovers some great opera performers. German bass-baritone Theo Adam made his name at the Bayreuth Festival as one of the great Wagnerians. But in roles such as Prospero in Luciano Berio's `Un re in ascolto', Adam has also shone as a fine interpreter of 20th-century opera.
199D	04	Ariadne Auf Naxos	19991129		Stephen Johnson continues his series rediscovering some great opera performers. The sheer beauty of her voice made the soprano Sena Jurinac a natural interpreter of the great Mozart operas. But as her voice matured, she proved her versatility in roles such as Monteverdi's Poppea and the Composer in Richard Strauss's `Ariadne auf Naxos'.
199D	05	Die Walkure	19991206		Stephen Johnson continues his series rediscovering some great opera performers with a selection of recordings by the American tenor James King, including his remarkable interpretation of Siegmund in Wagner's `Die Walkure'.
199D	06	Alcina	19991213		Stephen Johnson rediscovers great opera performers, ending his series with recordings by the American soprano Arleen Auger. Once described as a vocal chameleon for the richness of her vocal characterisations, she excelled in Mozart and Haydn but also recorded a landmark performance of Handel's `Alcina' before her premature death.
200C	01	Don Carlos	20000731		Lynn Walker discusses favourite operatic moments with a series of guests. 1: Ralph Koltai. During his 50-year career, Ralph Koltai's designs have transformed the stages of opera houses around the world. Among his most precious memories are Visconti's stunning production of Verdi's `Don Carlos' from the 1950s and Beecham's extraordinary recording of Puccini's `La boheme'.
200C	01	Never Work With Children And Animals	20000228		Michael White explores the practical problems of working on the operatic stage and examines how these difficulties are exacerbated by the addition of children and animals. Music includes excerpts from operas by Britten, Mozart and Janacek.
200C	02	Lust	20000306		2: `Lust'. Michael White explores the theme of lust in opera, including examples from Wagner, Mozart, Verdi, Rossini, Strauss and Purcell and from musicals by Stephen Sondheim.
200C	02	Tristan Und Isolde	20000807		Lynn Walker discusses favourite operatic moments with a series of guests. 2: Elaine Padmore. Covent Garden's director of opera first visited Wagner's Festspielhaus in Bayreuth in 1966 to hear `Tristan und Isolde'. Her selection includes excerpts from this opera and from Delius's `The Magic Fountain'.
200C	03	Death In Venice	20000313		Michael White traces the musical partnership between Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, for whose distinctive voice Britten created a dozen operatic roles, from Peter Grimes in 1945 to `Death in Venice' in 1973. With excerpts from Britten's operas and from works by other composers.
200C	03	The Cunning Little Vixen	20000814		Lynn Walker discusses favourite operatic moments with a series of guests. 3: David Pountney. The director's selection of operas includes Janacek's `The Cunning Little Vixen', Musorgsky's `Boris Godunov' and Otto Klemperer's classic interpretation of Beethoven's `Fidelio'.
200C	04	Turandot	20000821		Lynn Walker discusses favourite operatic moments with a series of guests. 4: David Bintley. The artistic director of Birmingham Royal Ballet counts among his most valued operatic experiences Andrei Serban's production of Puccini's `Turandot' at Covent Garden. But he's also a huge admirer of Benjamin Britten
200C	04	Under The Weather	20000320		Michael White explores operas which feature weather as part of their dramatic scheme. Many a storm rages across the operatic stage, reflecting the inner turmoil of the characters. But how does opera cope when faced with depicting the weather?
200C	05	Skirts And Trousers	20000828		Michael White investigates the core pantomime element in opera - the trouser role, when a woman dresses up as a boy, and less often the reverse, when male characters dress in drag. Musical examples include excerpts from operas by Mozart, Strauss and Handel.
200C	05	The Bayreuth Tradition	20000327		Michael White explores the recorded legacy of performances at Bayreuth, where Wagner conceived of a theatre for performances of his epic Ring cycle. Many of the very finest Wagner singers and conductors have had their greatest successes in Bayreuth, and during the 20th century many great performances were committed to disc.
200C	06	Anger	20000904		Michael White continues his exploration of the Seven Deadly Sins in opera with a look at `anger'. Music includes excerpts from works by Janacek, Verdi, Mozart, Wagner and Britten.
200C	06	Countertenors And Castrati	20000403		Michael White explores the repertoire for the highest of male voices - the countertenor and the castrato - and investigates the physical side-effects of the supreme operatic sacrifice.
200C	07	Patrons	20000410		Michael White celebrates the twenty-first birthday of Opera North. Including recordings of Walton, Musorgsky, Gerhard and Constant Lambert. Artists include Bryn Terfel, John Tomlinson and Sally Burgess, not to mention Harry Enfield offering a guide to opera.
200C	07	Patrons	20000911		Michael White talks to rich people who pay for opera to be performed and investigates to what extent they call the tune.
200C	08	Legends: Anja Silja	20000417		Michael White presents a birthday celebration for the great German soprano Anja Silja, including excerpts from her classic recordings of Berg, Janacek, Strauss and Wagner.
200C	08	Legends: Anja Silja	20000918		Michael White talks to baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky, whose career has included roles in operas by Tchaikovsky and Verdi since he won the title of Cardiff Singer of the World in 1989.
200C	09	Greed	20000424		In honour of Shakespeare's birthday yesterday, Michael White explores the wide-ranging influence of the Bard on the world of opera.
200C	09	Greed	20000925		Michael White continues his exploration of the Seven Deadly Sins in opera with a look at `greed', `sloth' and `gluttony'.
200C	10	Cosi Fan Tutte	20000501		Michael White celebrates the opening of the new season at Glyndebourne with recordings of some of its greatest moments, including a 1935 recording of `Cosi fan tutte' conducted by Fritz Busch with soprano Audrey Mildmay.
200C	10	Don Giovanni	20001002		In the first of four programmes exploring Prague's many operatic connections, Jan Smaczny investigates the 18th-century city and discovers the musical background to early performances there of Mozart's `Don Giovanni' and `The Marriage of Figaro'.
200C	11	Opera At The Crossroads Of Europe	20000508		Lynne Walker is joined by Richard Hickox to hear favourite moments from his opera recordings, including music by Britten, Holst, Handel and Prokofiev.
200C	11	Opera At The Crossroads Of Europe	20001009		In the second of four programmes exploring Prague's many operatic connections, Jan Smaczny looks at the city during the glory days of the Czech national revival and unearths musical gems composed by Dvorak, Smetana and Skroup.
200C	12	Tosca	20000515		Lynne Walker goes in search of operatic characters who might be missing but shouldn't necessarily be presumed dead. Operas range from Puccini's `Tosca' to Bizet's `Carmen', and from Poulenc's `La voix humaine' to Britten's `The Turn of the Screw'.
200C	13		20000522		Lynne Walker talks to Sir Charles Mackerras about his many wide-ranging opera recordings - from Handel and Janacek to Gilbert and Sullivan.
200C	14		20000529		Michael White follows five of Britain's opera companies as they search for new audiences, young and old, in their BBC Music Live projects.
200C	15		20000605		Michael White takes a walk through some operatic gardens and talks to Lady Walton about the little plot of Ischia she has brought to the Chelsea Flower Show.
200C	16	Envy	20000612		`Envy'. Michael White explores some of the nastier character traits in opera - from Iago to Salome.
200C	17	Legends: John Tomlinson	20000619		Michael White talks to the great bass-baritone John Tomlinson and plays recordings of his greatest roles, including music by Wagner, Mozart and Musorgsky.
200C	18	The Soubrette	20000626		Michael White explores the personalities and voices of soubrettes in scenes by Mozart, Sullivan and Strauss. Originally a stock character in 18th-century French theatre, the role of the cheeky but bright servant girl developed into an operatic fixture.
200C	19		20000703		Michael White investigates the role of the orchestra in opera, including excerpts from Britten's `Billy Budd' and Bartok's `Bluebeard's Castle'.
200C	20	Seven Deadly Sins - Pride	20000710		Michael White examines the sin of pride as displayed on the operatic stage. Pride is one of the great plot devices of opera, as characters get themselves into greater and greater trouble through their own conceit. Music includes examples of egoism from the operas of Mozart, Britten and Janacek.
200C	21	The Ultimate Test	20000717		Michael White investigates the operatic parts which break singers' voices. It is not just high notes and immense roles - some of opera's most lyrical and beautiful moments can test singers beyond their endurance.
200C	22	Talking During The Opera	20000724		Michael White investigates the role of speech in opera - the moments when the singing stops and only the spoken word will do. Examples range from witty repartee in Offenbach to climactic shouting in Strauss.
200C			20000110		Literary critic Peggy Reynolds reads some well-known operas like a book, exploring the themes that run through them. Today: letter scenes.
200C			20000117		An investigation of the altered states affecting characters in operas - including fitting, hallucinations and sleepwalking - which began during the growing interest in psychology during the 19th century and reached a natural conclusion in the Freudian theories of the 20th century.
200C		Orpheus	20000124		`Orpheus's Offspring'. How do characters sing in an opera when they are singing Already?
200C			20000131		Literary critic Peggy Reynolds explores the themes of some well-known operas, including works by Mozart, Verdi, Puccini and Rossini.
200C			20000207		Literary critic Peggy Reynolds explores operas with two strong male characters. Composers like Mozart, Verdi and Britten particularly enjoyed the musical opportunities for duets between tenor and baritone, but what are the wider implications of these operatic examples of male bonding?
200C			20000214		Literary critic Peggy Reynolds explores operas that feature duets for two women. The sheer beauty of two women's voices interwining in duet has inspired composers from Monteverdi to Strauss. But what are the women singing about?
200C		Jesters And Jokers And Witches And Wizards	20000221		Literary critic Peggy Reynolds explores operas which feature jokers and sorcerers. Sorcerers by their nature have magic powers which can transform the mundane into the marvellous - rather like the power of the theatre to suspend disbelief. And jokers are licensed to say the unthinkable and the unsayable - a freedom they can use for good and evil. Both have held sway in opera - the most magical of theatrical genres.
		Introduction	19980914		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of the Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of opera highlights. Some of the best moments in opera - familiar and unfamiliar - are set in their true dramatic context. `Introduction'. The series begins by showing what opera does best and by taking a hard look at a few old favourites. Music includes highlights from Bizet's `Carmen', Puccini's `Turandot', Verdi's `Rigoletto' and Mozart's `Don Giovanni'.
		The Story	19980921		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of the Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of opera highlights. Some of the best moments in opera - familiar and unfamiliar - are set in their true dramatic context. `The Story'. Including arias from `La boheme', `Tosca', `Cosi fan tutte' and `Otello'.
			19980928		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of the Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights.
		Revenge	19981005		`Revenge'. Ruth Mackenzie introduces operatic settings of revenge by Verdi, Strauss and Mozart.
		The Aria	19981012		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of the Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `The Aria'. Arias are one of the most important vehicles for expression in opera. This programme includes excerpts from Bizet's `Carmen', Mozart's `Don Giovanni' and Britten's `Peter Grimes'.
		Love (part 1)	19981019		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of the Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `Love (Part 1)'. Love, in all its forms, is always present in opera stories. Including music by Mozart and Puccini.
		Love (part 2)	19981026		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of the Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `Love (Part 2)'. Love, in all its forms, is always present in opera stories. Including music by Strauss, Verdi and Wagner.
		The Opera Director	19981102		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of the Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `The Opera Director'. Excerpts from Bizet's `Carmen', Mozart's `The Magic Flute' and John Adams's `Nixon in China'.
		Death	19981109		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `Death'. A look at death in opera, with excerpts from Verdi's `Aida', Strauss's `Elektra' and Purcell's `Dido and Aeneas'.
		Ensembles	19981116		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `Ensembles'. Duets, trios, quintets and sextets by Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Strauss.
		Choruses	19981123		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `Choruses'. Excerpts from Puccini's `Tosca' and Britten's `Peter Grimes'.
		The Conductor	19981130		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `The Conductor'. Excerpts from Wagner's `Die Walkure' and Gershwin's `Porgy and Bess'.
			19981207		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights.
		Beginnings And Endings	19981214		Ruth Mackenzie, general director of Scottish Opera, introduces a selection of operatic highlights. `Beginnings and Endings'. To conclude the series, a look at how operas start and finish. With excerpts from Janacek's `Jenufa' and Mozart's `The Marriage of Figaro'.
				20000103	The literary critic Peggy Reynolds reads some well-known operas like a book, exploring the themes that run through them. Today: abandoned women.
			20001113		Michael White investigates the Vienna of a century ago, examining Mahler's influence on opera and his curious fondness for the popular operetta tunes of the day.
		Norma	20001120		Michael White celebrates the enduring legacy of Maria Callas, one of the greatest sopranos of the 20th century. Including excerpts from her performances as `Norma', `Carmen' and `Lucia di Lammermoor'.
		Deus Ex Machina	20001127		Michael White explores the relationship between opera and religion, with music by Britten, Leoncavallo and Puccini. And baritone Richard Lloyd talks about his life as an ordained priest.
		Dramatic Architecture	20001204		Lynne Walker investigates how opera from Rameau to Janacek has been shaped by the buildings in which it is performed. With expert on early opera Roger Savage and Glyndebourne architects Sir Michael and Patty Hopkins.
			20001211		Lynne Walker talks to musical impresario Raymond Gubbay about his unashamedly populist approach to opera, and uncovers his musical tastes, which range from Verdi and Puccini to Auber and Wagner.
			20001218		Lynne Walker looks at the relationship between opera composers and their librettists and talks to John Mortimer about one of the most celebrated collaborations of all, that of Mozart and da Ponte.
		Ring	20001225		Valerie Solti presents an intimate portrait of her late husband, Sir Georg Solti, who was one of the towering figures in opera for over 50 years, from his prewar performances assisting Toscanini and his groundbreaking `Ring' cycle for Decca, to his late recordings championing young singers such as Angela Gheorghiu.
			20010108		The conductor Martin Handley investigates spieloper - the form of 19th-century popular opera which maintains its hold on German audiences but is all but ignored in Britain. Music includes works by Lortzing, Flotow and Nicolai.
			20010115		The conductor Martin Handley investigates the wealth of small provincial opera houses in Germany, looking at how a typical season might satisfy audience demand for popular works whilst throwing in a few surprises.
		The Marriage Of Figaro	20010122		Martin Handley explores the power of opera to rock public and political opinion. Works investigated include Mozart's `The Marriage of Figaro' - which shocked 18th-century sensibilities - Beethoven's overtly political `Fidelio', and three subversive 20th-century operas - Weill's `Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny', Krenek's `Jonny Spielt Auf' and Shostakovich's `Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District'.
			20010129		Martin Handley begins a two-part profile of the great Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, focusing on her finest roles in operas by Wagner, Strauss, Puccini and Mozart.
			20010205		Martin Handley presents the second programme in a two-part profile of the great Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, focusing on her finest roles in operas by Wagner, Strauss, Puccini and Mozart.
			20010212		Bass Robert Lloyd talks about his experience of working with New York's Metropolitan Opera, where he made his debut in 1988.
			20010219		Bass Robert Lloyd explores the relationship between singers and conductors in the world of opera.
			20010226		Bass Robert Lloyd attempts to decide which opera he considers to be his favourite.
			20010305		Bass Robert Lloyd takes a look at the dramas that happen backstage at opera houses around the world.
		Don Giovanni	20010312		Bass Robert Lloyd investigates the difficulties involved in staging Mozart's `Don Giovanni'.
			20010319		Bass Robert Lloyd on the process of preparing an operatic role. Music by Mozart, Verdi and Wagner.
			20010326		Bass Robert Lloyd answers some of the questions he is often asked about his work.
		Dream Team	20010402		In the first of a new series, Michael White assembles a `dream team' cast for Bizet's masterpiece, including Maria Callas, Teresa Berganza, Franco Corelli and Placido Domingo
		Fantasy Opera: Fidelio	20010409		Michael White assembles his ideal cast for Beethoven's only opera, including Kirsten Flagstad, Jon Vickers, Walter Berry, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Otto Klemperer.
		Romeo And Juliet	20010416		Michael White assembles his dream cast for Bernstein and Sondheim's groundbreaking interpretation of the `Romeo and Juliet' story, including Kiri te Kanawa, Jose Carreras, Marilyn Horne and members of the original film cast.
		Peter Grimes	20010423		Michael White assembles his dream cast for Benjamin Britten's masterpiece `Peter Grimes', including Peter Pears, Jon Vickers, Joan Cross and Thomas Allen.
		Orfeo Ed Euridice	20010430		Michael White assembles his dream cast for Gluck's groundbreaking opera `Orfeo ed Euridice', including Derek Lee Ragin, Janet Baker, Agnes Baltsa and Kathleen Ferrier.
		Eugene Onegin	20010507		Michael White assembles his dream cast for Tchaikovsky's operatic masterpiece `Eugene Onegin', including Galina Vishnevskaya, Vladimir Atlantov, Neil Shikov and Dmitri Hvorostovsky.
		La Boheme	20010514		Michael White assembles a dream cast for Puccini's well-loved masterpiece `La Boheme', including listeners' suggestions.
		The Marriage Of Figaro	20010521		Michael White assembles a dream cast for Mozart's masterpiece `The Marriage of Figaro', including suggestions by listeners.
		Don Giovanni		20010528	In the first of four programmes exploring Prague's many operatic connections, Jan Smaczny investigates the 18th-century city and discovers the musical background to early performances there of Mozart's `Don Giovanni' and `The Marriage of Figaro'.
		Opera At The Crossroads Of Europe		20010604	In the second of four programmes exploring Prague's many operatic connections, Jan Smaczny looks at the city during the glory days of the Czech national revival and unearths musical gems composed by Dvorak, Smetana and Skroup.
		Opera At The Crossroads Of Europe		20010611	The second of four programmes exploring Prague's many operatic connections. Jan Smaczny recalls Prague in 1881 and the opening of the National Theatre. With music by Smetana, Dvorak, Fibich and Foerster.
		Opera At The Crossroads Of Europe		20010618	In his final visit to Prague, Jan Smaczny investigates operas by Janacek, Martinu and Friml.
				20010625	Martin Handley begins a two-part profile of the great Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, focusing on her finest roles in operas by Wagner, Strauss, Puccini and Mozart.
				20010702	Martin Handley concludes his two-part profile of the great Swedish soprano Birgit Nilsson, focusing on her finest roles in operas by Wagner, Strauss, Puccini and Mozart.
		Don Giovanni		20010709	Bass Robert Lloyd investigates the difficulties involved in staging Mozart's `Don Giovanni'.
			20010716		Robert Lloyd takes a close look at the process of preparing for an operatic role. Featuring music by Mozart, Verdi and Wagner.
		Legends: John Tomlinson		20010728	Michael White talks to the great bass-baritone John Tomlinson and plays recordings of his greatest roles, including music by Wagner, Mozart and Mussorgsky.
		Legends: Anja Silja		20010825	Michael White presents a celebration of the great German soprano Anja Silja, including excerpts from her classic recordings of Berg, Janacek, Strauss and Wagner.
		Peter Pears		20010901	Michael White traces the musical partnership between Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, for whose distinctive voice Britten created a dozen operatic roles, from Peter Grimes (1945) to Aschenbach in `Death in Venice' (1973). With excerpts from Britten's operas and works by other composers.