What do you do when you find yourself filled with rage? In the opera world, you sing an emotionally charged Rage Aria. In this episode, we're talking about some of opera's most rageful moments.

Ep. 131: Insertion Arias

Feb 20th, 2021 34m 36s

What is a singer to do when the composer didn't right a banging aria for their character, or their aria leaves something to be desired? Insert a favorite aria of their choosing! It's hard to believe that this actually happened in the world of p

Ep. 130: Holiday Albums

Dec 23rd, 2020 57m 25s

Happy Holidays from Opera After Dark! We all love (or love to hate) a good holiday album. In this episode we discuss some of the most notable holiday albums by opera stars.

Ep. 129: The opera about the moon

Dec 16th, 2020 38m 4s

When you think about an opera about the Moon, does 20th-century music come to mind, or maybe the 21st? It turns out the first opera about space came way back in 1777. We hope you enjoy hearing about the Classical Era space opera, Il mondo della

Ep. 128: Papa Haydn

Dec 11th, 2020 38m 46s

In the realm of classical music, there are few individuals as influential as Franz Joseph Haydn. Though not known for his operas, Haydn is the original master of the symphony and string quartet, and definitely lived an interesting life.

Ep. 127: José Maurício Nunes Garcia

Nov 13th, 2020 36m 6s

Haven't heard of José Maurício? Neither had we! But it turns out he was a prolific Brazilian composer of the Classical Era, with over 200 published works and a Requiem that got the attention of Europe's best composers.

Episode 126: Duke Ellington and Queenie Pie

Oct 26th, 2020 46m 4s

In addition to his many accolades in the jazz world, Duke Ellington is another notable composer that tried his hand at opera. Though Ellington never finished his opera Queenie Pie, he definitely left us with some great tunes!

Ep. 125: Il Giasone

Oct 7th, 2020 49m 55s

Who knew that the most popular opera from the 17th-century was about some guy named Jason?! Apparently Elspeth did. Before you start imagining an opera about a '90s frat boy, you should know this opera is actually based on a Greek myth and comp

Ep. 124: Scott Joplin & Treemonisha

Sep 26th, 2020 37m 35s

Opera After Dark is back for season 5!! And we're kicking things off by talking about the greatest ragtime composer of all, Scott Joplin. Don't worry, we're not abandoning our roots. In addition to being the king of ragtime, Mr. Joplin also com

Ep. 123: Victoria and Albert

May 25th, 2020 57m 39s

With Memorial Day upon us (USA) and Victoria Day (Canada) just passed, we are taking the opportunity to talk about Queen Victoria and her love of opera, which she shared with her husband Prince Albert.

Ep. 122: Carl Maria von Weber

May 2nd, 2020 34m 56s

In today's episode, we talk about opera composer/conductor, Carl Maria von Weber. He was revolutionary in developing the role of the modern conductor, but of course, his life was full of scandal as well....

Ep. 121: Opera in Times of Crisis

Apr 14th, 2020 50m 46s

COVID-19 is impacting the entirety of the world, not the least of which is the impact on the classical music community. In this episode, we take a look at some of the impacts on the opera world, and also talk about some moments throughout histo

Ep. 120: Der fliegende Holländer

Mar 29th, 2020 1h 1m

In this episode, we talk about the opera that Wagner considered his first "true" work - DER FLIEGENDE HOLLÄNDER! Or, The Flying Dutchman. Its got leitmotifs. Its got arias. Its got orchestral storms with lots of brass. Its got a love triangle,

Ep. 119: Maria de Buenos Aires

Mar 18th, 2020 37m 36s

Most Opera After Dark episodes are recorded weeks in advance so you won't hear any mention of COVID-19 in today's episode, but please remember to support your local arts companies and artists during this crazy time.In the episode, we talk abo

Ep. 118: Werther

Mar 10th, 2020 1h 2m

In this episode, we talk about one of Elspeth's favorite operas - the incredibly dramatic, over the top, ultimate French romantic work: WERTHER! The composer, Massenet, basically defined the music of the French Belle Époque, and he definitely m

Ep. 117: Maria Callas... and Holograms

Mar 2nd, 2020 52m 12s

In this episode, we talk about one of opera's greatest legends, the diva of all divas, and the experience of getting to see her holographic reincarnation perform with a live orchestra. The one and only Maria Anna Cecilia Sofia Kalogeropoulos...

Ep. 116: Porgy and Bess

Feb 22nd, 2020 45m 41s

The beloved American Opera, Porgy and Bess, is having quite the season with sold out and added performances at the Met, and a wildly successful run at Cincinnati Opera. The Opera After Dark team traveled to Cincinnati last July to take in the c

Ep. 115: The Fiery Angel

Feb 16th, 2020 27m 49s

This episode is all about Prokofiev's THE FIERY ANGEL, one of the craziest opera plots we've talked about in a while! This opera has got it all, from Knights to sword fights to fortune tellers to a weird half time show with Faust and Mephistoph

Ep. 114: Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev!

Feb 6th, 2020 43m 21s

In this episode, we delve deep into the life of the Russian wunderkind Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev! He wrote a ton of stuff, he moved around a lot, he was kind of child prodigy, he wrote protest music that people didn't realize until much late

Ep. 113: Song Cycles - The Schus

Jan 28th, 2020 1h 2m

In our second installment of song cycle episodes, we look at the work of the two Schus(sounds like "shoes"... but it actually "Schus"): Schumann and Schubert! Rob and Franz! These song cycles are super poetic, super romantic, and in some cases,

Ep. 112: Song Cycles - The Origin

Jan 19th, 2020 39m 1s

In our first episode of the decade, we jump into one of our favorite sub-genres: the song cycle. Can you guess which beloved composer started this trend with the OG song cycle? Here's a hint: his name doesn't start with "Schu."

Ep. 111: More Holiday Favorites

Dec 22nd, 2019 20m 40s

It's that time of year again, and we're happy to be bringing you some of our favorite holiday music from the operatic and classical repertoire. Get ready for those warm and fuzzy feelings, and Happy Holidays!

Ep. 110: Queen Of Spades

Dec 14th, 2019 49m 39s

Tchaikovsky's last opera may not be as well known as some of his other works, but the Queen of Spades still packs a punch. Today, the OAD team fills you in on the best aspects of this Russian classic.

Ep. 109: The Tenor High C

Dec 6th, 2019 33m 4s

This week Kyle takes the reigns to talk about one of opera's most-loved phenomenons: the tenor high C. It wasn't always part of the opera world, but once it arrived, it changed things forever.

Ep. 108: The Cunning Little Vixen

Nov 23rd, 2019 38m 49s

What a pleasure it is revisit the music of one of our favorite composers: Leos Janacek! If you like beautiful orchestration and cute animal stories (which should include everyone), The Cunning Little Vixen is definitely the opera for you.