It might at first sound like it would be nice to be the lover of the king of the Olympian gods, attended by divine spirits, and living in a luxurious palace among the clouds.  But this happily-ever-after turns sour after Princess Semele asks Jupiter for the gift of immortality.  After a bit of intrigue amongst the gods–not least among them Jupiter’s resourceful and ruthless wife Juno–disaster strikes the princess Semele and her dreams are reduced to ashes. An “English opera” from the later career of Baroque master, George Frideric Handel, Semele teems with engaging arias as well as sumptuous choral pieces. Inspired by a tale told by Ovid, Handel and his librettist, William Congreve crafted a work of art that beguiles and entertains supremely. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

The young Aida loves the dashing military commander Radamès, and he adores her with a burning passion.Their mutual love is, however, somewhat complicated by the fact that Aida is a slave, enslaved by a princess who is equally smitten with the heroic warrior.  Further complicating matters, Radamès’ military renown is founded on successfully prosecuting a war against Aida’s people.  In this violent clash of the personal and political, Aida triumphs in her quest to be together “ever after” with Radamès, but certainly not in the way they had hoped.  Join us this episode to marvel at the spectacle and scale of Giuseppe Verdi’s enduringly popular epic opera, Aida. Hosted by Pat with guest co-host Gerald Malone. Gerald Malone’s website, TheRestIsOpera.com is brimming with commentary on opera productions that he has seen around the world, and “scuttlebutt” about opera from a suspiciously well-informed canine. Gerald Malone is also the Opera Critic of ReactionLife, a UK-based online current affairs and cultural publication.

If you’re going to have a love triangle, why not have a singing knight, a literal saint, and the Goddess of Love herself?  Come and enjoy the kind of sweeping, romantic, metaphysical yet dramatic opera that could only come from the utterly unrestrained Richard Wagner.  Evil and good, bondage and freedom, power and love clash cataclysmically, and a legendary story is definitively rewritten. Hosted by Pat with guest co-hosts Kathleen and Grant For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

Once upon a time, there was a heroic knight, the greatest of Charlamagne’s famed paladins, and his name was Orlando (or Roland, depending on whom you ask.)  Among his many heroic deeds and great journeys was this: a quest to a magical isle to abduct the headstrong princess Angelica and steal the ashes of Melin (yes, that Merlin).  As his failure to win Angelica’s heart leads him down the path to madness, we must ask: is there hope for this broken hero after all? Antonio Vivaldi, famed composer of The Four Seasons, is not widely known for his operas, however, he composed between 70 and 100 in his lifetime.  Join us for a discussion of this treasure of Baroque opera. Hosted by Pat and Jeff Counts (General Manager of the Grand Teton Music Festival, and KHOL’s film critic) Grand Teton Music Festival

You’ve never heard the story of Romeo and Juliet told like this! Not even if you have listened to the three previous episodes in which Pat and Kathleen discuss three operas based on the enduring tale of the “star-crossed lovers,” Ep. 120 Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, Ep. 124 Vaccai’s Giulietta e Romeo, Ep. 126 Bellini’s I Capuleti e i Montecchi.   Hector Berlioz’s Roméo et Juliette is a “dramatic symphony” in which three choirs and three soloists help tell the story of the two iconic lovers, who are themselves voiced by the orchestra.  Please join us for our discussion of this magnificent and unusual work. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

What can one woman do, when set against the entire world? Quite a lot, if she happens to be the sorceress Medea.  This French Baroque opera written by Marc Antoine Charpentier takes on the ancient tale of Medea’s struggle to find a place for herself in the world of mythic Greece’s heroes and kingdoms, which eventually descends into fire, chaos, and death. Hosted by Pat, with guest host Petria Fossel

Can a young man win a wife through a singing competition?  He just might, if he’s in Richard Wagner’s romantic comedy (yes, you read that right, “Richard Wagner’s romantic comedy,”) Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.  Young Walter may not be trained in the masters’ techniques, but ultimately his passion wins the hearts of the beautiful Eva, the singing masters, and the people of Nuremberg.  Join Pat and guest co-host Gerald Malone for an in-depth discussion of one of Wagner’s most intriguing operas. Gerald Malone is the Opera Critic of ReactionLife, a UK-based online current affairs and cultural publication.

Ill-fated lovers caught up in a world incapable of supporting love not sanctioned by officialdom… it’s a story for the ages.  Join Pat and Kathleen for their third look at the Romeo and Juliet story in operatic form, I Capuleti e I Montecchi, by bel canto master, Vincenzo Bellini.   If you haven’t already, we invite you to listen to Episode 120 on Gounod’s Roméo et Juliette, and Episode 124 on Nicola Vaccai’s Giulietta e Romeo.   Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

“Seems an opera house is the perfect place for mischief and mayhem,” says the hard-boiled Inspector Cristina as she seeks to unravel the mystery at the heart of Overture to Murder, the meticulously researched third book of Erica Miner’s “Julia Kogan Opera Mystery Series.” Mayhem and mischief are no strangers to the opera house, both on and off-stage.  Join us for a discussion of both Erica’s new book and Giacomo Puccini’s Il Tabarro, a powerful, gritty verismo opera inspired by the dramatic potential of the darker human impulses. For more on Erica Miner, visit ericaminer.com

A great story is one that we are never done with, and there are few stories in human history with as many retellings and reimaginings as the epic tale of Romeo and Juliet.  Nicola Vaccai wrote this 1825 opera based not on the Elizabethan play, but on the source materials from which Shakespeare drew.  Here, the Montagues and Capulets are not merely feuding families, but armies waging war as a part of the titanic power struggles between the Holy Roman Empire and the Papacy that wracked medieval and renaissance Italy.  However, the heart of the story remains the doomed romance between young lovers caught in a maelstrom beyond their control.   This is the second in a (non-contiguous) series in which Pat and Kathleen closely consider the Romeo and Juliet story in opera.  For an episode that presents an operatic take on Shakespeare’s play about these famous lovers, please listen to Opera for Everyone, Episode 120. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

Trying desperately to return home alive from the Trojan War, King Idomeneo makes a terrible promise to the sea god from the deck of his storm-ravaged ship.  The consequence of his promise is worse than he could imagine, and only after many twists does he achingly find his way to peace.  The emotional depth of the characters of Idomeneo gives Mozart ample opportunity to demonstrate his compositional powers in this, his first fully mature and unquestionably successful opera. Hosted by Pat, with guest co-host Gerald Malone Gerald Malone is the Opera Critic of the UK online current affairs and cultural publication, ReactionLife.

It’s a battle for the fate of the universe as the Dark Side plots, schemes, and fights to gain dominance over the Light Side.  Though this opera predates Mozart’s The Magic Flute by several decades, you may find echoes here of Mozart’s beloved work, as it is also heavily influenced by the ideals of the Enlightenment and the principles of Freemasonry.  Jean-Philippe Rameau was the pre-eminent French composer of his day, and close with thinkers such as Voltaire.  Rameau’s librettist for Zoroastre, Louis de Cahusac, was the secretary for the Grand Master of the Freemasonry’s Grand Lodge in Paris.  Join Pat and Grant for a deep dive into this grand, mythical story’s cosmic stakes and spiritual resonances.

Die Zauberflöte (“The Magic Flute”) is, by any measure, one of the most popular, successful, and well-known operas ever written, delighting adults and children alike.  Yet experiencing Mozart’s The Magic Flute has left countless opera-goers reflecting contentedly on the sumptuous musical feast, but scratching their heads over the plot and characters.  With the help of conductor Ben Manis, Opera for Everyone takes a close look at both Mozart’s musical genius and a narrative journey into a fantastical and dreamlike world.  In this realm of magic and incarnate forces, we try to discover what can be understood, and what must simply be felt and experienced. Hosted by Pat and Conductor Ben Manis

Of all the love stories ever told, none quite compare to the enduring power of Romeo and Juliet. Over four centuries ago, English playwright William Shakespeare crafted a timeless story harnessing both the powers of profound love and deep hatred, and his tale of “star-crossed lovers” has become an inspiration to countless artists.  Two and a half centuries later, French composer Charles Gounod and his librettists took Shakespeare’s play as a starting point, and crafted it into an exquisitely beautiful and heart-rending opera.  Join us for an in-depth discussion of how this story plays out as a French grand opéra. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

An unscrupulous king pressures a woman to marry him.  She resists, knowing her heart belongs to the man who truly loves her, the chief general in the king’s army. Into this love-triangle, toss in a scheming underling of the king, a sympathetic maid of the woman, a devoted best friend of the general, and you have all the ingredients for a gripping story.  Enhance the whole tale with a magnificent score, and you have a delightful opera, and, in fact, the first fully successful opera by the most prolific composer of the Bel Canto style, Gaetano Donizetti.  Though Donizetti composed 70 operas, only a small number of those are regularly staged these days.  We invite you to meet Zoraida di Granata, and enjoy an early work from a beloved composer. Hosted by Pat and Janet

KHOL in Jackson WY is Opera for Everyone’s home radio station, and Wyoming’s only community radio station.  If you have ever wanted to support Opera for Everyone, please consider supporting KHOL at 891KHOL.org/donate. June 15 marks the beginning of KHOL’s summer membership drive. Thank you everyone!

“The course of true love never did run smooth.”  Shakespeare’s iconic "A Midsummer Night’s Dream" gives us some of the Bard’s most memorable (and ridiculous) characters and situations.  Benjamin Britten, together with his partner Peter Pears, so appreciated the merits of Shakespeare’s play that they faithfully adapted the script into a libretto for Britten’s 1960 opera of the same name. The good-natured story shifts among fairy and human characters and their antics on a midsummer night.  Observing the chaos, Puck, puckish henchman to the fairy king, exclaims, “Lord, what fools these mortals be!” True enough, but there’s plenty of entertaining foolishness here from mortals and fairies alike. And, after all, doesn’t love make fools of us all? Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.  

Was it only a dream? Baroque composer Henry Purcell was on his way to establishing a national operatic tradition based on the dramatic and musical traditions of the English, when, alas, his life was cut short after just 36 years.  Join us as we explore Purcell’s musically and emotionally rich “The Fairy Queen,” a delightful twist on the Bard’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Shakespeare was content to end his tale with ambiguity, and so must we content ourselves with what Purcell has given us, and not indulge in the fantasy of what might have been had he enjoyed additional years composing. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

Where passion joins with music and poetry we find opera. In this sweet spot, we also find What We Need Is Here, the most recent project by accomplished musician and singer, Lisa Reagan. Lisa joins us to talk about creating an album of songs for classic poems that have been meaningful to her life. Lisa Reagan spent twenty years singing with the Washington National Opera and her first performance there was in Verdi’s La Forza del Destino, an opera of epic scope and dramatic extremes. Join Pat, Kathleen and Lisa for a close look at this powerful opera and the varieties of human experience it explores. Hosted by Pat and Kathleen, with special guest Lisa Reagan For more on Lisa Reagan and her album What We Need Is Here, visit lisareagan.com For more cultural and arts commentary by Kathleen Van De Wille, visit Constructive Criticism on Substack.

Two things never go out of fashion: opera and mystery.  In this episode, mystery writer and former opera violinist Erica Miner talks with us about her opera mystery series and Lulu, Berg’s high-body-count melodrama.  Lulu, which features prominently in Erica’s new novel, centers on a beautiful young woman whose admirers descend into obsession.  Join us for a fascinating discussion of the nuts and bolts of opera, how it has informed Erica’s writings, and a close look at Berg’s masterpiece. Erica Miner is the author of Prelude to Murder, the second book in the Julia Kogan Opera Mystery Series.  For more on Erica, visit ericaminer.com