Classical 101 Podcasts

The Metropolitan Opera presents Gioachino Rossini's Semiramide, broadcast live from New York in HD to movie theaters worldwide at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 10.

Say this title fast three times: Semiramide (She-mir-AH-mee-day).

The Columbus Symphony and Opera Columbus present Giuseppe Verdi's Aida at the Ohio Theatre, at 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 2, and 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. Rossen Milanov conducts.

I'm delighted that two fine local artists are playing featured roles: Brian Banion (Ramfis) and Robert Kerr (Pharaoh) — not to mention the superb all-volunteer Columbus Symphony Chorus, conducted by Ronald Jenkins.

This production of Aida will be broadcast at 1 p.m. Sunday, April 29 on Classical 101.

Opera Abbreviated is a Classical 101 podcast that previews The Metropolitan Opera's Live in HD series of performances beamed into cinemas worldwide.

The Met's new production of Giacomo Puccini's Tosca, everyone's favorite operatic potboiler, is the next feature, showing at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27. Staged by David McVicar, the production is conducted by Emmanuel Villaume and stars Sonya Yoncheva, Vittorio Grigolo and  Zelkjo Lucic.

The Metropolitan Opera's next performance of Mozart's Idomeneo will be seen Live in HD in cinemas all over the world at 1 p.m. Saturday, March 25.

Opera Abbreviated presents a 10-minute podcast, giving you my take on this great opera seria.

Can you play the ocarina?

I'm supposed to know about these things, but I admit I had to go online and find out more about the ocarina.

Why? Well, I can't play the ocarina.

But Sean Flynn can play the ocarina, and it all began with his love of Nintendo video-game series The Legend of Zelda.

Here, Sean plays his three ocarinas of varying sizes, shapes and sounds in the Classical 101 music library:

Opera Columbus presents Mozart's The Abduction from the Seraglio in an updated staging, complete with James Bond, dry martinis, beautiful people and villains just waiting to be vanquished.

Showtimes for Mission: Seraglio include 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 27 (Mozart's 261st birthday) and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 29th at the Southern Theatre.

The opera is sung in German, with English-language dialog.

Charles Gounod's opera Roméo et Juliette was first performed in Paris in 1867. This year, The Metropolitan Opera is staging a new production of the opera, with Diana Damrau and Vittorio Grigolo in the title roles. 

Giuseppe Verdi's Nabucco will be transmitted live from the stage of The Metropolitan Opera in New York to movie theaters around the world at 1 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 7. James Levine conducts, with Plácido Domingo in the title role.

The Metropolitan Opera present L'amour de Loin (Love from Afar) live in HD from the stage of the Metropolitan Opera in New York to movie theaters worldwide on Saturday, December 10 at 1:00 PM. This is the Met premiere of Saariaho's opera, which has become one of the most popular musical works of the 21st century, and is the first opera composed by a woman to be staged at the Met in 113 years. 

The Metropolitan Opera presents Mozart's Don Giovanni, live in HD in movie theaters worldwide on Saturday, October 22nd at 1:00 PM. 

The Metropolitan Opera begins a new season of live in HD transmissions from the Met stage in New York to cinemas worldwide with their new production of Wagner's Tristan und Isolde, Saturday October 8th at noon.

Samuel Barber's Antony and Cleopatra was commissioned by the Metropolitan Opera for the opening of the new opera house at Lincoln Center in 1966. The opera's world premiere, fifty years ago, was reviled by the newspapers and judging from the opening night broadcast, enjoyed by the audience. 

A previous episode of The Mozart Minute saw the 14-year-old Mozart composing his opera Mitridate, rè di Ponto on commission and for performance in Milan amid all manner of envy and intrigue. How Wolfgang the boy wonder secured a commission for such a large work at such a tender age is a story in its own right.

David Thomas is principal clarinetist with the Columbus Symphony Orchestra. He usually performs in concert halls. But recently, he gave a house concert in the east Columbus home of two of his associates.

One of the most satisfying aspects of a good concert can be the visceral impact of seeing other everyday people, some of whom you personally know, perform onstage. It sounds so simple, but the mystique of the performer can often obscure the empathy and sincerity of their performance.

The Columbus Ohio Discovery Ensemble, aka CODE, does a fantastic job of stripping away the affectations that keep listeners at bay while providing very new and exciting musical experiences. In essence, they know how to keep it real.