Saturday Night at the Opera playlist for 10/03/2015

Program: 
Saturday Night at the Opera
  • Philip Glass
-
Satyagraha
from
  • New York City Opera Orchestra and Chorus; Christopher Keene, conductor
(
  • Sony Classical 88697527232
)
  • Igor Stravinksy
-
Le Rossignol (The Nightingale)
from
  • Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus; James Levine, conductor
(
  • The Metropolitan Opera
)
  • Giacomo Puccini, Gioacchino Rossini, Gaetano Donizetti, Giuseppe Verdi
-
Selections of arias from various operas by these composers (see below, under #3)
from
  • Ying Huang, soprano; London Symphony Orchestra; James Conlon, conductor
(
  • SK 62687
)

For tonight’s program, I decided to go with an Asian theme (within Western opera), from India to China. First we started off with Philip Glass’ Satyagraha, based on the life of Mahatma Gandhi; then we listened to Stravinsky’s Le Rossignol (The Nightingale), a fairytale set in Ancient China; finally we concluded with selections of arias sung by the renowned Chinese soprano Ying Huang!

  1. Satyagraha: M. K. Gandhi – Douglas Perry, tenor; Miss Schlesen – Claudia Cummings, soprano; Kasturbai and Mrs. Alexander – Rhonda Liss, mezzo-soprano; Mr. Kallenbach and Prince Arjuna – Robert McFarland, baritone; Parsi Rustomji and Lord Krishna – Scott Reeve, baritone; Mrs. Naidoo – Sheryl Woods, soprano

  2. Le Rossignol: The Fisherman – Philip Creech, tenor; The Nightingale – Gianna Rolandi, soprano; The Cook – Claudia Catania, mezzo-soprano; The Chamberlain – John Cheek, bass-baritone; The Bonze – Ara Berberian, bass-baritone; The Emperor of China – Morley Meredith, baritone; Japanese envoys – Michael Best (tenor), Gene Boucher (soprano), Paul Franke (tenor); Death – Jean Kraft, contralto

  3. Giacomo Puccini: La Bohème – “Quando m’en vo’ soletta”; La Rondine – “Chi il bel sogno di Doretta”; Gianni Schicchi – “O! Mio babbino caro” / Gioacchino Rossini: Semiramide – “Bel raggio lusinghier” / Gaetano Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor – “Regnava nel silenzio” / Giuseppe Verdi: Un Ballo in Maschera – “Volta la terrea fronte” / Gioacchino Rossini: Il Barbiere di Siviglia – “Una voce poco fà”
Department: 
Classical