New York Metropolitan Opera
Sundays in August
On Sunday, August 16, Stingray Classica broadcasts Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin, based Pushkin’s iconic work of Russian literature. The opera projects the restless romantic anti-hero archetype through a bored Russian aristocrat caught between convention and listlessness. The opera showcases Tchaikovsky’s lyrical genius. On August 23, Stingray Classica premieres the Metropolitan Opera’s 2016 rendition of Tristan and Isolde, Wagner's iconic tale of love and death. The opera, based on the popular European medieval myth, holds a firm place amongst the greatest operatic works in history. The famed Tristan chord repeatedly heard throughout this piece is exemplary of the composer's approach to the leitmotif technique. Stingray Classica closes the month of Metropolitan Opera performances with Handel’s Giulio Cesare in Egitto, detailing the encounter between the titular character and the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra during the final years of the Ptolemaic dynasty.
Tchaikovsky - Eugene Onegin
Sunday, 16 August
Based on one of the most iconic works of Russian literature, Tchaikovsky's adaptation of Alexander Pushkin's Eugene Onegin is coloured by a broad range of emotions. This opera projects the restless romantic anti-hero archetype through a bored Russian aristocrat caught between convention and listlessness. Tchaikovsky's beloved lyrical ability is on full display in this opera, which transforms western European operatic idioms into a truly Russian work of art. The composer takes a neatly episodic approach to examining all manner of societal walks of life, from the pastoral to rural gentry and aristocratic. This performance includes Peter Mattei (baritone), Larissa Diadkova (mezzo soprano), Elena Maximova (mezzo soprano) and Anna Netrebko (soprano). It was recorded at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, United States, in 2017.
Wagner - Tristan und Isolde
Sunday, 23 August
Wagner's iconic tale of love and death holds a firm place amongst the greatest operatic works in history. Based on popular European medieval myth, Tristan and Isolde tells the story of illicit affection between a knight and the wife of his king. Wagner transcends the illusion of daily reality throughout this drama, revering the ultimate truths of life and the supernatural power of love. The famed “Tristan chord” heard repeatedly throughout this piece is exemplary of the composer's approach to the leitmotif technique, communicating a sense of irresistible yearning that cannot possibly be filled in this life. This performance features Stuart Skelton (tenor), Nina Stemme (soprano) and René Pape (bass). It was recorded at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, United States, in 2016.
Handel - Giulio Cesare in Egitto
Sunday, 30 August
Giulio Cesare in Egitto details the encounter between the titular character and the Egyptian pharaoh Cleopatra during the final years of the Ptolemaic dynasty. Renowned as one of the most colourful romances in history, this tale combines conflict, adventure and exoticism. Many of Handel's contemporaries agreed that this extraordinary opera offers "beauty of all kinds in abundance." The composer's intricate approach to instrumentation illuminates the central characters of this drama with grand arias that traverse the entire spectrum of human emotion. This performance features Andreas Scholl (countertenor), Cecilia Bartoli (soprano) and Anne Sofie von Otter (soprano). It was recorded at the Salzburger Pfingsfestspiele in Austria, in 2012.