Love and Death in Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'

Richard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier is an opera about the passage of time — what it means to grow older, what we lose and what we gain as the years pass, and how we know when it's time to let go of the people that we love. Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča knows all about letting go, because after singing the role of Octavian for 17 years, she is giving her final performance as the passionate count this week. But Garanča has no regrets. She's learned to appreciate her life by accepting, and even enjoying, the passage of time. 

Soprano Jennifer Rowley is singing the role of Roxane in Franco Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac, and she says that there's a little bit of Cyrano in all of us. This week, we discuss the sentimental story about love, self-doubt, and the disproportionately large facial feature that has captured our imagination for more than a century.

This week on He Sang/She Sang, William Berger, author of the book Wagner without Fear, discusses one of history's most controversial and visionary composers. He explores the hit tunes and earworms, the power of transformation, and the unexpected parallels between Wagner and The Beatles. 

When we think of Verdi's Aida, we imagine the stunning grandeur of the Triumphal March, with its enormous cast of singers, dancer, acrobats, and animals. But stage director David Paul argues that at its heart, Aida is a surprisingly intimate opera about a love triangle. 

Wagner's Tristan und Isolde is an extraordinary journey through the human psyche, and through the two most powerful forces guiding our lives: love and death. Merrin Lazyan speaks with writer Paul Thomason about the intoxicating magnetism of the music, and tenor Stuart Skelton compares singing the role of Tristan to climbing the Himalayas. 

Beethoven spent more than ten years revising Fidelio, the only opera he ever wrote. This was about more than music for the great composer. It was about freedom, devotion, and the triumph of human dignity over tyranny. In this episode, host Merrin Lazyan speaks with clarinetist Jessica Phillips and soprano Adrianne Pieczonka about Beethoven's revolutionary sound and spirit.

World-renowned mezzo Alice Coote marvels at Mozart's early insight into fate, sacrifice, and parental love in his first great opera, Idomeneo. She also describes in vivid detail the perils of dressing (and undressing) for a trouser role.

On this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher are joined by author Fred Plotkin to discuss the glorious music of Rossini's final opera, William Tell. We also speak with the Tony-nominated set designer George Tsypin about the themes of nature and freedom that inspired him. 

On this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher are joined by dramaturg Cori Ellison to discuss Verdi's mythical and timeless masterpiece, La Traviata. We also speak with baritone Thomas Hampson, who has been singing the role of Germont for 25 years. Hampson tells us how the complex and beautiful dilemmas that we find in this opera help us to better understand who we really are. 

On this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, Merrin Lazyan and Jeff Spurgeon speak with writer James Kuslan about Massenet's lovelorn hero, Werther. We also hear from mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard about the magnetic power of love at first sight.