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The Metropolitan Opera and WQXR, New York’s all-Classical music station, announce Aria Code, a new 10-episode podcast series that pulls the curtain back on some of opera’s most legendary arias. Aria Code debuts on Tuesday, December 4 with an episode dedicated to Verdi’s La Traviata – a new production of which also opens that night at the Met.
Each episode features an introduction from host and guide Rhiannon Giddens, the MacArthur Genius and Grammy Award-winning folk singer and musician. Listeners will also hear from world-renowned opera stars. In addition, there will be insights from experts from a variety of fields on the music’s historical, philosophical, and cultural significance. The podcast ends with the complete and uninterrupted aria.
“I studied opera at the Oberlin Conservatory and fell hard for the music,” said Giddens. “Even though I’ve branched out in very different directions, opera stayed with me and I wanted to figure out why. In Aria Code, we really get inside these arias – decoding them with singers and other experts to understand the magic. I’m so excited to take listeners on this journey.”
“Opera is one of the most passionate and dramatic musical forms, but it can present certain barriers for the uninitiated,” said Matt Abramovitz, Vice President, Programming, WQXR. “We strive every day at WQXR to make classical music and opera more accessible to a broader audience, on-air, online and via podcasts.”
Aria Code will be available at AriaCode.org, Apple Podcasts, PocketCasts, and all other platforms where podcasts are available. New episodes will be released weekly through February 6.
Episode Guide:
EPISODE 1 (December 4, 2018) Opera: Verdi: La Traviata Aria: È strano … Sempre libera Performer: Diana Damrau
EPISODE 2 (December 12, 2018) Opera: Verdi: Otello Aria: Dio! Mi potevi scagliar Performer: Plácido Domingo
EPISODE 3 (December 19, 2018) Opera: Puccini: La Bohème Aria: Che gelida manina Performer: Vittorio Grigolo
EPISODE 4 (December 26, 2018) Opera: Puccini: Tosca Aria: Vissi d’arte Performer: Sondra Radvanovsky
EPISODE 5 (January 2, 2019) Opera: Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila Aria: Mon coeur s’ouvre a ta voix Performer: Elīna Garanča
EPISODE 6 (January 9, 2019) Opera: Donizetti: La Fille du Régiment Aria: Ah! Mes amis Performer: Javier Camarena
EPISODE 7 (January 16, 2019) Opera: Verdi: Rigoletto Aria: Caro nome Performer: Nadine Sierra
EPISODE 8 (January 23, 2019) Opera: Massenet: Cendrillon & Rossini: La Cenerentola Aria: Enfin, je suis ici & Non più mesta
EPISODE 9 (January 30, 2019) Opera: Bizet: Carmen Aria: La fleur que tu m’avais jetée Performer: Roberto Alagna
EPISODE 10 (February 6, 2019) Opera: Mozart: Die Zauberflöte Aria: The Queen of the Night aria Performer: Kathryn Lewek