Opera Apéro
The show to make you realize you are smart enough to understand opera. On each episode, host Sophia tells the story of an opera to a friend with little to no experience, accompanied by some inebriated chuckles and lively conversation about the themes and characters. Broadcasting biweekly from a blanket fort in Berlin, Germany.
Episodes
On this episode of Opera Apéro, I talk to my friend Maxwell (he/him) about Leos Janacek's opera Jenůfa. It's the story of a young woman in a small town in love and pregnant by a man who can’t commit. As time progresses, they face the consequences of the decisions made to avoid community shame. We discuss parallels with other operas like Madama Butterfly and Pagliacci, how story meaning can change based on opera director’s artistic ...
On this episode of Opera Apéro, I talk to my friend Caitlin (she/her) about Ruggero Leoncavallo's opera Pagliacci. It's the story of a clown burying his feelings under his makeup and costume leading to an explosive ending. We talk about all kinds of clownery: toxic masculinity, the American double sided friendliness/fakeness, and The Simpsons. Stick around at the end to hear more about what I've been up to during the show hiatus.
On this episode of Opera Apéro, I'm talking about my recent opera "binge" where I attended 4 live operas in one month. They were all different and special in their own way: attending a local opera house vs one while traveling; going on a swanky Saturday vs a weeknight; seeing operas I've never seen before vs those I seen many times over; going with opera newbies vs attending alone. Hear all about how my nights out validated my advi...
You never forget your first... On this episode of Opera Apéro, we're talking all about how to attend the opera. If you've ever wondered what it's like, listen in to hear all about how you can attend your first opera. We talk through everything from how to pick an opera to see, how to prepare, what to wear, and how to get away with falling asleep (just kidding...kind of...). I spend some time talking about my experience attending th...
On this episode of Opera Apéro, I talk to my friend Nelly (she/her) about Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky's opera Iolanta. It's the story of a nobleman who falls in love with a young princess with a big secret that even she isn't aware of: she's blind. Mild spoiler, this is our second episode in a row that's a feel-good opera. Listen in to hear how this big romance goes down. We discuss how parents try to normalize their children's experi...
On this episode of Opera Apéro, I talk to my friend Lex (she/her) about L'elisir d'amore by Gaetano Donizetti. Unlike an earlier Donizetti opera episode (looking at you, Lucia), this opera is the 18th century version of a comforting romcom flick. It's the story of a rural worker longing for the love of a farm-owner with her head in a book, the magical potions he buys from a traveling medicineman to win her over. Lex is the founder ...
Just like that, summer break is over and Opera Apéro is back with some fresh drama for your ears. On this episode, I talk to my friend and fellow Sagittarian, Shaurya (he/him) about Giacomo Puccini's famous stunner opera Tosca. This romantic tragedy tells the story of Roman opera singer Floria Tosca, her lover Cavaradossi, and the plot twists that pull them apart on the eve of Napoleon's invasion of Rome. Thats right: we also learn...
On this episode, I talk to my friends from the Queer Communist Book Club, Zoë (she/her) and Tom (he/him) about Alban Berg's opera Wozzeck. This is the story of a soldier in the early 1900s working to support his family all the while being tormented by his superiors and increasingly disturbing halllucinations. We discuss the ways in which impoverished communities and individuals lose autonomy over their decisions, the #FreeBritney m...
On this episode, I talk to my friend Chris (he/him) about Gaetano Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor. It's the tragic story of a woman mentally strained by grief, heartbreak, and arranged marriage and the unfortunate outcome of these growing pressures. We talk about the uniqueness of the emotional male character, understanding how each of the characters portrays their grief, and the notion of marriage as a financial transaction....
On this episode, I talk to my friend Alejandro (he/him) about Dmitri Shostakovich's opera The Nose. Originally based off a short story by Nikolai Gogol, it tells the story of a man who wakes up one morning with his nose missing and the ordeal of finding it again. It's a silly surreal opera that satirizes Russian society at that time. We discuss what body parts we could live without, the pressure to get married, and how class divisi...
On this episode, I talk to my friend Marguerite (she/her) about Gioachino Rossini's opera Le Comte Ory. It's a wacky comedy about a licentious man scheming his way into a castle of women while the men of the area are gone on the Crusades. Just wait for the sexy surprise at the end. My guest Marguerite happens to also be a young opera fan as well. We discuss how opera can be silly and sexy, the use of a pants role to create extra te...
On this episode, I talk to my friend Kristina (she/her) about Stravinsky's English language opera The Rake's Progress. It's the story of one man's path from naive country man to disillusioned urbanite to doomed soul and all the people pulling him between good and bad along the way. Get ready for some fairy tale names and silly plot points. Afterwards, we discuss the city (and our home of Berlin) as a place to live outside societal ...
On this episode, I talk to my first Berlin friend Ellen (she/her) about the super sexy opera Carmen by Georges Bizet. It's the tragic story of a young Spanish soldier seduced by a free-spirited gypsy woman Carmen, and what comes after the flames of passion have burned out. We discuss the culpability of Carmen in the story, if she is a role model or not, whether or not passion can be a form of love, and what that looks like in roman...
It's a surprise bonus mini-episode! On the show, we talk so much about operas, the staging, the costumes, the acting. It's about time we talk about how to watch some of these magnificent productions. Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, the options for streaming an opera at home are numerous. All you need is a solid internet connection. Tune in and then go forth and watch operas!
On this episode, I'm flying solo. We take a brief pause from working through operas to have an "Opera Appreciation" lesson on the different types of voices in operatic singing. These come from the German Fach system for categorizing voices by their range and depth. Beyond the currently sung voice types, I'll also get into the unfortunate history of the castrato voice and why it's no longer in existence. As I cover each voice type, ...
On this episode, I talk to Aubrey (they/them), friend and creator of our show art, about Strauss' opera Salome. In this second installment of Women's History Month, the story focuses on an evil woman, a femme fatale if you wish. She is female sexuality completely unhinged. We discuss art that is upsetting, sexuality and achieving power through others', recognizing women's capacity for evil, and many dysfunctional family dynamics.
On this episode, to celebrate Women's History Month, I talk to my friend Theo (they/he) about Giacomo Puccini's La fanciulla del West. It's a love story set in the Wild West about Minnie, a saloon owner who gets caught up with a bandit on the run. We chat about the aesthetics of the West, how tropes are useful in relating to stories, and why we admire Minnie, her bandit, and their relationship. Yeehaw!
Update: Since the recordin...
On this episode, I talk to my friend Sophia about Antonín Dvořák's Rusalka. It's the story of a water nymph who just wants to know human love and what she does to achieve that. We spend some time talking about just "Sophia" things, debating parental advice, and what Tinder would be like if we took Rusalka's approach to love. Sophia declares the winners of this story, and it's certainly not Rusalka.
On this episode, I talk to my friend Zoë (she/her) about Giacomo Puccini's Madama Butterfly. It's a tragic romantic story of an American naval officer and his young Japanese bride. We discuss the delusions of love, how this story reflects the trend of orientalism, and how we personally hate and relate to Pinkerton.
Content warning: this episode discusses suicide.
On this episode, I talk to my friend Kyle about Verdi's Il Trovatore. "Il Trovatore" translates to the troubadour, a person who sang lyric poetry in Medieval times. Fortunately, the plot of this opera is a lot more juicy than that might indicate. We've got love triangles! We've got dark family secrets! We've got decades long revenge plots! We've got witch burning! This is easily one of the juiciest opera plots there is and will lea...
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