Opera

Berlioz’ “Béatrice et Bénédict”: Four Excerpts from the Comic Opera

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Beatrice and Benedict, the principal characters of Hector Berlioz’s 1862 comic opera of the same name, quarrel, hurl taunts and insults at one other, and then fall in love. Berlioz described the two-act opera, based on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, as “a caprice written with the point of a needle.” It was his final completed work. Biographer David Cairns observes that “listening to the score’s exuberant gaiety, only momentarily touched by sadness, …

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Handel’s “I Was Born to Weep”: A Mournful Duet from “Giulio Cesare”

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Handel’s 1724 celebrated opera, Giulio Cesare in Egitto, HWV 17 (“Julius Caesar in Egypt”), explores themes of “power, ambition, love, and revenge.” Set during the Roman Civil War of 49-45 BC, it chronicles the love story between Caesar and the cunning seductress Cleopatra. Amid this political drama, Cornelia and her stepson Sesto are determined to avenge the beheading of Pompeo (Cordelia’s husband) by Tolomeo, who rules Egypt with his sister, Queen Cleopatra. …

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Remembering John Nelson

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American conductor John Nelson passed away on March 31, 2025. He was 83. Born in San José, Costa Rica, to American missionary parents, Nelson studied at Wheaton College and later at the Juilliard School. He went on to serve as music director of the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra (1976-1987), Opera Theatre of St. Louis (1985-1988), the Caramoor Music Festival in New York (1983-1990), and the Orchestre de chambre de Paris (1998-2008). Additionally, he …

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Puccini’s “Tosca”: Four Key Excerpts

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Giacomo Puccini’s three-act opera, Tosca, blends “intrigue, love, lust, politics, and religion.” (James Conlon) Set in Rome in June of 1800, amid the turbulence of the Napoleonic wars, the action takes place over a breakneck sixteen hours. The story centers around three principal characters: Floria Tosca (soprano), a star opera singer, her lover Mario Cavaradossi (tenor), a painter and republican, and the corrupt and sadistic chief of police, Baron Scarpia (baritone), a …

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Mozart’s “Don Giovanni”: Zerlina’s Tenderly Seductive Aria, “Vedrai, Carino”

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Blending comedy, melodrama, and the supernatural, Mozart’s 1787 opera, Don Giovanni, tells the story of an arrogant, promiscuous nobleman, who, before the final curtain, receives the ultimate hellish comeuppance. Don Giovanni attempts to seduce the peasant girl, Zerlina, and disarm her jealous fiancé, Masetto. At the beginning of the second act, Masetto and his friends look for Don Giovanni in order to kill him, but they are outsmarted by the cunning, disguised …

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Handel’s “Stille Amare”: The “Poison” Aria from “Tolomeo”

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Handel’s opera, Tolomeo, HWV 25, was first performed at the King’s Theatre in London on April 30, 1728, and featured a spectacular and renowned cast, which the composer imported from Italy. Set in 108 BC, its plot is ripe for high drama: The story of Tolomeo is set in Ancient Egypt and follows Tolomeo, the son of a deposed king, who is forced to marry Seleuce, who is already married to his …

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Handel’s “Esther,” “Tune Your Harps”: Cheerful Pizzicato Strains

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Handel’s 1732 oratorio, Esther, tells the story of a Jewish orphan who becomes Queen of Persia. When the villainous Haman becomes enraged by a personal slight and, in retaliation, orders the extermination of all Jews throughout the Persian Empire, Esther saves her people from massacre. The work originated in 1718 as a semi-staged masque, performed for the Duke of Chandos, who employed Handel as resident composer for two years. Later, Handel expanded it …

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