Podcasts about nimet habachy

In just a few days, Puccini's LA FANCIULLA DEL WEST will be broadcast Live in HD from The Metropolitan Opera, with Jonas Kaufmann starring opposite Eva Marie Westbroek as the lovable barmaid to his rugged outlaw. Prepare for the broadcast with this pre-performance talk, featuring Nimet Habachy, as she explores the history, music, and dramatic highlights of this romantic tale.

Bellini's NORMA is a landmark role for sopranos, and audiences always wait with baited breath to hear her glorious aria, "Casta Diva." But there is more to this opera, and to this role, than that famous aria. In today's episode, Nimet Habachy explores the notions of fidelity - to family, to religion, and to love - in Bellini's bel canto masterpiece.

According to soprano Jennifer Rowley, there’s a little bit of Cyrano in all of us. When it comes to pathos, Franco Alfano’s opera based on Cyrano de Bergerac hits this sentimental story right on the nose. Premiered in 1936, Cyrano the opera brings rich and fragrant music—with hints of Puccini and Debussy—to Rostand’s exquisite poetry, which not only delights the audience but animates its title character, the swashbuckling rhapsodist Cyrano. Convinced that he couldn’t possibly deserve the love of the fair Roxane, Cyrano finds himself in the awkward position of helping an utterly unworthy suitor win her affections. You can practically hear Cyrano’s heart breaking from the back row. This week on He Sang/She Sang, we’ll chat with Jennifer Rowley about her role debut as Roxane at the Metropolitan Opera. She’ll tell us how she became the woman who casts a spell over nearly every male character, and how she learned to walk like a 17th century French lady.  Also, WQXR’s Nimet Habachy and Merrin Lazyan go nosing through the history, themes and musical highlights of this wonderful yet neglected opera.  Cyrano de Bergerac (Montpellier 2003): This episode features excerpts from the following album: Franco Alfano: Cyrano de Bergerac (CPO, 2003)— Manuela Uhl, soprano; Roman Sadnik, tenor; Paul McNamara, tenor; Matthias Klein, bass-baritone; the Kiel Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus conducted by Markus Frank

Antonin Dvorak fell in love with the story of Rusalka as soon as he laid eyes on the libretto, and it was an immediate success when it premiered at the National Theater in Prague in 1901. Based primarily on two fairy tales (Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" and Friedrich de la Motte Fouque's "Undine"), it tells the story of a water nymph who falls in love with a prince and trades her voice to become human. Contrary to the Disney version, the story ends tragically for Rusalka. She is betrayed by the man she loves and she is doomed to spend the rest of her life trapped between the immortal world of the water nymphs and the mortal human world.  Rusalka's journey is one of extraordinary transformation — from nymph to human, from mortal to immortal, from water to land, from family to isolation, from love to betrayal, and from longing to resignation. We hear it all in Dvorak's lush score and we quickly understand why this opera is considered a national treasure in the Czech republic. In this episode, Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher speak with WQXR overnight host Nimet Habachy about Dvorak's supernatural masterpiece. We also hear from soprano Kristine Opolais about her special connection to this role, about the betrayals we face and about the sacrifices we make for love.  Nimet's YouTube pick (Frederica von Stade):  Julian's YouTube picks:  This episode features excerpts from the following album: Dvorak: Rusalka (London/Decca, 1998)— Renée Fleming, soprano; Ben Heppner, tenor; Franz Hawlata, bass-baritone; Ivan Kusnjer, baritone; Livia Aghova, soprano; Dana Buresova, soprano; Hana Minutillo, mezzo-soprano; Czech Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras

In anticipation of the Met’s Live in HD broadcast of Manon Lescaut this Saturday, March 5th, we are happy to bring to you a Manon Lescaut pre-performance lecture that took place not even 24 hours prior to the release of this episode. Today’s lecturer, Nimet Habachy, is known in the New York City area for her more than 25 years as the host of New York at Night on the old WQXR. She now frequently gives lectures at both the Metropolitan Opera Guild as well as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and has even joined the Met Museum as a lecturer on international tours. I hope you enjoy Ms. Habachy’s insights into Puccini’s first great hit, Manon Lescaut.