Opera at Eight

In addition to the opera excerpts presented throughout the day, WETA VivaLaVoce features a complete opera at 8 pm each day: Opera at 8. These opera performances are taken from the extensive WETA Classical library, ranging from classic recordings to the most recent releases.

Current Episode

Tannhäuser

August 20, 2026

Richard Wagner

Matti Salminen (bass) [Hermann, Landgraf von Thüringen] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Tannhäuser] ** Andreas Schmidt (baritone) [Wolfram von Eschenbach] ** William Pell [Walther von der Vogelweide] ** Kurt Rydl [Biterolf] ** Clemens Bieber [Heinrich der Schreiber] ** Oskar Hillebrandt [Reinmar von Zweter] ** Cheryl Studer (soprano) [Elisabeth] ** Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano) [Venus] ** Barbara Bonney (soprano) [Ein Junger Hirt] ** Margaret Stobart [Erster Edelknabe] ** Jeanette Wilson [Zweiter Edelknabe] ** Ingrid Baier [Dritter Edelknabe] ** Karen Shelby [Vierter Edelknabe] ** Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden [Thüringische Ritter, Grafen und Edelleute ** Edelfrauen ** Ältere und jungere Pilger] ** Philharmonia Orchestra ** Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)

  • Lucia di Lammermoor

    Episode

    Gaetano Donizetti

    Joan Sutherland (soprano) [Lucia] ** Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) [Edgardo] ** Sherill Milnes [Enrico] ** Nicolai Ghiaurov (bass) [Raimondo] ** Ryland Davies [Arturo] ** Huguette Tourangeau [Alisa] ** Pier Francesco Poli [Normanno] ** Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ** Richard Bonynge (conductor)

  • Orfeo ed Euridice

    Episode

    Christoph Willibald Gluck

    Agnes Baltsa (mezzo-soprano) [Orfeo] ** Margaret Marshall (soprano) [Euridice] ** Edita Gruberova [Amore] ** Ambrosian Opera Chorus ** Philharmonia Orchestra ** Riccardo Muti (conductor)

  • Manon Lescaut

    Episode

    Giacomo Puccini

    Mirella Freni (soprano) [Manon Lescaut] ** Renato Bruson [Lescaut] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Il Cavaliere Renato Des Grieux] ** Kurt Rydl [Geronte di Ravoir] ** Robert Gambill [Edmondo] ** George Macpherson [L'Oste] ** John Fryatt [Il Maestro di Ballo] ** Brigitte Fassbaender (mezzo-soprano) [Un Musico] ** Handel Thomas [Sergente degli Arcieri] ** Mark Curtis [Un Lampionaio] ** John Tomlinson [Un Comandante di Marina] ** Paschal Allen [Un Sergente] ** Chorus of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden ** Philharmonia Orchestra ** Giuseppe Sinopoli (conductor)

  • Un Ballo in Maschera

    Episode

    Giuseppe Verdi

    Luciano Pavarotti (tenor) [Riccardo] ** Renato Bruson [Renato] ** Margaret Price [Amelia] ** Christa Ludwig [Ulrica] ** Kathleen Battle [Oscar] ** Peter Weber [Silvano] ** Robert Lloyd [Samuel] ** Malcolm King [Tom] ** Alexander Oliver [Un Giudice] ** Peter Hall [Un Servo d'Amelia] ** London Opera Chorus [Deputies, officers, sailors, guards, men and women of the people, gentlemen, followers of Samuel and Tom, servants, maskers and dancing couples] ** Royal College of Music Junior Department Chorus ** National Philharmonic Orchestra ** Sir Georg Solti (conductor)

  • Andrea Chénier

    Episode

    Umberto Giordano

    José Carreras (tenor) [Andrea Chénier] ** Eva Marton [Maddalena di Coigny] ** Giorgio Zancanaro [Carlo Gerard] ** Tamara Takács [La Contessa di Coigny] ** Tullio Pane [L'Incredibile] ** Franco Federici [Jean-Antoine Roucher] ** Gábor Vághelyi [Pietro Fleville] ** Klára Takács [Bersi] ** Istvan Rozsos [L'Abate] ** József Gregor [Mathieu] ** Éva Farkas [La Vecchia] ** Kázmér Sárkány [Dumas] ** Tamás Bátor [Antoine Fouquier-Tinville] ** János Tóth [Schmidt] ** József Moldvai [Maestro di Casa] ** Chorus of the Hungarian State Radio and Television ** Children's Choir of the Hungarian State Opera ** Hungarian State Orchestra ** Giuseppe Patanè (conductor)

  • Catone in Utica

    Episode

    Antonio Vivaldi

    Cecilia Gasdia [Cesare] ** Marilyn Schmiege [Marzia] ** Susanna Rigacci [Arbace] ** Margarita Zimmermann [Emilia] ** Lucrezia Lendi [Fulvio] ** Ernesto Palacio [Catone] ** I Solist Veneti ** Claudio Scimione (conductor)

  • Faust

    Episode

    Charles Gounod

    Richard Leech (tenor) [Le docteur Faust] ** Cheryl Studer (soprano) [Marguerite] ** José van Dam (baritone) [Méphistophélès] ** Thomas Hampson (baritone) [Valentin] ** Martine Mahé (mezzo-soprano) [Siébel] ** Nadine Denize (mezzo-soprano) [Marthe] ** Marc Barrard (baritone) [Wagner] ** Chour et Orchestre du Capitole de Toulouse ** Michel Plasson (conductor)

  • Agrippina

    Episode

    George Frideric Handel

    Sally Bradshaw [Agrippina] ** Wendy Hill [Nerone] ** Lisa Saffer [Poppea] ** Nicholas Isherwood [Claudio] ** Drew Minter [Ottone] ** Michael Dean [Pallante] ** Ralf Popken [Narciso] ** Béla Szilágyi [Lesbo] ** Gloria Banditelli [Giunone] ** Capella Savaria ** Nicholas McGegan (conductor)

  • Il turco in Italia

    Episode

    Gioachino Rossini

    Michele Pertusi [Selim] ** Cecilia Bartoli (mezzo-soprano) [Donna Fiorilla] ** Alessandro Corbelli [Don Geronio] ** Ramon Vargas [Don Narciso] ** Roberto de Candia (baritone) [Poeta] ** Laura Polverelli [Zaida] ** Francesco Piccoli [Albazar] ** Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala ** Riccardo Chailly (conductor)

  • La Rondine

    Episode

    Giacomo Puccini

    Kiri Te Kanawa (soprano) [Magda] ** Plácido Domingo (tenor) [Ruggero] ** Mariana Nicolesco [Lisette] ** David Rendall [Prunier] ** Leo Nucci (baritone) [Rambaldo] ** Lillian Watson [Yvette] ** Ambrosian Opera Chorus ** London Symphony Orchestra ** Lorin Maazel (conductor)

  • Le Roi Arthus

    Episode

    Ernest Chausson

    Teresa Zylis-Gara [Guenièvre] ** Gino Quilico (baritone) [Arthus] ** Gösta Winbergh (tenor) [Lancelot] ** Annick Massis [Mordred] ** Gérard Friedmann [Lyonnel] ** François Loup [Allan] ** Gilles Cachemaille (bass) [Merlin] ** Thierry Dran [Un Laboureur] ** Renè Schirrer [Un Chevalier] ** Alexandre Laitter [Un Ecuyer] ** Michel Focquenoy [Soldat] ** Francis Dudziak [Soldat] ** Renè Schirrer [Soldat] ** Chours de Radio France [Soldat] ** Nouvel Orchestre Philharmonique [Chevaliers, Ecuyers, Pages, Bardes, Femmes de la suite de Guenièvre] ** Armin Jordan (conductor)