Opera on the Radio

Last week I listened to Seattle Opera’s Beatrice and Benedict broadcast on the radio. I’ve mentioned before that, despite my love for opera, I rarely listen to it outside of performances. I am invariably disappointed in the recording quality, I miss the theater experience, and I miss the supertitles telling me what’s going on. But when the title character tells you to check out a broadcast, you do it.

Beatrice and Benedict Live on Stage

Two weeks ago, I attended opening night of Seattle Opera’s (pretty much original) production of Beatrice and Benedict. It was Seattle Opera’s contribution to the Seattle Celebrates Shakespeare Festival, and I loved it. (Of course. Opera and Shakespeare? Chocolate and peanut butter.) My only complaint was that I missed seeing tenor Andrew Owens in the role of Benedict because he always stands out to me as a performer who is as talented an actor as a singer, and this role is heavy on the acting.

Last weekend, I got to see Hamilton. You don’t need a review from me. The hype is real. I came home from the matinee and put on the album, not ready to let go of the experience. I checked my messages and saw there was a comment on my Beatrice and Benedict blog post. Andrew Owens wanted me to know I could hear him perform Benedict on the live broadcast starting at 7:30.

I checked the time. It was 7:34. I let go of Hamilton and tuned in to King FM, where Seattle Opera Director Aidan Lang was introducing the performance.

Beatrice and Benedict Live on the Radio

My mom was visiting recently and regaled my kids with stories of life before tv. She talked about listening to tap dancing on old-time radio shows. The concept was unreal to them, and I kind of agreed. Why listen to something you’re supposed to see?

Obviously, listening to a performance is not a substitute for seeing it. You miss the staging, the costumes, the physicality of the performers. You miss the shared experience of dressing up (or not) and going out, reading the program book, and witnessing something together with hundreds of other fans. But listening to live opera is a wonderful supplement to watching it.

For one thing, the sound is really good. I need to listen to more of these broadcasts to find out if that’s always true. Beatrice and Benedict is an opera anomaly because the performers are mic’d, and that may be the reason the broadcast lacked the hollow, echo-y sound that bugs me in most recordings. But even in B&B the mics were turned down during the arias for the audience at McCaw Hall, so maybe they are always mic’d for the broadcast.

Opera Prep

Sometimes I get busy and walk into an opera cold. But I usually like to do a little research before I see a new opera. My impression of any art is hugely affected by backstory; knowing how a piece came to be is as interesting to me as the final product. I also usually need some coaching on what is going on technically in order to appreciate the skill of both creator and performers – after all, making it look easy is part of their job.

Listening to the broadcast is a great way to become familiar with the music before you go (if you have tickets late in the run) or to decide if you like the music enough to go. Yes, recordings are available, but the broadcast sounds better and will give you a much better feel for the production in question.

Opera Redux

There have been a lot of times that I saw an opera and wanted to come back again the next day because I loved it so much, or because I wanted to share it with someone who missed it, or because there was so much going on I needed to see it again to process everything. I’ve only managed to do that a couple of times, though. Hardly anyone can afford repeat viewings as a regular thing. The broadcast is kind of a second chance. You get to hear it again, maybe with someone who missed it, and listen more closely.

Those who are not as interested in the theatrical aspects of opera may not have the same experience, but for me, the broadcast was a chance to focus on the voices. Watching it live, my attention was divided among all the elements of performance; on the broadcast, all I had to do was listen. If I hadn’t already seen the production, I think I would have been frustrated at not being able to visualize the sets, or not knowing the bits of dead air indicated that someone was running up a staircase or scurrying to hide behind a potted plant – or to stab one. Having seen the performance before, I could relax and enjoy the music.

Interviews and Information

I always imagined the stars sipping hot lemon water and doing visualizations during the intermissions. It was a big surprise when the live broadcast of Beatrice and Benedict filled the intermission with a joint interview of the two leads, Hanna Hipp and Andrew Owens. Sometimes a performer will attend the audience talk-back after a performance at McCaw Hall, but the additional exposition from the artistic director and in-depth interviews with the stars was a treat you can only get home.

The best thing about the broadcast is being able to hear the music again. A close second is getting to hear the other cast (if it’s not the same one you saw live). Hearing both casts confirms that there isn’t a “main” cast and a “second” cast – the quality is uniform. Hearing both gives you subtle differences of interpretation and the individual color of performers’ voices. I’ll be honest; my aural palate is not so fine that I can pretend to characterize those things. But even rough ears can feel the energy that makes a live performance more intense than a recording. It’s like the difference between a live flower and a pressed one. You can detect it even in a photograph – or a radio broadcast.

Technical Details

Seattle Opera broadcasts one live performance (usually the second Saturday evening) of each run on King FM. The next opera is Aida in May. I can’t find the broadcast date online yet, but it will probably be May 12 or 19. In the meantime, Seattle Opera broadcasts recordings of landmark operatic performances every Saturday night at 8:00 PM. Upcoming broadcasts include Otello, Samson et Dalila, and La sonnambula. Also on King FM, a full performance from New York’s Metropolitan Opera is broadcast every Saturday. Most broadcasts are live, most begin at 10:00am Pacific Time, and like the live Seattle broadcasts, feature special commentary and exclusive intermission interviews.