OPERA UNCORKED! – FALL 2026 VIDEOS

Coordinators: Mary Beth Yakoubian, Peter Dichter, Frieda Lipp

We explore four centuries of musical drama, beginning with the baroque era’s mythology to the heights of romanticism and the modern works of the 20th century.

(Tuesday, A Week, PM, Auditorium, M. B. Yakoubian)

To view a video click on the link above its description.

OPERA UNCORKED!
How I Became an Opera Nut

Presenter: Mary Beth Yakoubian, Peter Dichter, Frieda Lipp
Presentation Date: September 8, 2026

Yes, maybe the three of us are nuts! Why else would one of us get on a plane and travel 4,000 miles just to see an opera that was composed 250 years ago? How is it possible that one of us slept right through her first few operas before becoming an opera nut? Why would one of us meticulously calculate the first opera we would subject our kids to? Each of us got to this mad point via a different route. Our first presentation this semester will reveal the origins of our nuttiness and how we became shameless operaphiles. Do you have a story you’d like to share? Join us and maybe you too will go mad with us

OPERA UNCORKED!
How I Became an Opera Nut

Presenter: Peter Dichter
Presentation Date: September 22, 2026

So, a friend tells you he has just seen an opera that made him laugh out loud. You question his sanity. A short time later, your sister tells you about a feel-good opera that she is still humming arias from. Then you read about an opera that the critics called joyous with dazzling music. What’s wrong with this picture? Happy opera? No one dies? Great music? No one dies? Yes. And this presentation will cover a few of these fabulous operas that are written by great composers. We will view selective scenes from wonderful operas and hear phenomenal arias and leave in a wonderful mood with a different perspective on opera. And yes. No one dies.

OPERA UNCORKED!
Opera on the Stage

Presenter: Mary Beth Yakoubian
Presentation Date: October 6, 2026

In this class, we will step behind the curtain for a fun exploration of drama, music, and transformation. Opera has a long history of borrowing its greatest masterpieces from the theatrical stage, turning spoken word into captivating song. We will look at scenes from three iconic operas and the original plays that inspired them. We will discover how composers took the wit, passion, and tragedy of the spoken theater and magnified those emotions through the power of music. This talk will offer a fresh, accessible look at how great stories sing

OPERA UNCORKED!
Mozart / DaPonte Trio

Presenter: Frieda Lipp
Presentation Date: October 20, 2026

One of opera’s all-time great collaborations — Marriage Of Figaro, Don Giovanni, and Cosi Fan Tutti — almost didn’t happen. The productions we will deal with were first produced and brought to contemporary light about forty years ago by the director, producer and teacher, Peter Sellars, with a stellar cast. Time will only permit a sampling of the operas and the creative genius and talents involved. Hopefully we’ll whet your appetite for more. Purists beware.

OPERA UNCORKED!
Opera Choruses

Presenter: Judith Weis
Presentation Date: October 20, 2026

Although seldom applauded by opera audiences, choral numbers can play important roles in an opera. The chorus can set the scene, comment on the plot, or can be integral essential parts of the story of an opera. In some instances, they can provide a peaceful interval in between tense or tragic scenes. The choral numbers also (may) give the hard-working soloists a little time to rest backstage between taxing numbers. Some composers whose opera choruses will be covered are Handel, Verdi, Wagner, and Gershwin.