He Sang/She Sang
48 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 7 years ago - ★★★★★ - 10 ratingsHe Sang/She Sang is a new podcast from WQXR for the opera-curious and opera superfans who want to know what all those big voices are really singing about. The podcast follows the radio broadcast season of the Metropolitan Opera with a weekly roundtable chat that discusses the plots, characters, music, productions, social significance and great performances of that week's opera.
Following the Met's radio broadcast season, He Sang/She Sang will dive into the new productions of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde and Rossini’s William Tell, the Met premiere of an opera by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho and fan favorites by Verdi, Puccini and Mozart.
He Sang/She Sang is hosted by Merrin Lazyan and Michael Shobe, with appearances by superstar soprano Anna Netrebko, Met Opera tenor Stuart Skelton, WQXR hosts Jeff Spurgeon and Nimet Habachy, BBC 3 host Clemency Burton Hill and others.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
Stopping the Clocks With Strauss' 'Der Rosenkavalier'
May 11, 2017 04:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBRichard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier is an opera about the passage of time — what it means to grow older, what we lose and what we gain as the years pass, and how we know when it's time to let go of the people that we love. Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča knows all about letting go, because after singing the role of Octavian for 17 years, she is giving her final performance as the passionate count this week. But Garanča has no regrets. She's learned to appreciate her life by accepting, and even e...
Stopping the Clocks With Strauss' 'Der Rosenkavalier'
May 11, 2017 04:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBRichard Strauss' Der Rosenkavalier is an opera about the passage of time — what it means to grow older, what we lose and what we gain as the years pass, and how we know when it's time to let go of the people that we love. Mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča knows all about letting go, because after singing the role of Octavian for 17 years, she is giving her final performance as the passionate count this week. But Garanča has no regrets. She's learned to appreciate her life by accepting, and even en...
A Nose by Any Other Name: Franco Alfano's 'Cyrano de Bergerac'
May 03, 2017 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBAccording 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 lo...
A Nose by Any Other Name: Franco Alfano's 'Cyrano de Bergerac'
May 03, 2017 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBSoprano Jennifer Rowley is singing the role of Roxane in Franco Alfano's Cyrano de Bergerac, and she says that there's a little bit of Cyrano in all of us. This week, we discuss the sentimental story about love, self-doubt, and the disproportionately large facial feature that has captured our imagination for more than a century.
'The Flying Dutchman': Wagner's Eternal Wanderer
April 26, 2017 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBThis week on He Sang/She Sang, William Berger, author of the book Wagner without Fear, discusses one of history's most controversial and visionary composers. He explores the hit tunes and earworms, the power of transformation, and the unexpected parallels between Wagner and The Beatles.
'The Flying Dutchman': Wagner's Eternal Wanderer
April 26, 2017 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33 MBFor his fourth full opera, The Flying Dutchman, Wagner chose a popular maritime legend as the basis for an eerie and evocative work. In it, we meet an archetypal character that appears time and again in art and literature: the eternal wanderer. Neither dead nor alive, the Flying Dutchman is cursed to sail the seas for all eternity, searching for true love to save him. This week on He Sang/She Sang, William Berger, author of the book Wagner without Fear, discusses one of history's most cont...
Aida: Verdi's Most Intimate Spectacle
April 12, 2017 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBPharaohs. Mummies. Pyramids. Hieroglyphs. The mystique of ancient Egypt never fades. For more than 2,000 years, Europeans have wondered at her mysteries, and not surprisingly, so did Giuseppe Verdi. Aida premiered in Cairo in 1871, as if to revive the grandeur of the Old Kingdom before the people who conjured it. One of the theater’s greatest spectacles, Aida is the definition of grand opera. Its cast is enormous — orchestra, singers, dancers, acrobats, horses, exotic animals — yet its sto...
Aida: Verdi's Most Intimate Spectacle
April 12, 2017 04:00 - 36 minutes - 33.4 MBWhen we think of Verdi's Aida, we imagine the stunning grandeur of the Triumphal March, with its enormous cast of singers, dancer, acrobats, and animals. But stage director David Paul argues that at its heart, Aida is a surprisingly intimate opera about a love triangle.
Love and Death in Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'
April 06, 2017 04:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBWagner's Tristan und Isolde is an extraordinary journey through the human psyche, and through the two most powerful forces guiding our lives: love and death. Merrin Lazyan speaks with writer Paul Thomason about the intoxicating magnetism of the music, and tenor Stuart Skelton compares singing the role of Tristan to climbing the Himalayas.
Love and Death in Wagner's 'Tristan und Isolde'
April 06, 2017 04:00 - 33 minutes - 30.6 MBWagner's Tristan und Isolde is an extraordinary journey through the human psyche, and through the two most powerful forces guiding our lives: love and death. From the opening bars of the Prelude, the music draws us in with an intense and restless longing that doesn't loosen its grip until the final, transcendent moments of the opera. This week on He Sang/She Sang, Merrin Lazyan speaks with writer Paul Thomason about the intoxicating magnetism of Tristan und Isolde, and tenor Stuart Skelton...
Into the Light With Beethoven's 'Fidelio'
March 29, 2017 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.4 MBBeethoven spent more than ten years revising Fidelio, the only opera he ever wrote. This was about more than music for the great composer. It was about freedom, devotion, and the triumph of human dignity over tyranny. In this episode, host Merrin Lazyan speaks with clarinetist Jessica Phillips and soprano Adrianne Pieczonka about Beethoven's revolutionary sound and spirit.
Into the Light With Beethoven's 'Fidelio'
March 29, 2017 04:00 - 37 minutes - 34.3 MBRevolutionary times call for revolutionary music, and Beethoven was living in revolutionary times. At the beginning of the 19th century, he quickly became disillusioned by Napoleon Bonaparte — a leader who initially seemed concerned with freedom but was ultimately obsessed with his own power. Beethoven's political anguish rang out in his music, as did his deeply-held beliefs about the heroic power of ordinary people. Beethoven spent more than 10 years revising Fidelio, the only opera he ev...
Fate and Forbidden Love in Mozart's 'Idomeneo'
March 22, 2017 04:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBIdomeneo is considered Mozart's first "mature" opera — the first in which he displays his incredible talent as a vocal and dramatic composer. "Mature" also fittingly describes the central themes of the work, which include parental love, self-sacrifice, and the human struggle against the machinations of gods and fate. In light of the fact that Mozart was only 24 when he composed Idomeneo, his insight into the timeless questions we face is all the more striking. World-renowned mezzo-soprano A...
Fate and Forbidden Love in Mozart's 'Idomeneo'
March 22, 2017 04:00 - 27 minutes - 25.5 MBWorld-renowned mezzo Alice Coote marvels at Mozart's early insight into fate, sacrifice, and parental love in his first great opera, Idomeneo. She also describes in vivid detail the perils of dressing (and undressing) for a trouser role.
William Tell: Rossini's Grand Finale
March 14, 2017 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.4 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher are joined by author Fred Plotkin to discuss the glorious music of Rossini's final opera, William Tell. We also speak with the Tony-nominated set designer George Tsypin about the themes of nature and freedom that inspired him.
William Tell: Rossini's Grand Finale
March 14, 2017 04:00 - 29 minutes - 27.3 MBGioachino Rossini was only 37-years-old when he wrote his final opera, William Tell. Although he lived for another 40 years, this epic work would remain a swan song of sorts. The libretto — based on a French play by Friedrich Schiller — tells the story of a Swiss community fighting for political freedom under Hapsburg rule. Through the music, we understand Tell's struggle to keep his family together while serving the greater good, and we experience a love that transcends tribal and national ...
La Traviata: Verdi's Timeless Fallen Woman
March 07, 2017 05:00 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher are joined by dramaturg Cori Ellison to discuss Verdi's mythical and timeless masterpiece, La Traviata. We also speak with baritone Thomas Hampson, who has been singing the role of Germont for 25 years. Hampson tells us how the complex and beautiful dilemmas that we find in this opera help us to better understand who we really are. Cori's YouTube pick (Maria Callas and Ugo Savarese, 1953): Merrin's YouTu...
La Traviata: Verdi's Timeless Fallen Woman
March 07, 2017 05:00 - 45 minutes - 42.1 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher are joined by dramaturg Cori Ellison to discuss Verdi's mythical and timeless masterpiece, La Traviata. We also speak with baritone Thomas Hampson, who has been singing the role of Germont for 25 years. Hampson tells us how the complex and beautiful dilemmas that we find in this opera help us to better understand who we really are.
Werther: Massenet's Lovelorn Hero
March 01, 2017 05:00 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBWhen Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther was published in 1774, it became an overnight sensation. Men wore yellow waistcoats and leather breeches to look like the novel's lovelorn hero, they carried vials of their own tears to display the depth of their feelings, and they even killed themselves in solidarity with the title character. The story of passionate, unrequited love was equally resonant when Jules Massenet's opera premiered a century later, and ...
Werther: Massenet's Lovelorn Hero
March 01, 2017 05:00 - 44 minutes - 41.2 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, Merrin Lazyan and Jeff Spurgeon speak with writer James Kuslan about Massenet's lovelorn hero, Werther. We also hear from mezzo-soprano Isabel Leonard about the magnetic power of love at first sight.
Nymphs, Witches and Gnomes: The Magic of 'Rusalka'
February 21, 2017 05:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher speak with WQXR overnight host Nimet Habachy about Dvorak's supernatural masterpiece, Rusalka. We also hear from soprano Kristine Opolais about her special connection to this role, and about the sacrifices that we make for love.
Nymphs, Witches and Gnomes: The Magic of 'Rusalka'
February 21, 2017 05:00 - 47 minutes - 43.7 MBAntonin 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. Sh...
The Madness and Music of 'I Puritani'
February 14, 2017 05:00 - 44 minutes - 40.9 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, Merrin Lazyan and Jeff Spurgeon speak with director Sarah Meyers about why, despite its utterly implausible plot, some consider Bellini's I Puritani to be among the greatest operatic masterpieces ever written. We also hear from bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni about his role debut as Georgio, the best singing advice he's ever received, and the joys of traveling with his two dogs, Lenny and Tristan.
The Madness and Music of 'I Puritani'
February 14, 2017 05:00 - 44 minutes - 40.8 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, Merrin Lazyan and Jeff Spurgeon speak with director Sarah Meyers about why, despite its utterly implausible plot, some consider Bellini's I Puritani to be among the greatest operatic masterpieces ever written. We also hear from bass-baritone Luca Pisaroni about his role debut as Giorgio, the best singing advice he's ever received, and the joys of traveling with his two dogs, Lenny and Tristan. Sarah's YouTube pick (Anna Netrebko, Eric Cutler, Fra...
Carmen: Bizet's Famous Femme Fatale
February 07, 2017 05:00 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher speak with conductor Asher Fisch all about Bizet's masterpiece, Carmen. Hear why this opera is loved by opera newbies and connoisseurs alike, and listen to an interview with mezzo-soprano Clémentine Margaine, who is playing opera's most famous femme fatale at the Met.
Carmen: Bizet's Famous Femme Fatale
February 07, 2017 05:00 - 41 minutes - 38.4 MBThe 1875 premiere of Carmen at the Opera Comique in Paris was met with shocked gasps and raised eyebrows. Both the story and its seductive heroine were shockingly risque for the audience and the critics in attendance. But the genius of Bizet's music was irrepressible, and the opera was a resounding success within a few short months. It remains among the most-performed operas in history. On this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Julian Fleisher speak with conducto...
Rigoletto: Verdi's Tragic Jester
January 31, 2017 05:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBEven before Rigoletto's Venice premiere in 1851, Verdi knew that "La donna è mobile" would be a huge hit. He instructed the orchestra members not to whistle or sing the melody, and he even waited until the very last moment to give the music to the tenor. Verdi wanted to ensure that the third-act aria characterizing the Duke of Mantua's licentious treatment of women would have maximum impact on an unsuspecting audience. The opera was an immediate smash hit. It was one of the first of Verdi's ...
Rigoletto: Verdi's Tragic Jester
January 31, 2017 05:00 - 47 minutes - 43.8 MBThis week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, we chat with Tony Award-winning director Michael Mayer and soprano Olga Peretyatko about Verdi's Rigoletto. Listen to hear how Mayer came up with this "Rat Pack," Vegas version of the opera in just 48 hours.
Humor and High Jinks in Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville'
January 24, 2017 05:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBDespite its disastrous premiere in 1816 — complete with raucous heckling, a bloody nose and a stray cat scampering across the stage — Rossini’s The Barber of Seville quickly joined the ranks of the best-loved and most-performed operas in the world. Based on the first of a trilogy of plays by the French writer Pierre Beaumarchais (the second of which is The Marriage of Figaro), Barber is full of characters and tunes that have delighted audiences for centuries. In this episode, the He Sang/Sh...
Humor and High Jinks in Rossini's 'The Barber of Seville'
January 24, 2017 05:00 - 24 minutes - 22.4 MBDespite its disastrous premiere in 1816 — complete with raucous heckling, a bloody nose and a stray cat scampering across the stage — Rossini’s The Barber of Seville quickly joined the ranks of the best-loved and most-performed operas in the world. Based on the first of a trilogy of plays by the French writer Pierre Beaumarchais (the second of which is The Marriage of Figaro), Barber is full of characters and tunes that have delighted audiences for centuries. In this episode, the He Sang/Sh...
Head Over Heels with Diana Damrau
January 19, 2017 05:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBThis week on He Sang/She Sang, we have a special bonus episode! Join us at the Metropolitan Opera for a discussion with soprano Diana Damrau, who is making her role debut as Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette.
Head Over Heels with Diana Damrau
January 19, 2017 05:00 - 17 minutes - 16.2 MBThis week on He Sang/She Sang, we have a special bonus episode! Join us at the Metropolitan Opera for a discussion with soprano Diana Damrau, who is making her role debut as Juliette in Gounod's Roméo et Juliette. In this episode, Damrau shares her insights on love, family and the secret to staying young at heart.
Romeo And Juliet: All About The Love Duets
January 17, 2017 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBThis week, the He Sang/She Sang team is joined by WQXR morning show host Jeff Spurgeon to discuss Charles Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. Hear how this opera is really a vehicle for four gorgeous love duets, how opera companies protect their "gazillion dollar voices" from dangers on stage and what makes the brand-spanking-new production at the Metropolitan Opera so great. He Sang/She Sang Bonus Episode: Head Over Heels with Diana Damrau Merrin Lazyan's Pick (Diana Damrau, "Je veux vivre") ...
Romeo And Juliet: All About The Love Duets
January 17, 2017 05:00 - 26 minutes - 24.2 MBThis week, the He Sang/She Sang team is joined by WQXR morning show host Jeff Spurgeon to discuss Charles Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. Hear how this opera is really a vehicle for four gorgeous love duets, how opera companies protect their "gazillion dollar voices" from dangers on stage, and what makes the brand-spanking-new production at the Met so great.
Behind the Scenes and Into the Chorus of Puccini's 'La Bohème'
January 10, 2017 05:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, soprano Ailyn Pérez and bass Edward Hanlon discuss one of the best-loved operas in the world, Puccini's La Bohème. Join us as we go behind the scenes into the life of a Metropolitan Opera chorister, hear why the Franco Zeffirelli production is so iconic and learn how you can go on a treasure hunt of sorts when you see it. We also take you to the Met to hear about what it takes to sing both of the female lead roles — Mimì and Musetta. Edward Hanlon...
Behind the Scenes and Into the Chorus of Puccini's 'La Bohème'
January 10, 2017 05:00 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, soprano Ailyn Pérez and bass Edward Hanlon discuss one of the best-loved operas in the world, Puccini's La Bohème. Get a behind-the-scenes listen into the life of a Met Opera chorister, hear why the Franco Zeffirelli production is so iconic and learn how you can go on a treasure hunt of sorts when you see it. We'll also take you to the Met to hear about what it takes to sing both of the female lead roles — Mimì and Musetta.
Nabucco: Verdi's Triumphant Return
January 03, 2017 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBNabucco is the opera that got Verdi back in the game after a long time away from composing, but its premiere almost didn't happen. Hear how it was saved and in an ironic twist of fate, how the opera shortened the career of the soprano who saved it. On this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and dramaturg Cori Ellison discuss Verdi's connection to the plight of the Hebrew slaves, why this year's revival at the Metropolitan Opera is so special and the cultural sign...
Nabucco: Verdi's Triumphant Return
January 03, 2017 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.3 MBNabucco is the opera that got Verdi back in the game after a long time away from composing, but its premiere almost didn't happen. Hear how it was saved and in an ironic twist of fate, how the opera shortened the career of the soprano who saved it. On this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, mezzo-soprano Jamie Barton and dramaturg Cori Ellison discuss Verdi's connection to the plight of the Hebrew slaves, why this year's revival at the Metropolitan Opera is so special and the cultural sign...
L'Italiana in Algeri: Rossini's quest for Italy
December 27, 2016 05:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBL'Italiana in Algeri may seem like a classic battle of the sexes story set in North Africa, but it's really all about Italy. At least that's one way to look at it. On this episode of He Sang/She Sang, author Fred Plotkin, soprano Ying Fang and mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb discuss the politics, patriotism and musical brilliance of Rossini's escape-story masterpiece. Fred Plotkin's YouTube pick (Marilyn Horne, Pablo Montarsolo, Myra Merritt, Douglas Ahlstedt, Spiro Malas) Merrin Lazyan's Y...
L'Italiana in Algeri: Rossini's quest for Italy
December 27, 2016 05:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBL'Italiana in Algeri may seem like a classic battle of the sexes story set in North Africa, but it's really all about Italy. At least that's one way to look at it. On this episode of He Sang/She Sang, author Fred Plotkin, soprano Ying Fang and mezzo-soprano Rihab Chaieb discuss the politics, patriotism and musical brilliance of Rossini's escape-story masterpiece.
Hansel and Gretel: Inside the Gingerbread House
December 20, 2016 05:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe are joined by WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon to discuss Englebert Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel. Hear how the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale became an opera, why it's often performed at Christmastime and which musical moments are truly magical. Also on the show, opera and theater director Mary Birnbaum shares how she first fell in love with Hansel and Gretel.
Hansel and Gretel: Inside the Gingerbread House
December 20, 2016 05:00 - 33 minutes - 30.7 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe are joined by WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon to discuss Englebert Humperdinck's opera Hansel and Gretel. Hear how the Brothers Grimm's fairy tale became an opera, why it's often performed at Christmastime and which musical moments are truly magical. Also on the show, opera and theater director Mary Birnbaum shares how she first fell in love with Hansel and Gretel. Jeff Spurgeon's YouTube pick (Angelika Kirschlag...
Behind Salome's Seven Veils: Lust, Murder and Mutilation
December 13, 2016 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.6 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe are joined by soprano Patricia Racette and music writer Paul Thomason to discuss Salome. Hear how an innocent princess transforms into a deranged psychopath, the scandals surrounding the opera's premieres and why it's more fun to play a nasty character than a nice one. Plus, hear all about these YouTube picks of the week: Nadja Michael, the Royal Opera, London: Lubja Welitsch, Fritz Reiner, Met Opera Orchestra: ...
Behind Salome's Seven Veils: Lust, Murder and Mutilation
December 13, 2016 05:00 - 36 minutes - 33.7 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe are joined by soprano Patricia Racette and music writer Paul Thomason to discuss Salome. Hear how an innocent princess transforms into a deranged psychopath, the scandals surrounding the opera's premieres and why it's more fun to play a nasty character than a nice one. P
Up Close with 'L'Amour de Loin'
December 06, 2016 05:00 - 40 minutes - 37.2 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe get you ready for the brand new Met Opera production of L'Amour de Loin. We'll discuss the plot, characters and the music from this 12th century story about a long-distance relationship. Plus, we'll hear from bass-baritone Eric Owens, soprano Susanna Phillips and composer Kaija Saariaho.
Up Close with 'L'Amour de Loin'
December 06, 2016 05:00 - 40 minutes - 37.1 MBOn this week's episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe get you ready for the new Metropolitan Opera production of L'Amour de Loin. We'll discuss the plot, characters and the music from this 12th century story about a long-distance relationship. Plus, we'll hear from bass-baritone Eric Owens, soprano Susanna Phillips and composer Kaija Saariaho. Mike and Merrin's YouTube picks to get even more familiar with L'Amour de Loin: The Met's trailer for the opera featuring S...
We're a Go for 'Manon Lescaut'
November 29, 2016 05:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBOn the premiere episode of the new podcast He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe discuss the plot, characters and music of Puccini's Manon Lescaut with the principle stage director of Regina Opera, Linda Lehr, and WQXR's morning host Jeff Spurgeon. Plus, soprano Anna Netrebko joins us to talk about playing the title character, and the panel discusses their YouTube recommendations to get even more familiar with Manon Lescaut. Jeff Spurgeon's YouTube Pick (Jonas Kaufmann and K...
We're a Go for 'Manon Lescaut'
November 29, 2016 05:00 - 45 minutes - 41.3 MBOn the premiere episode of He Sang/She Sang, hosts Merrin Lazyan and Mike Shobe discuss the plot, characters, and music of Puccini's Manon Lescaut with principle stage director of Regina Opera Linda Lehr, and WQXR morning host Jeff Spurgeon. Anna Netrebko joins us to talk about playing Manon Lescaut, and the panel discusses their YouTube recommendations.