Beethoven's "Fidelio" famously includes a chorus of prisoners, and in a new production by Heartbeat Opera the roles will be played by actual incarcerated individuals. The company's Ethan Heard and Kelly Griffin join Garrett to talk about the process of engaging these individuals, the relationship that's being built between opera and the prison system, and Heartbeat Opera's larger goal of engaging new audiences. Garrett and Scott draw proximity between sports and "classical" music as a means of practicing cultural competency, offer music that turns pain into beauty, and spend the weekly TRILLOQUY addressing the confederate flag, fighting gentrification, and the notion of being "silenced".

Playlist:

Scott Schreer - Super Bowl Theme

Mickey Guyton - "Black Like Me"

Judas Priest - "Breaking The Law"

Eminem - Lose Yourself

Kendrick Lamar - "LOVE" (perf. Jade Novah: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Su7wNSqNZB4)

Harry T. Burleigh - "Didn't My Lord Deliver Daniel?"

Howlin' Wolf - "Smokestack Lightnin'"

William Grant Still - "Bayou Home"

Ludwig van Beethoven - "Abscheulicher! Wo eilst du hin?"

Ludwig van Beethoven - "Prisoners' Chorus"

Future - "Mask Off"

More:

Heartbeat Opera: https://www.heartbeatopera.org

Erin Jackson Becomes First Black Woman To Win Olympic Speedskating Gold: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/erin-jackson-winter-olympics-speed-skating-gold-united-states-black-woman/

Sha’Carri Richardson Asks Why a Russian Skater Can Compete After Failing Doping Test: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/13/sports/olympics/shacarri-richardson-kamila-valieva-doping.html

Downbeat (Fox News Reacts to Kendrick Lamar): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vdS3cKxJvA

The Ads That Scored a Touchdown: https://nypost.com/2022/02/14/the-best-super-bowl-2022-commercials-top-ads-from-the-game/

What Custom Had Strictly Divided: https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/what-custom-had-strictly-divided-on-kira-thurmans-singing-like-germans-black-musicians-in-the-land-of-bach-beethoven-and-brahms/