The two Verdi operas presented during San Diego Opera's 2016/17 season, La Traviata and Falstaff, represent the composer at two distinct stages in his life and career. Nicolas Reveles examines the evolution of Verdi's style over the forty years that separated the premieres of these masterpieces, from midlife to old age. Singers Cherylyn Larsen, soprano, and Bernardo Bermudez, baritone, join Dr. Nic to perform excerpts from the two operas. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 30717]

Join San Diego Opera’s Nicolas Reveles in an intimate discussion with David T. Little, the composer of “Soldier Songs,” and conductor Steven Schick. Little’s innovative opera is a gripping drama with a libretto made up of reflections on war by veterans of five major foreign conflicts. “Soldier Songs” explores the ideals versus the realities of the soldier, loss, the exploitation of innocence, & the impossibility of expressing the truth of war. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 30784]

In a veritable feast for fans of Giacomo Puccini, San Diego Opera’s Nicolas Reveles delves into the history, influences, and musical intricacies of Puccini’s TOSCA and MADAMA BUTTERFLY, two of the most popular works in the operatic repertoire. Dr. Nic is joined by acclaimed soprano Priti Gandhi in performance of selected arias from the two operas. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 29912]

On the occasion of San Diego Opera’s West Coast premiere of GREAT SCOTT, Nicolas Reveles engages composer Jake Heggie in a lively conversation about the work’s conception. Known for his landmark modern classics DEAD MAN WALKING and MOBY DICK, Heggie's newest work concerns Arden Scott, an international opera star who returns to her hometown with the intention of saving the ailing company that started her career. However, her homecoming coincides with the home team's first National Championship. GREAT SCOTT sparks some interesting questions around how we perceive the Arts and what purpose they serve today. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 29794]

In this special edition of OperaTalk, host Nicolas Reveles is your guide for John Adams’ NIXON IN CHINA, an exhilarating recounting of the President’s historic mission of rapprochement with Chairman Mao. “Only Nixon could go to China,” and only Dr. Nic Reveles could provide these entertaining insights into one of the most acclaimed operas of the 20th century. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 29042]

San Diego Opera’s Nicolas Revels explores the history and composition of A Masked Ball (Un Ballo in Maschera), one of Giuseepe Verdi’s most popular works. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 25332]

San Diego Opera’s Nicolas Reveles journeys to Hacienda de las Rosas Winery to discuss Donizetti’s sparkling comedy, “The Elixir of Love” (”L’elisir d’amore”), in which a con artist convinces villagers that an ordinary bottle of wine possesses magical qualities and hilarity ensues. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 25331]

San Diego Opera’s Nic Reveles guides us through the history and music of Ruggero Leoncavallo’s “Pagliacci.” Leoncavallo’s popular verismo opera draws upon the Commedia dell’arte tradition to tell its story of fatal jealousy set in the Italian countryside. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Humanities] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 25330]

San Diego Opera’s Nicolas Reveles sits down with Celeste Innocenti, Artistic Director of Chronos Theatre Group, to discuss the Italian Commedia tradition and its application in the opera Pagliacci. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 25718]

The 1170 murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II shook Christian Europe to its foundation, and set off reverberations still felt today. The nefarious deed also inspired two 20th Century works of art, the verse play by T.S. Eliot and Ildebrando Pizzetti’s opera. San Diego Opera’s Nick Reveles provides a guided tour of ”Murder in the Cathedral,” including its basis in Eliot’s play, the development of musical themes, and Pizzetti’s melding of words and music for maximum dramatic effect. Series: "San Diego OperaTalk! with Nic Reveles" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 24269]