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• Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Rolando Villazon and Danielle de Niese present specially-commissioned films for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four revealing the life and art of an opera singer from a performer's perspective
• Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera, presents a three-part series for Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four tracing the history of Italian opera
• Placido Domingo in Verdi's Simon Boccanegra from the Royal Opera House. Graham Vick's production of Verdi's Othello with the Birmingham Opera Company and Glyndebourne's new production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed by Jonathan Kent
• New film on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two traces the work of acclaimed opera director Graham Vick on two of his most ground-breaking productions yet – Aida and Othello
• Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 2 search for a new opera star in January with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. The winner will perform on stage with Dame Kiri at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Proms In The Park in September
• Stephen Fry and Rick Stein present programmes on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four about their personal operatic passions – Wagner and the food that fuelled the creative spirits involved in Italian opera

Legendary performer Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, conductor Antonio Pappano and opera director Graham Vick are among contributors sharing their personal insights into the captivating world of opera in a series of programmes broadcast across the Ö÷²¥´óÐã in spring 2010.

The Ö÷²¥´óÐã – A Passion For Opera features newly-commissioned films, documentary and performance on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four which focus primarily on the world of Italian opera, Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 3 showcases productions from some of the world's greatest opera houses and Ö÷²¥´óÐã Radio 2 searches the UK for a new opera star with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa. Further programmes are planned for broadcast across TV and radio in the autumn.

Jan Younghusband, Commissioning Editor, Music & Events, said: "The Ö÷²¥´óÐã opens the door on opera as never before. We offer audiences an unrivalled opportunity to step into the performers' world, hear their unique insights and enjoy this great music. In an unprecedented range of programming, across TV, radio and online, the Ö÷²¥´óÐã delivers specially-commissioned film, documentary and exclusive performance bringing you up close to this thrilling and passionate entertainment. This is just the first instalment of a continuing journey with further programmes to be announced in due course."

Roger Wright, Controller, Radio 3, said: "This largest ever Ö÷²¥´óÐã celebration of opera allows us to join forces with other colleagues in Ö÷²¥´óÐã radio, TV and interactive to offer listeners unique opportunities to hear first class performances specially recorded in opera houses in the UK and abroad as well as other programming including documentaries, behind-the-scenes glimpses and opera recommendations. Radio 3 is the Ö÷²¥´óÐã's regular home for opera year round, having featured more than 100 complete operas last year."

Lewis Carnie, Head of Programmes, Radio 2, says: "I'm delighted that Radio 2 is offering one gifted musician the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to work, and perform with one of opera's living legends – Dame Kiri Te Kanawa."

At the heart of the TV opera coverage is Opera Italia!, a colourful and revealing three-part series on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four, presented by Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera.

The programmes follow his journey throughout Italy as he explores the central role that opera plays in Italian history and culture. There is exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Pappano working in rehearsal with some of today's greatest singers, including soprano Renee Fleming, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, tenor Juan Diego Florez and baritone Sir Thomas Allen, as well as performance footage, filmed in collaboration with the Royal Opera House and conducted by Pappano himself, including Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia and Verdi's La traviata.

Verdi - The Director's Cut, a specially-commissioned 60-minute film on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two, traces new productions of two of the grandest of Grand Operas – Aida and Othello by Graham Vick.

In 2009 Vick created a new version of Aida for the Bregenz Festival using Lake Constance as an integral part of the production itself and later the same year, his Birmingham Opera Company performed Othello, setting it in a former metal coatings manufacturing plant. This was the first time that the title role was performed by a black tenor in a professional production and the cast included 200 amateur singers from Birmingham. This widely-acclaimed production of Othello will be broadcast in a new film version on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two.

Placido Domingo makes his debut as a baritone at Covent Garden in the title role of Verdi's Simon Boccanegra in June 2010 under the baton of Antonio Pappano. This highly-anticipated event will be shown on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two over the summer months. In conjunction with this broadcast, there is a further opportunity to see a major profile of Domingo as broadcast this winter in Ö÷²¥´óÐã One's Imagine.

As he approaches the 40th anniversary of his debut at Covent Garden and rehearses in Berlin for his first baritone role since his youth he talks to Alan Yentob. Contributors include conductor Zubin Mehta, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jose Carreras and archive interview footage with Luciano Pavarotti.

Great artists from the world of opera continue to hold an enduring appeal for audiences. In two personal and authoritative films for the Ö÷²¥´óÐã, soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and tenor Rolando Villazon explore the technical, physical and artistic demands of their craft identifying exactly what has distinguished the good from the great through the centuries. Each film includes interviews with singers, conductors and experts. Dame Kiri and Villazon select their own favourite performances, both on film and from CD, and discuss highlights from their own careers revealing great artists who have inspired them. What Makes A Great Soprano and What Makes A Great Tenor are broadcast on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four.

Danielle de Niese shot to fame in Britain with her portrayal of Cleopatra in Handel's Giulio Cesare at Glyndebourne in 2005. Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four follows Danielle as she makes her debut in the major role of Susanna in Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro at the mighty Metropolitan Opera House in New York.

Diva Diaries gives a revealing personal perspective and unique insight into the hectic life and art of an international opera singer, beginning with her final performance of Giulio Cesare at Glyndebourne this summer and following her as she prepares and performs Susanna, one of the biggest roles in the repertoire.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four also features the Royal Opera House's award-winning production of Mozart's Le nozze di Figaro, conducted by Antonio Pappano and directed by David McVicar.

Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two broadcasts a new production of Don Giovanni from Glyndebourne, directed by Jonathan Kent with bass-baritone Gerald Finley in the title role.

In Gareth Goes To Glyndebourne, Gareth Malone, of Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two's The Choir, joins the production team at Glyndebourne to take on the role of chorus master on his first opera.

Having led youth and community projects for Glyndebourne since 2000, Gareth returns to help them discover new young teenage talent. He visits local schools and community groups to handpick young chorus stars for composer Julian Philips' new opera, Knight Crew, to be performed at Glyndebourne in the spring of 2010.

It is the retelling of the legend of King Arthur in an urban, gangland setting adapted for stage by the novel's author, Nicky Singer. The programmes follow the project from its early stages through to the performance itself and will be broadcast on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two in Spring 2010.

Stephen Fry explores his passion for Wagner, arguably the world's most controversial composer. Filmed behind the scenes during the Bayreuth Festival last year, Stephen attempts to disentangle the music he loves from its indelible associations with the Nazis. Stephen Fry On Wagner will be shown on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four and later on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Two.

In a light-hearted programme, Rick Stein traces the role that food played in the creation of Italian opera and discusses this with experts from the opera world. Rick Stein – Food Of The Italian Opera will be shown on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four.

Saturday evening on Radio 3 continues to be the home for opera on the Ö÷²¥´óÐã with highlights across 2010 including Prokofiev's The Gambler, conducted by Antonio Pappano from the Royal Opera House, Katya Kabanova from English National Opera and Opera North's productions of Donizetti's Maria Stuarda. In addition to reflecting operatic life throughout the UK, the station also brings productions from some of Europe's most-celebrated opera houses including La Scala Milan, the Vienna Staatsoper, and the Paris Opera broadcast weekly on Thursdays in Afternoon On 3.

Programmes across Radio 3 will focus on opera-themed material: Composer Of The Week celebrates great opera composers across the year providing both comprehensive overviews of selected composers' operatic works such as the Versimo Composers, Dvorak and Italian composers from Monteverdi to Rossini; a historical overview of early opera and some of its practitioners is presented in the Early Music Show; The Essay will feature personal accounts of the feelings aroused by opera, such as how the works of a single composer can inspire passionate devotees; whilst In Tune features an A-Z of opera.

Michael Berkeley will interview guests from across the world of opera in Private Passions, in addition to those celebrities who reveal their great love for the genre through their choice of music; and Radio 3 Requests showcases listeners' favourite opera moments.

The Radio 2 Kiri Prize is a new initiative offering one winner a unique opportunity to attend a three-week residential course at the world famous Solti Te Kanawa Academia in Italy this summer, and a chance to sing with Dame Kiri at Ö÷²¥´óÐã Proms In The Park in September.

Dame Kiri will judge the initiative, alongside other leading lights from the world of music including renowned conductor Robin Stapleton.

The season will also feature extensive interactive programming available online at bbc.co.uk/opera.

Notes to Editors

Opera Italia!

Broadcast on Ö÷²¥´óÐã Four, May 2010 (transmission details to be confirmed)

Programme 1: The Birth Of Opera: Monteverdi To Rossini

Antonio Pappano's journey begins by looking at the origins of opera as entertainment in the palaces of Italy. He visits the Ducal Palace in Mantua where Monteverdi worked as court musician, and plays extracts on the harpsichord of what is considered to be the oldest surviving opera, Monteverdi's Orfeo.

Back in London at the Royal Opera House he works with star singers, soprano Danielle de Niese and mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly, on Monteverdi's final masterpiece, L'incoronazione di Poppea, an opera so full of depravity and sensuality that it still shocks today.

Pappano explains how Handel brought Italian opera to London and shows, with examples from Handel's Giulio Cesare, how he developed the aria into a tour de force for singers. With Mozart, Pappano examines Le nozze di Figaro and demonstrates how Mozart's orchestral writing and brilliance with words bring a new dynamic to the developing operatic form.

Finally, Pappano visits the annual Rossini Festival in Pesaro, and discusses Rossini's writing for the voice with tenor Juan Diego Florez.

Back at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, Pappano prepares to conduct Rossini's comic masterpiece, Il Barbiere di Siviglia, for the first time, and works on key arias from the opera with Florez, soprano Joyce DiDonato and baritone Pietro Spagnoli.

Programme 2: The Triumph Of Verdi

Antonio Pappano looks at Donizetti's legacy in workshop with soprano Diana Damrau and tenor Giuseppe Filianoti and examines footage of Dame Joan Sutherland in Lucia di Lammermoor.

He travels to Verdi's birthplace, to Naples to perform with the Orchestra and Chorus of Santa Cecilia, to Milan where he examines Verdi's original manuscripts held at his publishers Ricordi, and to Verona where he sees the spectacle of Verdi's Aida in the vast open air arena.

He is joined by Leo Nucci and Paolo Gavanelli to discuss Verdi's development of baritone roles with excerpts from Rigoletto taken from Gavanelli's performance at the Royal Opera House.

The programme follows Pappano as he rehearses Verdi's La traviata with the star-studded cast of soprano Renee Fleming, tenor Joseph Calleja and baritone Thomas Hampson, and includes interviews with the cast.

Programme 3: Puccini – Popular Genius

In the final programme of Opera Italia!, Antonio Pappano focuses on Puccini and uses examples from some of Puccini's best-known operas – La boheme, Tosca, Madama Butterfly, Gianni Schicchi and Turandot.

He visits Milan where Puccini's experiences, as an impoverished student earning money by playing piano in local bars, became the inspiration for La boheme. Pappano examines the central role of Mimi with one of the world's greatest divas of the past, soprano Renata Scotto.

Pappano visits at dawn the Castel St Angelo in Rome where the final tragic act of Tosca takes place and is joined by soprano Angela Gheorghiu and tenor Roberto Alagna talk about performing the roles of Tosca and Cavaradossi.

Pappano also travels to Italy to visit Puccini's home near Lucca, as well as visiting La Scala in Milan and Rome. He examines Puccini's original manuscripts and works with singers on specific arias from the operas. The programme will also follow him in rehearsals for Gianni Schicchi at the Royal Opera House.

Opera On 3

Schedule can be subject to change so please call to confirm broadcast details.

Saturdays, 6.30pm:

22 May – Prokofiev: The Gambler, Sacca, Denoke, Tomlinson/ Pappano, Royal Opera House

29 May – Janacek: The Cunning Little Vixen, Matthews, Maltman/ Mackerras, Royal Opera House

5 June – R Strauss: Der Rosenkavalier, Koch, Isokoski/ Petrenko, Royal Opera House

12 June – Janacek: Katya Kabanova, Racette, Bickley/ Wigglesworth, English National Opera

19 June – Donizetti: Maria Stuarda, Connolly, Cifrone, Bezduz/ Rumstadt, Opera North

26 June – Verdi: Aida, Carosi, Alvarez, D'Intino/ Luisotti, Royal Opera House

3 July – Handel: Tamerlano, Domingo/ Bolton, Royal Opera House

10 July – Massenet: Manon, Netrebko, Grigolo/ Pappano, Royal Opera House

Afternoon On 3

Thursdays, 2.00-5.00pm:

8 April – Tchaikovsky: Eugene Onegin, Iveri, Keenlyside/ Ozawa, Vienna State Opera

15 April – Britten: Peter Grimes, Gould/ Runnicles, Geneva Opera

22 April – Gounod: Faust, Beczala, Martinez, Pape/ Davis, Lyric Opera of Chicago

29 April – Bellini: I Puritani, Netrebko, Bros/ Latham-Koenig, Vienna State Opera

6 May – Monteverdi: L'Orfeo, Nigl, Mingardo/ Alessandrini, La Scala, Milan

13 May – Bellini: La Sonnamubula, Dessay, Camarena, Pertusi/Pido, Paris Opera

20 May – Catalani: La Wally, Westbroek/Carella, Amsterdam

27 May – Rossini: Zelmira, Florez, Kunde/Abbado, Rossini Opera Festival, Pesaro

3 June – Cavalli: La Calistoi, Gens, Zazzo/ Rousset, Paris Opera

10 June – Wagner: Tristan und Isolde, Gambill, Urmana/Rattle, Vienna State Opera

17 June – Beethoven: Fidelio, Mattila, Forbis/ Weigle Liceu, Barcelona

24 June – Bizet: Mireille, Mula, Castronovo/ Minkowski, Paris Opera

1 July – Mozart: Don Giovanni, D'Arcangelo/ Fischer, Vienna State Opera

8 July – Rossini: La Donna del Lago, DiDonato, Kunde/Arrivabeni, Grand Theatre, Geneva

CF2

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