Saturdays at 4:30 pm
The Chagall ceiling of Opéra Garnier in Paris (Photo: Lin Padgham, CC BY 2.0, cropped, via Flickr)
Enjoy recording collector and host Larry Johnson’s vast library of vocal music.
Arias and Songs celebrates great singers of the past and present, from Maria Callas and Jussi Björling to Renée Fleming and Jonas Kaufmann. Each week, recording collector and host Larry Johnson spins a wonderful web of opera, operetta, Broadway tunes, art songs—even vintage pop. Expect the unexpected as Larry guides you through the range and nuance of vocal artistry, with some programs tied to local performances, as well.
The player below features a continuous three hour loop of the most recent Arias and Songs episodes to be joined in progress.
There are no upcoming broadcasts at the moment.
At the Midnight Hour
August 8, 2020
Karita Mattila braves the night in Tchaikovsky’s The Queen of Spades. Leontyne Price has a clandestine midnight rendezvous with Carlo Bergonzi in Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera.
From The American Songbook
August 1, 2020
This is a program of classic American songs. The traditional “Shenandoah,” Steven Foster’s “Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair,” the spiritual “Deep River,” “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess, and others. Singers include Eileen Farrell, the Norman Luboff Choir and Marilyn Horne.
Fire and Music
July 25, 2020
A combustible combination as René Pape singing “Wotan’s Farewell” and “Fire Music” from Die Walküre. Régine Crespin witnesses the burning of Troy in Les Troyens. Larissa Diadkova sees her mother burned at the stake in Il trovatore.
American Musical Theater
July 18, 2020
The Overture to Cole Porter’s Anything Goes kicks off this ode to American musical theater. Glynis Johns sings, “Send In the Clowns,” from A Little Night Music, and Bette Midler greets us with, “Hello, Dolly!,” among much more to be heard in this all-Broadway program.
The Art of Josephine Baker
July 11, 2020
Arriving in France as one of the many Americans in Paris in the 1920s, La Belle Josephine, as she was called, became a national treasure for the French for half a century.
A Program for Gay Pride Weekend
June 27, 2020
For a special one-hour program beginning at 4:30pm, Larry showcases the talents of gay composers Gian Carlo Menotti, Reynaldo Hahn, and Michael Tippett. Also featured are Peter Pears, Nathan Lane, Josephine Baker, Donald Gramm, and pianists, Earl Wild, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, and more.
A Program for Father’s Day
June 20, 2020
Celebrating Father’s Day weekend are Sherrill Milnes in La traviata, Leontyne Price and Robert Merrill in Aida, and more.
Things that Crawl, Swim, and Fly
June 13, 2020
Fish swim, butterflies float, snakes slither, bees sting, and worms crawl in a most unusual program. Immersed in nature are Kathleen Battle, Gérard Souzay, Christa Ludwig, John McCormack, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Felicity Lott, and more.
Coffee, Tea, Beer, or Wine?
June 6, 2020
The bar is open. It’s your choice and served by Jerry Hadley, Joan Morris, Carlo Bergonzi, Ella Fitzgerald and more.
Play Gypsy, Dance Gypsy
May 30, 2020
Gypsies have long been a favorite topic for composers. Hear delightful and melodic songs and arias sung by Leontyne Price, Conchita Supervía, Fritz Wunderlich, Angela Gheorghiu, Renata Tebaldi, and more.
On Wings of Song
May 23, 2020
We float in the air today with Mendelssohn’s song of this name, moving on to fireflies, birds, and butterflies. Taking flight are Jussi Björling, Susan Graham, Ben Heppner, Rita Streich, Ian Bostridge, Ann Murray, Gérard Souzay, Felicity Lott and more.
Heard in “Live” Performance
May 16, 2020
An eclectic collection indeed! Marcella Sembrich sings at a 1903 Metropolitan Opera concert, Maria Callas is heard in the Lisbon Traviata, Ferruccio Furlanetto is the Prince in Eugene Onegin at the 2007 Salzburg Festival, and the ‘Cat Duet’ by Rossini is purred by Elisabeth Schwarzkopf and Victoria de los Ángeles in London.
A Program for Mother’s Day
May 9, 2020
They nurture us, they teach us, and they love us as we will hear in musical selections. Celebrating Mother’s Day weekend are Leyla Gencer, Marilyn Horne, Lily Pons, and Noël Coward. Yo-Yo Ma with Patricia Zander will be heard in “Songs My Mother Taught Me.”
Here Comes the Sun
May 2, 2020
Here is a program filled with sunshine for a March day. Franco Corelli sings O sole mio plus arias from Rigoletto, Romeo and Juliet and May Night. Also spreading sunshine are Karita Mattila, Piotr Beczala, Renata Scotto, Carlo Bergonzi and Nicolai Gedda.
Remembering Montserrat Caballé
April 25, 2020
Larry offers a one‐hour memorial tribute to one of the most outstanding voices of our time. This master of legato and pianissimo will be heard in prominent roles from Norma, Louise, and La traviata as well as selections from Spanish zarzuelas.
Shadows and Fog
April 18, 2020
Venture into a twilight world with Natalie Dessay singing the “Shadow Song” from Meyerbeer’s Dinorah. Peter Pears delves into the “Foggy, Foggy Dew” and Fred Astaire quite enjoys “A Foggy Day (In London Town).” All alone, Judy Garland offers a heartfelt “Me and My Shadow.”
Five Wagnerian Tenors
April 11, 2020
Five tenors who are all acclaimed for their Wagner interpretations. Listen and enjoy Lauritz Melchior, Jon Vickers, Jess Thomas, Ben Heppner and Jonas Kaufmann.
Larry’s Favorite Recordings
April 4, 2020
Often asked for his personal favorites, Larry shares a few choices sung by Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano, Bidu Sayão, Alfredo Kraus, and Leontyne Price.
Sutherland in Song
March 28, 2020
Hear one of the 20th century’s greatest voices in a recital of songs by Paolo Tosti, Luigi Arditi, and operettas by Michael Balfe and Noël Coward.
American Wagnerian Sopranos
March 21, 2020
Three American sopranos sing Wagner: Deborah Voigt, Jessye Norman, and Helen Traubel are heard in Die Walküre, Der fliegende Holländer, and Tristan und Isolde.