Opera-Tunity Knocks

Would you expect to hear Nessun Dorma—at a soccer match? The Flower Duet on a TV spot? Or the William Tell Overture in a Loony Tunes cartoon? Opera melodies show up in unlikely places, including an all-instrumental program by the Cape Cod Concert Band.

“Even if you’ve never been to the opera, you’ve probably heard melodies and motifs from famous scenes,” says CCCB Music Director John Hagon. Opera-Tunity Knocks is designed to open up the world of opera to everyone—newbies and longtime buffs, alike.

Academy of Lifelong Learning instructor Steve Piontek will set the scene for each selection. Tracing his love of opera to a performance of Don Giovanni he saw when he was just fifteen years old, Mr. Piontek has introduced Cape Cod seniors to the operas of Verdi, Mozart, Puccini, and Rossini. “The melodies from opera express the entire range of the human experience, from pure joy to total desolation,” he says. “The emotions that are expressed go right to the heart.” His advice to newcomers? “Try it. You’ll like it,” adding, “No one should be scared of opera.”