Contemporary female composers: sopranos are given a voice of their own

We will watch / discuss / compare / contrast the female soprano arias in the opera cannon to recent soprano arias written by women.

from the cannon:
olympia's aria and lucia mad scene (sung by Joan Sutherland); casta diva and o mio babbino caro (Maria callas); the bell song (Natalie Dessay), the queen of the night aria (lucia popp); and the song to the moon (Renee Fleming).

Contemporary female composer (one aria from each opera):
Missy Mazzoli opera breaking the waves
Ellen Reid's opera p r i s m
Kaija Saariaho's opera l'amour de loin (available from met on demand)
Jennifer Higdon's opera cold mountain