Some Classical and Opera Tunes Recently Heard on TV (April 2009)

Being an opera-geek, I'm always on the look out for opera tunes when I watch various programs on my tv set at night. Here are a few classical and operatic tunes I've heard on that medium of late (the clips are performed by the some of my favorite artists rather than ones used on the programs and ads):

One of the shows I regularly have on is the ABC channel's Nightline news-magazine show, which airs here (in San Diego, California) on weekdays at 11:30PM... And man, has that show not been putting on operatic arias in the background of its reports of late. Someone on that program really love opera! Here are a few recent tunes I picked out:

1. 'Dome êpais' (Flower Duet)from Leo Délibes' Lakmé : This was on through out the report about a golf course/housing development in Las Vegas a week or so ago.
From last night (April 21st, 2009)'s report on the Milwaukee restauranteur, Paul Bartolotta.
2. 'Vedi! le fosche notturne' (Anvil Chorus) from Giuseppe Verdi's Il trovatore
3. Overture to Verdi's La forza del destino
4. 'Lascia ch'io pianga' (Almirena's aria) from Georg Friedrich Händel's Rinaldo : (I didn't know who Christina Lordache was, but judging from her singing she is sure worth checking out).
5. 'L'amour est un oiseau rebelle' (Habanera) from Georges Bizet's Carmen : (Juliette Galstian really would make a Carmen worth all the troubles for, I think).

From tv ads:
6. Stellar Artois beer commercials is using the overture from La forza del destino.
7. A version of the promotional ads for the tv murder-mystery series, Harper's Island, uses the 1st movement from Mendelssohn-Bartholdy's symphony #4 (Italian).
8. Window Live ads is using 'Ride of the Valkyries' from Richard Wagner's Die Walküre.

See... opera and classical music are around you and chances are good that you enjoy it more than you thought you do!