Great Performances at the Met

An exploration of opera in unconventional ways attempting to attract not just existing opera fans, but also those less familiar with the art form. The host guides the viewer to the places of origin of each opera, and explores the culture, history—and modern and current trends and how they apply to opera.

More than 20 years since OG reality icons Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie first took the world by storm, the life-long friends reunite in a new special. Follow the dynamic duo as they try to produce a once-in-a-lifetime operatic performance based on their self-coined phrase, "Sanasa."

Òpera en Texans

Opera singer Carina Henriksson, who has lived and worked in several world metropolises, takes the lure of the fine arts and opera to one of Sweden's most sparsely populated areas.

Looks at Mozart's extraordinary short life and revolutionary music through a distinctive mix of costume drama and documentary.

A behind-the-scenes look at the Royal Opera House.

For centuries in western culture, opera has been the greatest show on earth. Historian Lucy Worsley explores how history and opera go hand in hand. She visits the great European cities where some of the most famous operas were written, tells the stories of the colourful characters who composed them, and shows how they reflected the turbulent times they were composed in and the lives, hopes and fears of the people who lived in them. Whilst Lucy visits the cities and European opera houses, Antonio Pappano, music director of London's Royal Opera, helps us understand some of those operas' greatest musical moments.

Graines d'étoiles

小白玉霜

Spanish maestro Rafael Fruhbeck de Burgos (1933-2014) concluded his acclaimed international conducting career spanning nearly six decades with two memorable years as the revered Principal Conductor of the Danish National Symphony Orchestra. Recorded live at Copenhagen's new DR Koncerthuset, Koncertsalen from 2012 to 2014, this exclusive recording combines Fruhbeck de Burgos's powerful interpretation of Ludwig van Beethoven's complete symphonies with his spectacular renditions of Hector Berlioz's Symphonie fantastique and Richard Strauss's Eine Alpensinfonie, as well as Joaquin Rodrigos's popular Concerto de Aranjuez, with world-renowned Spanish guitarist Pepe Romero.

Newly appointed inspector Shi Jiangchengzhou and head constable Meng Jiu'an are drawn into a series of perplexing cases, with the city’s information hub, Baihua Fang, and its enigmatic owner Baihua Wuming, playing a central role. As threats loom over the city, their investigation becomes increasingly unpredictable and dangerous.

Sarah is a young autistic woman with an extraordinary ability for lyrical singing. She begins taking lessons with renowned soprano Leonor Delise, but there is tension in the relationship. Sarah will learn to turn her silences into emotions; Leonor will have to restore her faith in humanity and reconcile with her daughter. Music will be the bond that transforms their lives.

Comte Philippe de Chagny discovers Christine Daaé's singing talent at a county fair and sends her to his friend Gérard Carrière, director of the Parisian opera. However, just when she arrives, Carrière is dismissed. His successor, the arrogant Alain Choleti, refuses to allow a woman of low birth perform in his opera, but graciously employs Christine as gadrobiere for his primadonna wife Carlotta, who's installed as first singer. He also battles the Phantom, an unknown figure in the catacombs below, granted privileges by Carrière. Christine becomes the Phantom's protégé, unaware that her being his muse makes him increasingly dangerous.

Three zany puppets bring to life our greatest opera treasures, as Joan Sutherland, the world’s most famous soprano, performs their highlights. The puppets make up the audience: Sir William, a wise old goat; Little Billy, his nephew; and Rudi, a rather boisterous lion. Sutherland first introduces them to the story of each opera. Then, backed by the London Symphony Orchestra and a first-rate cast, she moves onto the opera stage, complete with elaborate sets and elegant costumes. After each exquisite aria, the diva comes back to her inquisitive friends and unfolds the plot.

Les Grands Airs de Tebaldo

An original perspective on how and why a generation of men and women living in a European society became the leaders of one of the most terrifying regimes of all time, responsible for 60 million deaths. Visiting the places where elite Nazi leaders grew up and the sites of their worst atrocities, James Ellis, a dedicated young historian, explores the defining moments which transformed everyday Germans into mass murderers.

Huw Edwards presents a major television history of Wales, showing the country in ways it has never been seen before.

This show is series of re-edited short episodes from the Tracks (1994) and Country Tracks (1998) series. It introduces various outdoor skills, bushcraft and countryside cunning with survival expert Ray Mears.

Two qualities define the Nile as the ultimate river. First, it is the world’s longest river. From the source in Rwanda to the end at the Mediterranean Sea, it travels 6650 kilometres (4130 miles). Second, the Nile is a truly cosmopolitan water. Its source lies in tropical Africa, its most important tributary – the Blue Nile – originates in the Ethiopian highlands. Its longest stage – through Sudan and Egypt – is characterised by Arab influences. Travelling through a sea of sand, this river gives life. It passes Africa’s largest city – Cairo – and ends only a few hundred kilometres away from Europe, in the Mediterranean Sea.

A three-part insight into an amazing wartime mission in Norway, undertaken in the early 1940s, which was immortalised by the Hollywood movie The Heroes of Telemark.