PBS to offer an operatic season on TVM2

As from Christmas Eve, opera fans will be delighted to know that TVM2 will be transmitting a series of Operas every Wednesday at 20:40.

This televised opera season will run through to February and contains an eclectic mix of opera produced locally as well as in major venues internationally.

Viewers can watch operas staged in Glyndebourne, at the Royal Albert Hall, the Royal Opera house to look forward to as well as operas staged at the Aurora and the Astra Opera Houses.

The season kicks off with soprano Lesley Garret, who will give a Christmas Eve concert that includes not only operatic arias but also some wonderful Christmas music together with special guests Guy Barker, Jose Cura and Sibongine Khumalo.

The season continues on New Year’s Eve with the Magic Flute (Mozart), Il Trovatore (Verdi) on the 7 January, Nabucco (Verdi) on the 14 January, Aida (Verdi) on the 21 January, Tosca (Puccini) on the 28 January, Carmen (Bizet) on the 4 February and Falstaff (Verdi) on the 11 February.

This year Aurora Theatre produced Il Trovatore and Astra Theatre produced Nabucco, both great works by Giuseppe Verdi. PBS Chairman Tonio Portughese explained, "PBS worked hard to cement the collaboration of the Ministry of Finance and the Malta Council of Arts and Culture to enable these major productions further improve their quality.

PBS for the first time obtained the rights to produce audio-visual material of the highest quality with ‘high definition’ technology. This is an important and historical milestone for television broadcasting in Malta”.

“The international operas were the result of collaboration with the BBC and are bonus to lovers of operatic music. They also complement the concerts and operas PBS transmits late in the evening on Radju Malta through collaboration with the European Broadcasting Union’s EuroRadio” said Programs Manager Reuben Zammit.