April 02, 2020
Lyric Family Favorites: August 14
This week 144 years ago, Wagner’s complete Ring cycle received its world premiere at the newly opened Bayreuth Festspielhaus in Germany. Since then, Ring cycles have been mounted all over the world, including at Lyric Opera twice previously. In celebration of the anniversary of this monumental work and the Ring cycle that we missed this year, we bring you this moving segment from the finale of Die Walküre, featuring bass-baritone Eric Owens’s magnificent portrayal of Wotan.
Then take a look back at an earlier Lyric Legend, mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne. You can also enjoy an exhilarating at-home concert from the family of Lyric Orchestra concertmaster Robert Hanford, and check out our picks for the best opera streaming opportunities next week.
A master of her instrument
Legends of Lyric: Marilyn Horne
One of the most beloved artists America has ever produced, mezzo-soprano Marilyn Horne had a more than 30-year career at Lyric, starting with her 1961 debut in Lyric’s first world premiere, Giannini’s The Harvest. Learn more about this legend of Lyric Opera in dramaturg Roger Pine’s glowing tribute.
Contact your elected officials today to support the arts
Opera America Advocacy Alert
August 14 is Opera America's Advocacy Day for the Arts. We join with Opera America in urging you to take a few moments to visit the link below and contact your elected officials to express support for the inclusion of relief for the arts in Covid relief legislation. The creative sector is an important and unique contributor to the overall economy as well as state and local economies to provide millions of jobs, provide tax revenue, and otherwise continue to the overall quality of life for individuals and families in the U.S. and abroad. Your voice has never been more important!
Hear music performed by the concertmaster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra and his family
Rush Hour Concerts: The Hanford Family
Robert Hanford, concertmaster of the Lyric Opera of Chicago Orchestra, along with his wife Sheila Hanford, a frequent freelance violinist, and son William, pianist, perform a concert from their Evanston home as part of the new digital Rush Hour Concerts series presented by the International Music Foundation. Tune in for pieces by Maddalena Laura Lombardini-Sirmen, Johan Halvorsen, and Dmitri Shostakovich.
No need for opera glasses on your couch!
Week of August 17: Streaming opportunities
This week, watch Glyndebourne Festival’s production of Hamlet, Dialogues of the Carmelites from Opera Australia starring Dame Joan Sutherland, Verdi’s A Masked Ball from Houston Grand Opera, and more!
The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between.
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart