March 16, 2020
Week of November 9: Lyric Commentaries for opera streaming and more
Join us for another round of opera streaming featuring fan favorites and rarely seen performances. Monday through Thursday, we'll visit The Metropolitan Opera for their lineup of mostly 20th-century opera selections. Then we'll head to Houston Grand Opera for Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci, and a live recital featuring tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz and Kirill Kuzmin. Finishing out the week, we'll stop by San Francisco Opera for their presentation of Boris Godunov, a production that was hailed by the San Francisco Classical Voice when it premiered in 2008: "this truly grand opera, a Russian national treasure, is a masterpiece."
Lyric Opera Commentaries discuss the synopses, music, and some historical insights into the creation of the world's most beloved operas, and musical masterpieces you might never have experienced.
Explore Lyric Commentaries to make the most out of your opera streaming experience.
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
Monday, November 9
The Metropolitan Opera
Tchaikovsky: Iolanta
Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle
This double bill of rarely performed one-act operas from The Metropolitan Opera stars Anna Netrebko and Piotr Beczała (Iolanta), and Nadja Michael and Mikhail Petrenko (Bluebeard's Castle). Iolanta and Bluebeard’s Castle were directed by Mariusz Treliński, and conducted by Valery Gergiev on February 14, 2015. This opera stream will be available until Tuesday, November 10 at 6:30pm.
Tuesday, November 10
The Metropolitan Opera
Strauss: Salome
This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Karita Mattila, Juha Uusitalo, Kim Begley, Ildikó Komlósi, and Joseph Kaiser, and was directed by Jürgen Flimm. Salome was conducted by Patrick Summers on October 11, 2008. This opera stream will be available until Wednesday, November 11 at 6:30pm.
Lyric Commentary from the 2006/07 Season is by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin.
Salome
By Richard Strauss
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
Commentary by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin
Wednesday, November 11
The Metropolitan Opera
Puccini: La fanciulla del West
This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Deborah Voigt, Marcello Giordani, and Lucio Gallo, and was directed by Giancarlo Del Monaco. La fanciulla del West was conducted by Nicola Luisotti on January 8, 2011. This opera stream will be available until Thursday, November 12 at 6:30pm.
Lyric Commentary from the 2010/11 Season is by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin.
La fanciulla del West
By Giacomo Puccini
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
Commentary by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin
Thursday, November 12
The Metropolitan Opera
Berg: Lulu
This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Marlis Petersen, Susan Graham, Daniel Brenna, Paul Groves, Johan Reuter, Franz Grundheber, and Elizabeth DeShong, and was directed and designed by William Kentridge. Lulu was conducted by Lothar Koenigs on November 21, 2015. This opera stream will be available until Friday, November 13 at 6:30pm.
Lyric Commentary from the 2008/09 Season is by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin.
Lulu
By Alban Berg
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
Commentary by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin
Houston Grand Opera
Mascagni: Cavalleria rusticana
Leoncavallo: Pagliacci
This radio broadcast is presented by Houston Grand Opera. Cavalleria rusticana stars Brandon Jovanovich, Dolora Zajick, Judith Christin, Charles Taylor, and Maria Markina. Pagliacci stars Vladimir Galouzine, Ana María Martínez, Scott Hendricks, Charles Taylor, and Beau Gibson. Cavalleria rusticana and Pagliacci were directed by Leslie Halla Grayson and conducted by Oleg Caetan in 2008. This radio broadcast will be available through November 16, 2020.
Lyric Commentary from the 2008/09 Season is by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin.
Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci
By Pietro Mascagni & Ruggero Leoncavallo
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
Commentary by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin
Friday, November 13
Houston Grand Opera
Live from The Cullen: Arturo Chacón-Cruz
This recital from Houston Grand Opera features tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz, accompanied by pianist Kirill Kuzmin. This stream premieres on November 13, 2020 at 7:30pm CST, and will be available through December 13, 2020.
Saturday, November 14
LA Opera
Saint-Georges: The Anonymous Lover (L'Amant Anonyme)
LA Opera presents The Anonymous Lover (L'Amant Anonyme), a chamber opera from 1780 that was composed by Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges, a pioneering Black composer and contemporary of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. This production stars Tiffany Townsend, Robert Stahley, Alaysha Fox, Michael J. Hawk, Gabriela Flores, and Jacob Ingbar, and is directed by Bruce Lemon, Jr. The Anonymous Lover (L'Amant Anonyme) is conducted by James Conlon, and premieres at 7pm CST. This free offering will be available through November 29, 2020.
Saturday, November 14 & Sunday, November 15
San Francisco Opera
Mussorgsky: Boris Godunov
This production from San Francisco Opera stars Samuel Ramey, John Uhlenhopp, Vitalij Kowaljow, Vladimir Ognovenko, and was directed by Julia Pevzner. Boris Godunov was conducted by Vassily Sinaisky in 2008. This opera stream premieres on Saturday, November 14 at 12pm CST, and will be available through Sunday, November 15.
Lyric Commentary from the 2011/12 Season is by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin.
Boris Godunov
By Modest Mussorgsky
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
Commentary by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin
Free streaming opportunities presented by Lyric Opera of Chicago
Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter
Tenor Lawrence Brownlee performs in Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: the Next Chapter, with Ryan Opera Center Music Director Craig Terry on piano.
The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center presents Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter, a free virtual concert celebrating the depth and breadth of Black artistry. Hosted by world-renowned tenor Lawrence Brownlee, who also serves as artistic advisor for the event, the concert features prominent Ryan Opera Center alumni—soprano Whitney Morrison, mezzo-soprano J'Nai Bridges, and baritone Will Liverman—and three current 2020/21 Ryan Opera Center Ensemble members—tenors Martin Luther Clark and Lunga Eric Hallam, and baritone Leroy Davis. Performances are accompanied by Craig Terry, the Grammy Award-winning music director of the Ryan Opera Center; and Chris Reynolds, current Ensemble pianist. Members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra make an appearance in a special selection, performing from their homes.
Visit our production page for program notes, artist biographies, and video conversations with the artists discussing their musical selections and why this concert is taking place. This stream will be available through January 26, 2021.
For the Love of Lyric
Renée Fleming starring in the virtual concert, For the Love of Lyric.
For the Love of Lyric's starry lineup is led by world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming and features special guests, including Tony Award® and Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter-actress Heather Headley, sopranos Ailyn Pérez and Julia Bullock, mezzo-soprano and Ryan Opera Center alumna J'Nai Bridges, and bass Soloman Howard, with Doug Peck serving as music director. Members of The Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center Ensemble and members of the Chicago Children's Choir also perform in this enlightening and entertaining program of familiar and revelatory selections from the worlds of opera, Broadway, popular music, and some surprising sources.
Visit our production page to listen to a special commentary from dramaturg Roger Pines as he delves into what to expect from this unique virtual concert. This stream will be available through December 13, 2020.