Week of October 5: Lyric Commentaries for opera streaming and more

Welcome to October! In this lineup of opera streaming, we'll bookend our week with two late-Wagner epics at The Metropolitan Opera, and Rossini's first opera at Wolf Trap Opera (with a bonus article by Lyric's dramaturg, Roger Pines). We'll also check out Gounod's Roméo et Juliette from Wolf Trap, join the Chicago Children's Choir for a virtual concert featuring Common, stop by Houston Grand Opera for the "Live from the Cullen" recital series, and then head to Opera Australia for a Puccini classic. 

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.

The Metropolitan Opera
Wagner: Tristan und Isolde

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Stuart Skelton, Nina Stemme, Ekaterina Gubanova, Evgeny Nitikin, and René Pape, and was directed by Mariusz Trelinski. Tristan und Isolde was conducted by Sir Simon Rattle on October 8, 2016. This opera stream will be available until Tuesday, October 6 at 6:30pm.

Lyric Commentary from the 2008/09 season is by Sir Andrew Davis in collaboration with Nicholas Ivor Martin.

Wolf Trap Opera
Rossini: The Touchstone

This production from Wolf Trap Opera stars Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Opera Center alumnus Richard Ollarsaba, Chicago native Zoie Reams, Alasdair Kent, and Shea Owens, and was directed by E. Loren Meeker, who has served as director and assistant director for several Lyric productions. The Touchstone was conducted by Anthony Walker in June 2017. This opera stream will be available through December 1. 

In addition to watching this opera stream, you can read a supplementary article, "The Virtues of Virtuosity," by Lyric's dramaturg Roger Pines. 

Wolf Trap Opera
Gounod: Roméo et Juliette

This production from Wolf Trap Opera stars Richard Trey Smagur, Anthony Reed*, Annie Rosen*, Taylor Raven, and Patrick Guetti*, and was directed by Louisa Muller, director of Lyric's 2019/20 production of Luisa Miller. Roméo et Juliette was conducted by Eric Melear in July 2018. This opera stream is available through December 1, 2020.

Lyric Commentary from the 2015/16 Season is by Roger Pines.  

*Ryan Opera Center alumni

Chicago Children's Choir 
Reverberation: A Celebration of Enduring Voices

This virtual event from the Chicago Children's Choir features performances by the Chicago Children's Choir and alumni, Jamion Cotten, members of Voice of Chicago, and Common. 

Houston Grand Opera
Live from the Cullen: Reginald Smith, Jr., and Richard Dabo 

This recital from Houston Grand Opera features baritone Reginald Smith, Jr. (Lyric's 2017/18 production of Fellow Travelers), accompanied by Richard Dabo, pianist. This stream premieres on October 9, 2020, at 7:30pm CDT, and will be available through November 9, 2020.  

Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago
2020 Collaborative Works Festival 

On October 9, the Collaborative Arts Institute of Chicago (CAIC) kicks off its 2020 Collaborative Works Festival with Women of the Baroque. This virtual concert will showcase the works of overlooked women composers of the late Renaissance and Baroque period, and will feature performances by Ryan Opera Center alumna Amanda Majeski and current Ensemble member Anthony Reed. This stream will premiere on the CAIC Facebook page and website at 7pm, and will be available through October 11. 

Opera Australia
Puccini: La bohème

This production from Opera Australia stars Iulia Maria Dan, Ho-Yoon Chung, Julie Lea Goodwin, and Samuel Dundas, and was directed by Andy Morton. La bohème was conducted by Brian Castles-Onion in 2018. This opera stream will be available indefinitely. 

Lyric Commentary from the 2018/19 Season is by Wynne Delacoma. 

The Metropolitan Opera
Wagner: Parsifal 

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Jonas Kaufmann, Katarina Dalayman, Peter Mattei, Evgeny Nikitin, and René Pape, and was directed by François Girard. Parsifal was conducted by Daniele Gatti on March 2, 2013. 

Lyric Commentary from the 2013/14 Season is by Sir Andrew Davis in collaboration with Nicholas Ivor Martin.

Lawrence Brownlee and Friends: The Next Chapter

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. 

WATCH LAWRENCE BROWNLEE AND FRIENDS: THE NEXT CHAPTER

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. 

WATCH FOR THE LOVE OF LYRIC