March 16, 2020
Week nine: Lyric Commentaries for Met Opera Nightly Streams and more!
This week, in addition to our weekly commentaries to supplement your time watching the Met's Nightly Streams, we're also highlighting our friends at Opera Australia who have also taken their world-class productions to the virtual realm.
To help you get the most out of these operas, Lyric Opera Commentaries discuss the synopsis, music, and some historical insight into how each piece was created. It’s like a Pre-Opera Talk you can enjoy at home!
Enjoy the background, and enjoy the operas! View more Lyric commentaries that enhance the Met's Nightly Streams.
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley Welsh Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
Opera Australia on Demand
Adding new operas every week, our friends at Opera Australia have started their streaming series with their 1988 production of The Merry Widow featuring Joan Sutherland and their 2012 production of La Traviata on Sydney Harbour.
We invite you to visit our previous producion pages of the 2015/16 Season's production of The Merry Widow and the 2018/19 Season's La traviata for musical highlights, program book articles and commentaries to enrich your time.
WATCH NOW!
Monday, May 11 – Massenet: Werther
Starring Lisette Oropesa, Sophie Koch, Jonas Kaufmann, and David Bižić, conducted by Alain Altinoglu on March 15, 2014.
The Lyric Commentary is from the 2012|13 season and is by Sir Andrew Davis in collaboration with Nicholas Ivor Martin.
Werther
By Jules Massenet
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley Welsh Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
© 2012/13 Lyric Opera Commentaries
Musical excerpts provided through generous arrangement with Warner Classics, Official Education and Promotion Music Provider for Lyric Opera of Chicago. All rights reserved. Recording & production services provided by Mark Travis.
A project of the Women's Board.
Commentary by Sir Andrew Davis and Nicholas Ivor Martin
Tuesday, May 12 – Adès: The Tempest
Starring Audrey Luna, Isabel Leonard, Alek Shrader, Alan Oke, and Simon Keenlyside, conducted by Thomas Adès on November 10, 2012. Lyric Commentary not available for this title.
Thursday, May 14 – Britten: Peter Grimes
Starring Patricia Racette, Anthony Dean Griffey, and Anthony Michaels-Moore, conducted by Sir Donald Runnicles on March 15, 2008. Lyric Commentary not available for this title.
Friday, May 15 – Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor
Starring Joan Sutherland, Alfredo Kraus, Pablo Elvira, and Paul Plishka, conducted by Richard Bonynge on November 13, 1982.
The Lyric Commentary is from the 2016|17 season and is by Nicholas Ivor Martin.
Lucia di Lammermoor
by Gaetano Donizetti
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley W. Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
© 2016/17 Lyric Opera Commentaries
Musical excerpts provided through generous arrangement with Warner Classics, Official Education and Promotion Music Provider for Lyric Opera of Chicago. All rights reserved. Recording & Production services provided by Mark Travis.
A project of the Women's Board.
Commentary by Nicholas Ivor Martin
Saturday, May 16 – Verdi: Rigoletto
Starring Diana Damrau, Oksana Volkova, Piotr Beczała, and Željko Lučić, conducted by Michele Mariotti on from February 16, 2013.
The Lyric Commentary is from the 2016|17 season and is read and written by Colin Ure.
Rigoletto
by Giuseppe Verdi
Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley Welsh Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.
© 2017/18 Lyric Opera Commentaries Original sound recordings of musical excerpts used by permission of Warner Music Group. All rights reserved. Recording & Production services provided by Mark Travis.
A project of the Women’s Board
Commentary by Colin Ure
Dan Rest, Todd Rosenberg