Week of October 12: Lyric Commentaries for opera streaming and more

Travel with us to Surrey, England, for part one of Grange Park Opera's production of A Feast in the Time of Plague, a brand-new opera from Alex Woolf and Sir David Pountney. Commissioned in the spring of 2020, composer Alex Woolf created the music for this new opera in just six weeks. Lyric audiences will remember librettist and director Sir David Pountney from his acclaimed new productions of Wagner's Das Rheingold, Die Walküre, and Siegfried. 

Then, we'll join The Metropolitan Opera for Donizetti Week, enhanced by an enlightening article on Donizetti's famous three queens by Roger Pines, Lyric's dramaturg. Finally, we'll head to Seattle Opera for a virtual recital featuring tenor Frederick Ballentine. 

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.

Grange Park Opera
Woolf: A Feast in the Time of Plague, part one 

Grange Park Opera's presentation of A Feast in the Time of Plague, a new opera by Alex Woolf and Sir David Pountney, stars Simon Keenlyside, Susan Bullock, and Claire Booth, and was directed by Sir David Pountney. This opera was conducted by Toby Purser in September 2020. A Feast in the Time of Plague was commissioned in Spring 2020 as a result of the onset of COVID-19. Part one premieres on Wednesday, October 7, and will be available indefinitely.  

The Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczała, Mariusz Kwiecień, and Ildar Abdrazakov, and was directed by Mary Zimmerman. Lucia di Lammermoor was conducted by Marco Armiliato on February 7, 2009. This opera stream will be available until Tuesday, October 13 at 6:30pm.

Lyric Commentary from the 2016/17 Season is by Nicholas Ivor Martin. 

The Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti: La Fille du régiment

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Natalie Dessay, Juan Diego Flórez, Felicity Palmer, and Alessandro Corbelli, and was directed by Laurent Pelly. La Fille du Régiment was conducted by Marco Armiliato on April 26, 2008. This opera stream will be available until Wednesday, October 14 at 6:30pm.

The Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti: L’Elisir d’amore

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Pretty Yende, Matthew Polenzani, Davide Luciano, and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, and was directed by Bartlett Sher. L’Elisir d’amore was conducted by Domingo Hindoyan on February 10, 2018. This opera stream will be available until Thursday, October 15 at 6:30pm.

The Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti: Anna Bolena

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Anna Netrebko, Ekaterina Gubanova, Tamara Mumford, Stephen Costello, and Ildar Abdrazakov, and was directed Sir David McVicar. Anna Bolena was conducted by Marco Armiliato on October 15, 2011. This opera stream will be available until Friday, October 16 at 6:30pm.

Lyric Commentary from the 2019/20 Season is by Roger Pines. 

The Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti: Maria Stuarda

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Elza van den Heever, Joyce DiDonato, Matthew Polenzani, Joshua Hopkins, and Matthew Rose, and was directed by Sir David McVicar. Maria Stuarda was conducted by Maurizio Benini on January 19, 2013. This opera stream will be available until Saturday, October 17 at 6:30pm.

The Metropolitan Opera
Donizetti: Roberto Devereux

This production from The Metropolitan Opera stars Sondra Radvanovsky, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecień, and Elīna Garanča, and was directed by Sir David McVicar. Roberto Devereux was conducted by Maurizio Benini on April 16, 2016. This opera stream will be available until Sunday, October 18 at 6:30pm. 

Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky in a scene from Lyric's 2019/20 production of "The Three Queens."

To complement your time watching Anna Bolena, Maria Stuarda, and Roberto Devereux,we invite you to read this in-depth article "Long may they reign: Donizetti’s glorious 'Three Queens'" by Lyric dramaturg Roger Pines, which delves into the historical context of of these history-inspired classics.

 

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Seattle Opera
Frederick Ballentine in Recital

This virtual recital from Seattle Opera features tenor Frederick Ballentine singing selections by Giacomo Puccini, George Bizet, and Sergei Rachmaninoff. David McDade accompanies on piano. 

This recital will be available through Friday, October 23. 

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