Week 15: Lyric Commentaries for opera streaming and more!

Another week of opera streaming is headed your way! Lyric's magical production of Georges Bizet's The Pearl Fishers headlines Saturday's broadcast series with WFMT. In addition to our usual commentaries, we've provided you with musical highlights, program articles, and photos to enrich your listening experience. 

Also featured this week are selections from the Metropolitan Opera's week 15 of opera streaming, and a contemporary opera from Opera Philadelphia's Digital Festival. You'll also have the opportunity to watch "Live with Carnegie Hall: Isabel Leonard", also featuring Lyric favorite Janai Brugger, pianist Emanuel Ax, and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon in what will be a performance you don't want to miss.

To help you get the most out of this week's operas, Lyric Opera Commentaries discuss the synopsis, music, and some historical insights 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 your weekly opera streaming. 

Lyric Opera Commentaries are sponsored by the Patrick G. and Shirley Welsh Ryan Foundation in memory of their parents.

Metropolitan Opera
Verdi: La traviata

This production from the Metropolitan Opera stars Sonya Yoncheva, Michael Fabiano, and Thomas Hampson, and was directed by Willy Decker. La traviata was conducted by Nicola Luisotti on March 11, 2017. This opera stream will be available until 6:30pm on Tuesday, June 23. 

Lyric Commentary from the 2018/19 Season is by David Buch. 

Metropolitan Opera
Adams: Doctor Atomic

This production from the Metropolitan Opera stars Sasha Cooke, Thomas Glenn, Gerald Finley, and Richard Paul Fink, and was directed by Penny Woolcock. Doctor Atomic was conducted by Alan Gilbert on November 8, 2008. This opera stream will be available until 6:30pm on Wednesday, June 24. 

Lyric Commentary from the 2007/08 Season is by Jesse Gram.

Metropolitan Opera
Saint-Saëns: Samson et Dalila

This production from the Metropolitan Opera stars Elīna Garanča, Roberto Alagna, Laurent Naouri, Elchin Azizov, and Dmitry Belosselskiy, and was directed by Darko Tresnjak. Samson et Dalila was conducted by Sir Mark Elder on October 20, 2018. This opera stream will be available until 6:30pm on Thursday, June 25. 

Samson and Delilah returns to Lyric for the first time in nearly 20 years in January 2021. Visit our production page, and learn more about the visceral reimagining of this biblical tale. 

Live with Carnegie Hall:
Isabel Leonard

Acclaimed opera singer Isabel Leonard joins soprano Janai Brugger, trombonist Wycliffe Gordon, and pianist Emanuel Ax in a virtual concert event hosted by Carnegie Hall. Leonard performs and discusses her many musical interests with Living the Classical Life’s Zsolt Bognár. Isabel Leonard was most recently seen at Lyric in the 2015/16 Season's La Cenerentola and the 2013/14 Season's The Barber of Seville. 

We invite you to watch these incredible artists perform on Thursday, June 25 at 1pm CDT/2pm EDT.  


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Lyric Opera of Chicago
Bizet: The Pearl Fishers

This production of The Pearl Fishers from Lyric's 2017/18 Season stars Marina Rebeka, Mariusz Kwiecień, and Matthew Polenzani, and was directed by Andrew Sinclair. The Pearl Fishers was conducted by Sir Andrew Davis and can be heard at 12pm on WFMT.

In addition to the Lyric commentary by Sir Andrew Davis in collaboration with Jack Zimmerman, we invite you to visit our production page for musical highlights, program articles, a synopsis and photos. 

Metropolitan Opera
Mozart: Die Zauberflöte 

This production from the Metropolitan Opera stars Golda Schultz, Kathryn Lewek, Charles Castronovo, Markus Werba, Christian Van Horn, and René Pape, and was directed by Julie Taymor. Die Zauberflöte was conducted by James Levine on October 14, 2017. This opera stream will be available until 6:30pm on Monday, June 29. 

Lyric Commentary from the 2016/17 Season is by Anthony Freud in collaboration with Nicholas Ivor Martin. In addition to listening to our commentary, we invite you to visit our production and learning resources pages for articles, musical highlights, and behind-the-scenes content for all ages.  

Opera Philadelphia
Beecher: Sky on Swings

This production from Opera Philadelphia stars Frederica von Stade, Marietta Simpson, Sharleen Joynt and Daniel Taylor, and was directed by Joanna Settle. Sky on Swings was conducted by Geoffrey McDonald in 2018. 

Lembit Beecher's contemporary opera Sky on Swings made its digital premiere with Opera Philadelphia on May 22, and will be available through August 31. 

As a part of Lyric's longstanding commitment to new American operas, we invite you to watch this ground-breaking production, and introduce yourself to the exciting work of Lembit Beecher and Hannah Moscovitch. 

Photos: Todd Rosenberg, Dan Rest