March 16, 2020

Week 11: Lyric Commentaries for opera streaming and more!

In this week's streaming, we are highlighting selects from week 11 of the Met's Nightly Streams, Lyric favorites at San Francisco Opera, and productions streaming on Opera Philadelphia's website as part of their Digital O Festival, including Breaking the Waves by Missy Mazzoli.

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 your weekly opera streaming. 

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

Tuesday, May 26

Metropolitan Opera
Verdi: Ernani

This production from the Metropolitan Opera stars Angela Meade, Marcello Giordani, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, and Ferruccio Furlanetto, and was conducted by Marco Armiliato on February 25, 2012.

The Lyric Commentary is from the 2009|10 season and is by Bill Mason, former General Director of Lyric Opera of Chicago. 

Ernani

By Giuseppe Verdi

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

© 2009/10 Lyric Opera Commentaries. All rights reserved. Recording & production services provided by Mark Travis. The music featured in Lyric Commentaries is generously furnished by Warner Classics.
A project of the Women’s Board.

Commentary by Bill Mason, former General Director of Lyric Opera of Chicago

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Part two

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Part three

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Part four

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Part five

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Wednesday, May 27

Opera Philadelphia
Rossini: The Barber of Seville

This production from Opera Philadelphia stars Johnathon Beyer, Jennifer Holloway, Taylor Stayton, and was conducted by Corrado Rovaris. This digital production premiered on May 15, 2020, and will be available to watch until June 29, 2020. 

In addition to our Lyric Commentary, we invite you to visit our page from our 2019|20 production for program articles, music highlights, and more. 

The Barber of Seville

By Gioachino Rossini

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

© 2019/20 Lyric Opera Commentaries. All rights reserved.
The music featured is generously furnished by Warner Classics.
A project of the Women’s Board.

Thursday, May 28

Metropolitan Opera
Berlioz: Les Troyens

This production from the Metropolitan Opera stars Deborah Voigt, Susan Graham, Bryan Hymel, and Dwayne Croft, and was conducted by Fabio Luisi on January 5, 2013.

The Lyric Commentary is from the 2016|17 season and is by Anthony Freud in collaboration with Nicholas Ivor Martin.

Les Troyens

by Hector Berlioz

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.

Friday, May 29

Opera Philadelphia 
Mazzoli: Breaking the Waves

This production from Opera Philadelphia stars Kiera Duffy, John Moore, Eve Gigliotti and Patricia Schuman, and is conducted by Steven Osgood. 

Missy Mazzoli's contemporary opera Breaking the Waves makes it's digital premiere with Opera Philadelphia on Friday, May 29, and will be available through Monday August 31. 

As a part of Lyric's long-standing initative to produce new American operas, we invite you to watch this ground-breaking production, and introduce yourself to the exciting work of Missy Mazzoli and Royce Vavrek. 

Saturday, May 30

San Francisco Opera
Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia

This production from San Francisco Opera stars Renée Fleming, Michael Fabiano, Vitalij Kowaljow, Elizabeth DeShong, and was conducted by Riccardo Fizzaro in 2011.

Sunday, May 31

Metropolitan Opera
Strauss: Salome

This production from the Metropolitan Opera stars Karita Mattila, Ildikó Komlósi, Kim Begley, Joseph Kaiser, and Juha Uusitalo, and was conducted by Patrick Summers on October 11, 2008. 

The Lyric Commentary is from the 2005|06 season and is by Sir Andrew Davis in collaboration with Nicholas Ivor Martin.

Salome

By Richard Strauss

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

© 2006/07 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

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Dan Rest, Todd Rosenberg, Robert Kusel

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Photos: Dan Rest, Todd Rosenberg, Michael Brosilow, Tony Romano 

Music used in Lyric Commentaries is provided courtesy of Warner Classics, the Official Education and Promotion Music Provider of Lyric Opera of Chicago.