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"Pop-Up Opera"
Menotti holds an unusual niche in musical history – he's one of the rare post-Puccini composers who continued in the romantic or verismo style while the opera world became mostly atonal and minimalist. He is also one of only a handful of composers – like Wagner – who wrote his own libretti.
Read MoreAmahl production a charming gift of youthful energy
Amahl's widowed mother, played by soprano Megan Miceli, was another bright star of this production. Like Pfeifer, Miceli's portrayal was honest and nuanced, her round, vibrant tone filling the performance space with ease.
Read MoreCheck it out: an online hub for new opera
MyNewOpera is searchable by composer, theme, artist, and synopsis, making it a valuable resource for those curious what's happening among opera's small companies and even works-in-progress.
Read MoreTalking with singers: Siobhan Stagg
For the moment, Stagg is enjoying Chicago. Recent highlights include bundling up for a walk through Millennium Park, an outing to hear Verdi's Requiem with Riccardo Muti at the Chicago Symphony, and a trip to the city's famed Art Institute, where she especially enjoyed the collection of French impressionist paintings.
Read MoreDon't miss: Verbotenlieder
Launched in 2018 by baritones Michael Nyby and Aaron Durand, TICP is about unpacking and re-thinking the "often stiff nature" of classical music. With Verbotenlieder, they're upending two of opera's most ubiquitous traditions: gender and voice type.
Read MoreTalking with singers: Artur Ruciński
We discussed all things opera: the career, the "life," the work, the music. Naturally, as compatriots, we touched on Polish music and reminisced on our experiences at the F. Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw where we both studied, albeit ten years apart. We conversed in Polish. Below I provide an English translation of our conversation, edited solely to account for grammatical and syntactic necessities.
Read MoreFirst-rate comic experience from an immature masterpiece
The main story is about the lost son of a murdered king, fighting against the weak offspring of the usurper for love and his right to the throne, successfully winning both. That's it, literally. And this perfectly illustrates why a lot of similar operas are gathering dust on the shelves of libraries. A pity, since sometimes the musical material is real gold.
Read MoreStandout performances in AVA double-bill
Richard A. Raub must be commended for his work with both the cast and the orchestra. While intonation was, at times a noticeable issue, the ensemble gracefully navigated from swelling passage to swelling passage. Raub also maintained an energetic momentum through the work. Raub kept the high level of romanticism without ever losing any precision.
Read MoreActual magic in Chicago Lyric's Cendrillon
At this point, Alice Coote is virtually synonymous with this production of Cendrillon, having sung the role of Prince Charming in London, Barcelona, and New York in recent seasons. She brings a beautiful, rich tone and an affable touch to Prince Charming's moping. Stagg and Coote's duets are especially rapturous, with their beautifully-matched instruments making Act III's long-anticipated reunion all the more sublime.
Read MoreAyre Live launches AtG's new record label
"That time is imprinted in my brain, and I think it will be forever," says Khalil of singing Ayre at Toronto's Ismaili Centre, a cultural symbol of the city's fostering of Islam. She gave three performances between November 10-12, 2016, less than a week after Trump's election win. "This piece felt like it was so needed at that time."
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