Lyric Opera 2019-2020 Issue 6 The Three Queens

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 37 Opera Insider The more you learn about opera, the more you get in return through sheer enjoyment. Delving into the details of a particular work with an expert guiding you is enthralling, as you’ll discover at Lyric with the Opera Insider Series led by David Buch. Each session of Opera Insider is two hours and takes an in-depth look at an opera from Lyric’s mainstage season. Buch presents the first half of the session with illuminating background material regarding the history of the opera and the composer, as well as major musical highlights. Then a member of Lyric’s technical department joins to discuss the stagecraft of the production to be seen at Lyric – the sets, costumes, lighting, special effects, and more. Class numbers are relatively intimate, so there are many opportunities to ask questions. The audience is a mix of retirees and professionals. “We’ve also had out-of-town guests join us,” notes Will Biby, Lyric’s manager of learning programs. “I remember a woman from Russia who was here specifically for the Chicago Marathon and decided to see Lyric’s production of Die Walküre , too.” By the way, this season’s sessions include all four Ring operas, presented on consecutive Tuesdays leading up to the first performance of Götterdämmerung . David Buch is one of the world’s preeminent experts in the works of Mozart, specifically the operas and especially The Magic Flute . Buch also discovered an opera that Mozart collaborated on, Der Stein der Weisen . Professor Emeritus of the music department at the University of Northern Iowa, he has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Chicago. “He has a very broad and passionate knowledge of all opera,” says Biby, “and we’ve had great response to him from our patrons. He’s very engaging, and everything he does in any Opera Insider session is presented in a very approachable way.” If you want to come to an opera fabulously prepared, you can’t do better than Opera Insider. “These sessions can provide you with insights you can’t find anywhere else,” Biby declares, “especially when it comes to what you’re actually going to see onstage.” It’s also a prime opportunity to earn some bragging rights – you’re going to know a lot of insider information that the people sitting next to you at the performance won’t know! Opera Insider classes are $45 per session. If purchasing four or more, the cost decreases to $35 per session. For further information: lyricopera.org/productions/insider/. Opera Insider session participants; the series is led by esteemed expert David Buch.