Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 1 Macbeth

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 15 MACBETH HAS BEEN CALLED A “CONDUCTOR’S OPERA,” AS OPPOSED TO A “SINGERS’ OPERA.” DO YOU SUBSCRIBE TO THAT VIEW? No. I don’t think there are “conductor’s operas.” I’m absolutely convinced that the role of the conductor is a role inside a larger artistic team, and that’s the way I work with my singers, orchestra, and chorus, as well as collaborating in close partnership with the director and the production team. IS LYRIC’S NEW MACBETH YOUR FIRST COLLABORATION WITH SIR DAVID MCVICAR? Yes. We have met many times over dinner at Glyndebourne, but have never worked together before now. He has prepared a fantastic Macbeth for us; the familiar story is seen from different angles. There is no better director than David [who was born in Glasgow, Scotland] to recreate the strange, sometimes terrifying Scottish world of Shakespeare, as ltered through the genius of Verdi. HAVE YOU FOUND A PERMANENT RESIDENCE YET IN CHICAGO, OR ARE YOU STILL LIVING OUT OF SUITCASES? No more suitcases, please! One of the rst things I did after being named Music Director was make Chicago my new home—my new city. When I was Artistic and Music Director of the Orchestre national d’Île-de-France in Paris, I moved there immediately. I’m convinced that being a music director is not only about the artistic role, but also about absorbing all the in uences, feelings, and information that come from the city in which one is based. I feel as if Chicago is already my home. The Lyric Opera House is a half-hour walk from where I live. I’ve started taking CTA buses. I’m very European, and Europeans always use public transportation. I like living in the city. I also like that the Lyric Opera House is open to everybody. We at Lyric Opera want to offer our art to everyone. This is really my big cultural mission. John von Rhein retired from the Chicago Tribune in July 2018 after more than 40 years as its music critic. He continues to write about classical music on a freelance basis. Enrique Mazzola,on set during the lming of“Sole e Amore,”part of Lyric’s 2020/21 virtual season. Kyle Flubacker