Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Issue 4 Florencia en el Amazonas

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 15 esteemed Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The Orchestra took center stage in a serialized program of Rossini string sonatas, “The Sonata Sessions,” while the Chorus starred in ”The Great Verdi Chorus Showdown,” a popular digital series featuring some of Verdi’s greatest choruses (spoiler alert—audiences voted “Va, pensiero” from Nabucco as winner). Maestro Mazzola even took to the piano himself in the Ryan Opera Center showcase ”Sole e Amore,” which featured lesser-known musical gems by well known Italian opera composers. Lyric’s 2020/21 season was to include Attila , a continuation of the company’s series of early operas by Giuseppe Verdi. Rather than abandon the title altogether, Lyric presented a digital recital of excerpts from the opera, conducted by Maestro Mazzola and featuring four extraordinary American singers: Tamara Wilson and three alumni of the Ryan Opera Center—Matthew Polenzani, Christian Van Horn, and Quinn Kelsey—accompanied by pianists William C. Billingham and Jerad Mosbey. Mazzola also wrote, produced, shot, and edited an original online series, “Breaking Down the Score” in which he walked audiences through an entertaining and enlightening look at 12 main chapters of Attila , all from the unique perspective of the conductor. With every program that came together, Lyric’s production team had to spring into action to put together a unique look for the stage, from ”Sir Andrew Davis: From Mozart to Stravinsky,” which celebrated the final year of Lyric’s beloved and long-tenured music director with selections from The Marriage of Figaro and The Rake’s Progress , to ”The New Classics,” a Broadway song extravaganza that brought audiences backstage into an intimate virtual cabaret space. Lyric’s talented production team made every backdrop and set shine for the cameras. To produce its all-digital season, the company learned how best to negotiate the many ins and outs of ensuring safety during the constantly evolving global pandemic, and a strict set of health and safety protocols was established to protect Lyric’s artists, technicians, and company members. COVID-19 testing became a regular part of being a performer or behind-the-scenes team member. By the spring of 2021, with vaccines rolling out across the country, Lyric was ready to bring audiences together—or at least invite them to park near one another. Lyric’s immersive opera production of ”Twilight: Gods” was a sold-out new take on Wagner’s Götterdämmerung that was performed in the Millennium Park Lakeside garage. A co-production with Michigan Opera Theatre, this unique drive-through experience was conceived by director Yuval Sharon, who wrote the new English texts, and featured poetic transitions written and performed by Chicago interdisciplinary artist avery r. young. The starry cast included many Lyric favorites, including Christine Goerke as Brünnhilde. A film of the experiential production was then released to a wider audience throughout the summer and fall. Lyric also partnered with the Chicago Park District for an enchanting outdoor production of Humperdinck’s classic Hansel and Gretel , which performed to a sold-out audience at North Park Village Nature Center early in the summer of 2021. The production will be made available to Lyric Unlimited school audiences in 2022. As plans for a return to live grand opera were being finalized, the company marshaled its considerable musical forces for a capstone to its all-digital season: an innovative production of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci , filmed live in the Lyric Opera House. Music director Enrique Mazzola conducted a powerhouse cast including Russell Thomas, Ailyn Pérez, Lucas Meachem, Quinn Kelsey, and Eric Ferring, alongside members of the Lyric Opera Orchestra and Chorus. The Pagliacci film, like most of Lyric’s filmed programs from the season, remains available for viewing by a global audience. While Lyric’s return to live performances in the opera house has been incredibly successful, its commitment to producing and distributing unique digital content is unwavering. Stay tuned to learn more about how Lyric will continue to include pioneering digital programming in its vision for artistic excellence, audience building, and community outreach. Demand your own look back at Lyric’s digital programming you may have missed—visit lyricopera.org/ondemand . Ailyn Pérez and Russell Thomas in Lyric’s Pagliacci film. Kyle Flubacker