Lyric Opera 2021-2022 Special Issue: Verdi Voices

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 13 La traviata ,Act 1 prelude Initially a failure, La traviata (1853) soon took off in popularity, and will no doubt keep its place in the standard repertoire forever as the epitome of romantic opera. Verdi sets the stage memorably in the opening prelude, highlighted by the deeply soulful melody sung by the heroine, Violetta, in Act 2, when she begs her lover, “Love me, Alfredo—love me as much as I love you!” La forza del destino ,“La vita è inferno al infelice … O tu che in seno agli angeli” In a tragic accident, Alvaro fatally shoots Leonora’s father. They flee Seville together, but are eventually separated. Alvaro becomes an officer in the army, but in his fervent, deeply moving monologue, he sadly laments his situation, and—assuming Leonora to be dead—begs her to look down from heaven and pity him. Don Carlos ,“Toi qui sus les néant” Like many other Verdi operas, Don Carlos (1867) memorably illuminates the private emotions of very public personalities. Loosely based on Schiller’s play of the same name, the opera presents Spain’s King Philip II, his young wife Élisabeth (whom he has married for political reasons), and his son Carlos (who secretly loves Élisabeth), each a desperately conflicted figure. Every episode probes deeply into these characters’ psychology, with Verdi working at a peak of musical and dramaturgical maturity. The opera’s unforgettably moving final aria is sung by Élisabeth, who has come to the cloister of St. Just for a last meeting with Carlos. She knows that he must leave Spain and serve the oppressed people of Flanders, and that when he departs, she will have nothing left to live for. Élisabeth calls on the spirit of Philip’s father, King Carlos V, asking him to carry her tears to God. Un ballo in maschera ,Act 1 prelude;“Teco io sto” Captivatingly tuneful, Un ballo in maschera (1859) is also an intriguing mix of romance and political plotting. Its greatest strength is the protagonist, King Gustav III of Sweden, the most thoroughly appealing of all Verdi’s tenor heroes. The work’s brief prelude presents the lyrical theme of Gustav’s lovesick opening aria (along with the motive of the conspirators who plot to assassinate him). The love duet in which Gustav joins the heroine, Amelia, provides ten minutes of passionately expressive music giving both singers ample opportunity for vocal glory. Gustav secretly loves Amelia, wife of his secretary, Renato. Amelia visits the fortune teller, Ulrica, desperate to find some way to forget her forbidden feelings for Gustav. (She doesn’t realize that he’s eavesdropping on their conversation!). Ulrica advises her to find a particular magic herb. When searching for it at night in a desolate spot outside the city, Amelia is stunned when Gustav appears. He gradually breaks down her defenses and she finally confesses her love. Roger Pines, former dramaturg of Lyric Opera of Chicago, writes regularly for major international opera-related publications and has been a panelist on the Metropolitan Opera broadcasts’ Opera Quiz since 2006. He currently teaches an opera repertoire course at Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music. Russell Thomas sings the role of Manrico in Lyric Opera of Chicago’s Il trovatore in 2018. Photo: Todd Rosenberg Tamara Wilson performs in Lyric’s original filmed production of Attila Highlights in Concert . Photo: Kyle Flubacker