Lyric Opera 2023-2024 Issue 4 - Jenufa

Lyric Opera of Chicago | 14 Elektra’s opening phrases, it’s as if one could dive into the richness of that sound. Having begun her career in lyric roles, Stemme moved into more dramatic territory only when she knew her instrument could handle it. Typical is Jen ˚ufa : luminous as the heroine two decades ago, she’s now taking on the Kostelniˇcka. Portraying one of opera’s most formidable female characters, one can expect Stemme to bring to it all the musical and dramatic gifts that make her one of the world’s most distinguished singing actresses. LISE DAVIDSEN Ninety years ago, Norwegian soprano Kirsten Flagstad created a sensation in her debut at the Metropolitan Opera, revealing herself as the greatest operatic artist her nation had ever produced. Norway waited a long time to give the world a soprano with the potential to scale Flagstadian heights. They’ve finally found her in Lise Davidsen. Here is a voice that can truly envelop a listener, as it reaches out effortlessly into the largest theaters. But what repeatedly astonishes Davidsen’s listeners isn’t just that her singing boasts luscious timbre and heroic size; it’s the extraordinary command with which Davidsen can pull her sound back to create true intimacy. It enables Davidsen to launch the opening of the Rosenkavalier trio in glistening pianissimo phrases. At the same time, of course, her full-voiced high B in the trio’s climactic finale is radiance itself. It has been exhilarating for opera-lovers to watch Davidsen move from strength to strength in her still- evolving career. Both her voice and her glowing stage presence are making a deep impression as the most womanly characters in the German repertoire. Opera magazine described her Royal Opera House portrayal of Leonore in Fidelio as “glorious…[her aria was] not just a perfect demonstration of the singer’s musicality but also a moment of exquisite beauty.” She has also been a memorably heartfelt Chrysothemis ( Elektra ), Eva ( Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg ), and Ariadne; an exceptionally gracious Marschallin ( Der Rosenkavalier ); and a heartstoppingly passionate Sieglinde ( Die Walküre ). She has brought similar luster to heroines of Verdi and Tchaikovsky. From the moment Davidsen first attracted international recognition eight years ago, the press instantly envisioned her singing opera’s heaviest soprano roles. But like Flagstad before her (and like Nina Stemme), Davidsen is an intensely disciplined artist who respects her voice. She’s not in a hurry—she wants the voice to last. As she continues to broaden her repertoire, she’s wisely looking to roles in which warm femininity of voice and person have always been the hallmarks. Now at Lyric, in witnessing her first staged Jen ˚ufa , all who hear Davidsen can revel in the voice and artistry that have given audiences such joy— and, indeed, such glorious hope for the future of opera. Roger Pines, former dramaturg at Lyric, is a contributing writer to Opera News , Opera (U.K.), and major recording labels. A faculty member of Northwestern University’s Bienen School of Music, he has been a panelist on the Metropolitan Opera’s Opera Quiz since 2006. Lise Davidsen in Tannhauser at the Royal Opera House. Clive Barda