Set in ancient times on the island of Ceylon, Bizet’s oper about two men’s vow of eternal friendship threatened by their love for the same woman, is a magificent example of Bizet’s gifts for melody and evocative instrumentation. This prodution from the stunning Teatro San Carlo was celebrated enthusiastically by audience and critics: “I have rarely seen a production as beautiful and faithful to the music.” (Paolo Isotta, Corriere della Sera)
Mosè in Egitto
From the prestigious Rossini Festival in Pesaro comes a thought-provoking interpretation of Rossini’s azione tragico-sacra “Mosè in Egitto”. Topping the cast of high-caliber vocalists are Sonia Ganassi and Dmitry Korchak as two lovers drawn into the political turmoil of their time. Director Graham Vick’s interpretation centers on a condemnation of all religious fundamentalism. Designed by Stuart Nunn, the set evokes a bombed-out edifice and provides a chilling setting for Rossini’s haunting melodies. With the gifted Roberto Abbado on the podium, “the music is free to carry its timeless message” (La Stampa).
Orphée et Eurydice
The most enduringly popular opera by German composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, Orphée et Eurydice recounts the famous myth of Orpheus, the legendary Greek musician and poet who is grief-stricken over the untimely death of his wife, Eurydice. Staged by acclaimed director-choreographer John Neumeier and produced in collaboration with The Joffrey Ballet, Lyric Opera of Chicago’s new co-production with Los Angeles Opera and Staatsoper Hamburg seamlessly melds opera and dance. Lyric’s production stars Tenor Dmitry Korchak as Orphée with Sopranos Andriana Chuchman as Eurydice and Lauren Snouffer as Amour. The Chicago Tribune deemed the production “triumphant” and “miraculously fresh and alive.” The production features Gluck’s reworking of the original German opera into a French-language production featuring ballet.