The Opera Tattler

Reviews of Performances and their Audiences

Recent posts

Lyric Opera’s 2009-2010 Season

September 26 2009- January 29 2010: Tosca
October 5- November 7 2009: Faust
October 27- November 23 2009: Ernani
November 22- Deceumber 12 2009: Katya Kabanova
December 5 2009- January 16 2010: The Merry Widow
January 23- February 22 2010: L'Elisir d'Amore
February 20- March 17 2010: La Damnation de Faust
February 28- March 27 2010: Le Nozze di Figaro

René Pape and Kyle Ketelsen share the role of Mephistopheles in Faust. Salvatore Licitra sings opposite of Sondra Radvanovsky in Ernani. Karita Mattila will sing the title-role of Katya Kabanova. Susan Graham, Paul Groves and John Relyea star in La Damnation. Le Nozze features Joyce DiDonato and Mariusz Kwiecien.

Tribune Article | Official Site

Posted in , , , , , , ,

7 responses to “Lyric Opera’s 2009-2010 Season”

  1. Sarah Avatar
    Sarah

    Wow, Joyce DiDonato as Cherubino? Isn’t that more of a supporting role, and one which she has sung? She had hinted on her site that she would be returning, but I was hoping it would be something bigger or newer.

    Like

    Reply
  2. knights-tale Avatar
    knights-tale

    Another very conservative season (another American company battening down the hatches). No operas in German and no opera written after 1921.
    But I’m surprised at the three new productions. “The Merry Widow” can’t be cheap to mount considering the three distinct sets and a cast of thousands. Most American companies have been borrowing SF Opera’s brilliant production from earlier in the decade.
    “Ernani” and “The Damnation of Faust” probably won’t be seen there for at least another 10-15 years, so that they’d build new productions for these surprises.
    A commenter noted in a post on the SF Opera that the same roster of singers seems to be making rounds again, and I would now agree, having seen the SF and Chicago seasons. Where are the new talents or the US debuts

    Like

    Reply
  3. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    I’m sure she will be wonderful, in any case.

    Like

    Reply
  4. The Opera Tattler Avatar
    The Opera Tattler

    Indeed, I don’t exactly feel compelled to go to Chicago next season.

    Like

    Reply
  5. graustark Avatar
    graustark

    Chicago continues to run in the black, which it has done for 20 of the past 21 seasons. Next season is not a response to the hard times. It is what they had planned. Sure, there is nothing remotely cutting edge about it, but Chicago audiences seem to be highly satisfied. The Lyric’s approach to opera may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it does work. By the way, their Lulu last fall was incredible, even better than the great one I saw there in 1987. And while The Met is patting itself on the back for recently doing Satyagraha, I saw it in Chicago over 20 years ago. The company isn’t all that conservative. It just doesn’t believe in putting crap, new or old, on the stage.

    Like

    Reply
  6. Sarah Nagle Avatar
    Sarah Nagle

    Oh I am sure she will be!! But I’d love to see some of her newer stuff, like Idomeneo or Ariodante. Maybe she just likes coming back to Chicago, closer to home.

    Like

    Reply
  7. David Avatar
    David

    Unfortunately, nothing in Chicago merits my making a trip there for next season. Hopefully 2010-11 will be more interesting.

    Like

    Reply

Leave a reply to Sarah Cancel reply