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Articles tagged with: Annie Rosen

‘Faust’ at Lyric Opera: The vibe is American, accent clearly French, and a stylish devil rules

Mar 8, 2018 – 11:12 pm
feature Christian Van Horn_Benjamin Bernheim_FAUST_37A0501_c.Cory Weaver

Review: The new “Faust” at the Lyric has a strong visual aesthetic and modern psychological insight, conceived by the visionary California artist John Frame and brought to the stage by a young production team led by director Kevin Newbury and set-costume designer Vita Tzykun. The impressive cast under the baton of French conductor Emmanuel Villaume stars tenor Benjamin Bernheim – in his American debut – as the doomed Faust and bass-baritone Christian Van Horn as Hell’s provocative emissary, bent on his destruction. And although the conductor and the impressive star tenor are French, this “Faust” has a bracing American vibe and cinematic feel. ★★★★

‘Les Troyens’ at Lyric Opera: An epic romance told in vibrant music (against a bleak setting)

Nov 15, 2016 – 3:29 pm

Review: Berlioz’s grandiose opera “Les Troyens” is a tale of two cities. The ambitious new production mounted by the Lyric Opera of Chicago, the company’s first presentation of this prodigiously demanding work, is an epic venture with two outcomes. Musically, it is resplendent, a huge success by a stellar cast under the leadership of Andrew Davis; conceptually, which is really to say visually, this “Troyens” – The Trojans — struggles to bear its own leaden weight. ★★★

‘Das Rheingold’ at Lyric Opera: A new ‘Ring’ venture begins with sly winks, great singing

Oct 4, 2016 – 11:19 pm
9/28/16 2:03:18 PM - Lyric Opera Chicago's dress rehearsal of Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner  

Featuring 

Eric Owens
Wotan

Samuel Youn
Alberich

Stefan Margita
Loge

Tanja Ariane Baumgartner
Fricka

© Todd Rosenberg Photography 2016

Review: If the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s enchanting production of “Das Rheingold” proves to be, like the opera itself, an augury of things to come, we’re in for a magical ride across the company’s four-year project to re-create Wagner’s epic tetralogy “The Ring of the Nibelung.” ★★★★

With the Bard’s world as stage, Lyric’s Ryan singers, Civic Orchestra share a night of opera

Jun 9, 2016 – 12:42 pm
Ryan Center Civic Orchestra feature image

Review: So much talent bound up in such great and joyous commitment. That was the resonant vibe at a Shakespeare-themed concert collaboration between the young professional singers from the Ryan Opera Center training program at the Lyric Opera of Chicago and the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, the pre-professional training ensemble run by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra.

Rossini’s ‘Cinderella’ at the Lyric: Bright voices and colors and wit (plus a Greek chorus of rats)

Oct 5, 2015 – 5:37 pm
10/1/154:10:43 PM Chicago, IL
Lyric Opera of Chicago
Sir Anthony Davis, Conductor

Cinderella Dress Rehearsal 
Isabel Leonard, Cinderella 
Lawrence Brownlee,  Prince Ramiro, Alessandro Corbelli,  Don Magnifico, 
Vito Priante (debut)  Dandini, 

 © Todd Rosenberg Photography 2015

Review: With its blindingly bright colors and brilliant musical hijinks, the Lyric Opera of Chicago’s current production of Rossini’s “Cinderella” plays out like a surreal dream that might possess one in the wee hours of the night. It makes perfect sense while it’s happening, zany and hypnotic at the same time. Rossini’s music is wrapped in a fanciful production that goes well beyond the boring rules of logic. ★★★★★