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Classical Mon Jul 30 2012
Lyric Shorts Preview: Opera Highlights at Rush Hour
By Elliot Mandel
Ah, the opera: the only art form based entirely on love, jealousy, betrayal, revenge — and that's just the comedies. For example: the wealthy, old Don Pasquale wants his nephew, Ernesto, to marry a rich woman. Ernesto would rather marry a poor widow, and Pasquale gets mad. So he kicks Ernesto out of the house and decides to marry Ernesto's friend's sister instead — all the makings of a scandal in any era.
Lyric Opera of Chicago is performing Gaetano Donizetti's "Don Pasquale" during the upcoming 2012-13 season, but you can hear the highlights this Tuesday, July 31 during Lyric Shorts, the new partnership between the Lyric and Rush Hour Concerts. Singers from Lyric's Ryan Opera Center will perform excerpts from the opera during Rush Hour's regular Tuesday evening 30-minute concert. Dramaturg, lecturer, and all-around opera guy Roger Pines will introduce each piece and discuss the opera's characters and history.
The singers come from the Ryan Opera Center, the Lyric's training wing for talented young artists about to embark on international careers. Performers for Lyric Shorts are soprano Emily Birsan; tenor Bernard Holcomb; baritone Joseph Lim; and bass-baritone David Govertsen. Craig Terry will accompany on piano.
While there is no substitute for seeing a grand production surrounded by the Art Deco opulence of the Civic Opera Building, the bright acoustics of St. James Cathedral and late 1880s stenciled decor make for a very comfortable atmosphere. If you love opera, Lyric Shorts will get you excited about the next season. If you've never seen an opera, this is a great way to get a taste. And, because it's Rush Hour, the concert is free.
Lyric Shorts takes place Tuesday, July 31 at St. James Cathedral on the corner of Huron and Wabash. Doors and pre-concert reception at 5:15pm; the 30-minute concert begins at 5:45pm.