Opera on WRTI

The best musician wins the prize, including marriage to the beautiful Eva. Stolzing has already fallen in love with her—and she with him—but he must first learn the arcane rules of the guild of Meistersingers before he can hope to win her hand. Stolzing has help from the revered Hans Sachs but an enemy in Beckmesser, and time is running out.

Being a duchess doesn't make her a lady. Hailed as "a masterpiece of contemporary music drama" by The New York Times, the opera Powder Her Face has earned infamy in musical theatre history for its half-hummed, half-sung  aria depicting the main character’s insatiable appetites.

This week it's a double bill from the Lyric Opera of Chicago starting with a performance of Elektra by Richard Strauss. Sir Andrew Davis conducts. Next, it's Hansel & Gretel by Engelbert Humperdinck, with a German libretto written by Adelheid Wette, Humperdinck's sister, based on the Grimm brothers' fairy tale Hansel and Gretel. Ward Stare conducts. Both operas are sung in German. Saturday, June 8th, 1 to 5 pm.

Richard Strauss: ELEKTRA

When it comes to romances that tear at the heartstrings, this one ranks among the best. Goethe’s novel on which it’s based made him the toast of Europe. And Jules Massenet’s emotionally vivid music - sometimes grandiose, sometimes achingly fragile - brilliantly illuminates the complex psychology of its troubled protagonists.

Get ready for a dynamic season of opera broadcasts from the world-renowned Lyric Opera of Chicago. The lineup includes La boheme, Elektra, Hansel & Gretel, Rigoletto, Oklahoma! and more. This Saturday, May 18th, it's Giuseppe Verdi's SIMON BOCCANEGRA from 1 to 4 pm featuring baritone Thomas Hamspon in the title role. Sir Andrew Davis conducts.

As this year's Metropolitan Opera broadcast season comes to a close, join us to hear Götterdämmerung, the last opera in Richard Wagner's four-opera cycle, "Der Ring des Nibelungen." The Ring's cataclysmic finale stars Deborah Voigt as Brünnhilde opposite Lars Cleveman as Siegfried - the star-crossed lovers doomed by fate. Hans-Peter König is Hagen and Fabio Luisi conducts. Sunday, May 11, *11 am to 5 pm (*note early start time)

Poulenc’s masterpiece makes a rare return to the repertory with a fine cast led by Patricia Racette, Felicity Palmer, and Isabel Leonard. Louis Langrée conducts this dramatic work with one of the most haunting final moments in opera. Saturday, May 4, *11:30 am to 3 pm (*note early start time).

Francis Poulenc: Dialogues des Carmelites

Synopsis

Cast:

Conductor: Louis Langrée
Blanche de la Force: Isabel Leonard
Mme Lidoine: Patricia Racette
Constance: Erin Morley
Mère Marie: Elizabeth Bishop
First Prioress: Felicity Palmer
Chevalier de la Force: Paul Appleby

Join us for the third installment of Wagner's "Der Ring des Nibelungen," on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. Jay Hunter Morris reprises his acclaimed portrayal of the title hero, Deborah Voigt sings Brünnhilde, Mark Delavan is the Wanderer, and Eric Owens sings Alberich. Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium. Saturday, April 20, *11 am to 5 pm (*note early start time).

Synopsis

Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen is back for three complete cycles in spring 2013, on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of the composer's birth. In this second installment, the focus of the story shifts from the realm of the gods to the human world. Deborah Voigt sings Brünnhilde and Mark Delavan sings Wotan. Stephanie Blythe, Martina Serafin, Simon O'Neill, and Hans-Peter König also star. Principal Conductor Fabio Luisi is on the podium. Join us on Saturday, April 13th, *11 am to 4:30 pm. *Note early start time.

Cast: