Chicago Opera Theater audiences are always in for a singular treat, both because of its always-innovative programming and enduring knack for enticing and showcasing new talent. COT’s recent Sunday afternoon Discovery Concert, “Shakespeare Sings,” held at the cozy, elegant Studebaker Theater on Oct. 19, focused on splendid excerpts from myriad operas based on the Bard’s plays.
Featuring four singers -- soprano Meghan Kasanders, mezzo soprano Anna Laurenzo, bass-baritone Peter Morgan, and Chinese tenor Yi Li – the program highlighted arias and ensembles from well-loved and highly regarded works as well as rare, little-known ones, and even one work-in-progress, a purposeful technique that has become the hallmark of COT’s creative and thoughtful presentations over the past 50 years.
Yasuko Oura and Anna Laurenzo
Realizing just how many musical interpretations Shakespeare’s timeless tales have been created over the past four centuries, thanks to the thoughtful choices represented in this concert, was a delightful experience. And discovering several operas about his plays that are largely unknown and rarely presented, was a thrilling revelation.
For instance, many opera-goers are likely familiar with Rossini’s 1816 “Otello,” with its three central tenor roles of Otello, Iago and Rodrigo, and significant reworking of the tale, or Verdi’s defining “Otello,” from 1887, or his 1893 “Falstaff,” or Gounod’s 1867 “Romeo et Juliette,” all four of which were beautifully showcased by the singers, accompanied by pianist Yasuko Oura, COT’s music director.
Yasuko Oura, Peter Morgan, Anna Laurenzo, Meghan Kasanders
But perhaps lesser known is Benjamin Britten’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which he and tenor Peter Pears, his life partner and co-librettist, wrote using Shakespeare’s actual text. The aria, “Bottom’s Dream,” sung by Morgan, was an enchanting and humorous interpretation, showcasing the singer’s resonant voice as well as his comedic acting flair. And the charming piece made for a wistful hankering to experience this 1960 opera in full.
Similarly, two operas unknown to this reviewer -- and perhaps many in the audience -- were the 1922 opera, “Giulietta e Romeo,” by Riccardo Zondonai, and “Romeo and Juliet,” composed in 1940 by Heinrich Sutermeister. In the former, Li’s bold, heart-wrenching rendition of an aria where Romeo announces to Juliet that he is there, was an exciting treat, and made me ponder why both these operas are so obscure.
Yasuko Oura and Yi Li
COT highlighted two selections from the latter work, Sutermeister’s “Romeo and Juliet”: A duet sung by Kasanders and Li as Juliet and Romeo, whose voices beautifully complemented each other, reinforcing the connection between the characters, and the quartet, “O Wunderkraft Natur,” or, “O Miraculous Power of Nature,” sung acapella by all four singers in what sounded like four distinct arias, which combined in a masterfully blended single piece, showcasing the composer’s command.
COT’s general director Lawrence Edelson noted that although he was mystified as to why Sutermeier’s opera, in particular, never gained popular appeal, he also noted that it premiered in Nazi Germany in 1940, perhaps providing an unspoken answer.
Peter Morgan, Meghan Kasanders
The biggest delight of the afternoon was the duet, “Do I Have News for You!” by Kasanders and Morgan in a new work, “Working for the Macbeths,” currently in development at American Lyric Theater, by composer Johanny Navarro and librettist Marcus Yi. Written in the spirit of Monty Python, the tragic events of Macbeth turn comic in this irreverent parody, as told through the eyes of Lady Macbeth’s lady-in-waiting.
Edelson offered his wise and witty commentary throughout the concert, adding context and insights into the wide-ranging arias, duets and trios sung, and the compositions, composers and librettists, those unsung heroes, pardon the pun, who help the composer shape the narrative and achieve his or her ultimate musical and dramatic vision.
Last year’s Discovery Concert – “Boheme and Beyond” – celebrated the centennial of opera composer Giacomo Puccini’s death, highlighting how his work affected and inspired the evolution of opera and musical theater. It featured performances of works by Franz Lehar, Leos Janacek, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Daniel Catan, Richard Rodgers, Stephen Sondheim, and Andrew Lloyd Weber.
Yasuko Oura and Peter Morgan
Let’s hope COT continues with these masterful concerts, which hold an appeal for opera and music theater newcomers, as well as seasoned aficianados.
Chicago Opera Theater, founded in 1973, has highlighted talented young singers for more than 50 years in new works, and overlooked, under-appreciated or forgotten compositions, or once-popular ones that inexplicably fell out of favor with audiences or producers through the years. Its creative choices and unique presentations have continued to evolve and delight.
This particular Discovery Concert also could be seen as a precursor to and advertisement for its much-anticipated presentation in December of another Shakespeare opera, Antonio Salieri’s “Falstaff,” written in 1799, and focusing on the comic nature of Shakespeare’s Sir John Falstaff, as he tries to woo the (two) merry wives of Windsor.
Anna Laurenzo, Peter Morgan, Meghan Kasanders
COT’s Salieri “Falstaff” promises to be a special treat, with its combination of classic opera buffa arias, interspersed with musical melancholy, jealously, and romance. Performances are Dec. 3, 6, and 7.
For the rest of the season’s programs and special flexible subscription packages, visit www.cot.org.