Sir Emanuele Andrizzi (Photo courtesy of Shenandoah University)
Opera Festival of Chicago, whose first season took place in 2021, is dedicated to presenting seldom-performed Italian opera titles. The 2024 season concludes with Il Prigioniero and The Medium. Set against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition, Luigi Dallapiccola’s benchmark Il Priogioniero (The Prisoner) unfolds a dark and intense narrative of religious and political intrigue. Set in a mid-20th-century urban apartment, Gian Carlo Menotti’s The Medium revolves around Madame Flora, a fraudulent medium, and her daughter Monica.
Recently awarded the title of Ufficiale della Repubblica Italiana for his work and commitment in promoting Italian culture, music director Sir Emanuele Andrizzi joins WFMT to preview the double-bill. Find more information about the upcoming performances HERE.
Playlist
Giacomo Puccini: “Ah! Manon, mi tradisce” from Manon Lescaut
Jonathan Tetelman, tenor
PKF – Prague Philharmonia
Carlo Rizzi, conductor
Luigi Dallapiccola: Il Prigioniero
Prologue, “Ti rivedrò, mio figlio!”
Scene 2, “Sull’Oceano, sulla Schelda”
Chorale, “Domine, labia mea aperies”
Phyllis Bryn-Julson, soprano
Howard Haskin, tenor
Jorma Hynninen, baritone
The Eric Ericson Chamber Choir
Swedish Radio Choir & Symphony Orchestra
Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
Gian Carlo Menotti: The Medium
Act I, “Where, oh, where”
Act I, “The Sun has fallen” (Black Swan)
Act II, “Toby, you know that I love you”
Act II, “Bravo! … What is the matter Toby?” (Monica’s Waltz)
Patrice Michaels, soprano
Joyce Castle, mezzo-soprano
Chicago Opera Theater Ensemble
Lawrence Rapchak, conductor
