Jonathan Burton in Opera Festival of Chicago's 2025 "Pagliacci" (Phtoto: Jacob Little)
Opera Festival of Chicago aims to bring exceptional Italian opera to the city, while cultivating curiosity, supporting Chicago-based artists, and celebrating Chicago’s operatic heritage. Music director Emanuele Andrizzi joins WFMT to preview the upcoming festival season which includes a gala concert, Puccini’s La bohème, and Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur — a masterpiece not heard in Chicago since 1957. Learn more HERE.
Franco Pomponi, Andrea Silvestrelli, and Maria Kanyova in Opera Festival of Chicago’s 2025 “L’amore dei tre re” (Photo: Jacob Little)
Playlist
Selections from Francesco Cilea’s Adriana Lecouvreur
Act I aria, “Ecco, respiro appena…Io son l’umile ancella”
Renata Tebaldi, soprano
Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra/Alberto Erede
Act I aria, “La dolcissima effigie”
Franco Corelli, tenor
Orchestra della RAI/Arturo Basile
Act I aria, “Ecco il monologo”
Leo Nucci, baritone
Welsh National Opera Orchestra/Richard Bonynge
Act II aria, “Acerba voluttà”
Elena Obraztsova, mezzo-soprano
Philharmonia Orchestra
Act IV quartet, “Una volta c’era un principe”
Frances Ginzer, soprano
Deborah Stuart-Roberts, mezzo-soprano
Peter Bronder, tenor
Bryn Terfel, bass-baritone
Welsh National Opera Orchestra/Richard Bonynge
Act IV finale, “Ove dunque, son io?”
Renata Tebaldi, soprano
Mario de Monaco, tenor
Giulio Fioravanti, baritone
Accademia di Santa Cecilia Orchestra/Franco Capuana
Selections from Giacomo Puccini’s La bohème
Act I scene, “Legna! Sigari! Bordò!”
Richard Leech, tenor
Gino Quilico, baritone
Alan Titus, baritone
Roberto Scandiuzzi, bass
London Symphony Orchestra/Kent Nagano
Act II arioso, “Questa è Mimì, gaia fioraia”
Luciano Pavarotti, tenor
Berlin Philharmonic/Herbert von Karajan
Act II arioso, “Una cuffietta a pizi tutta rosa ricamata”
Kiri Te Kanawa, soprano
London Symphony Orchestra/Kent Nagano
Act III quartet, “Dunque è proprio finita”
Leontina Vaduva, soprano
Ruth Ann Swenson, soprano
Roberto Alagna, tenor
Thomas Hampson, baritone
Philharmonia Orchestra/Antonio Pappano
Act IV aria, “Sono andati?”
Mirella Freni, soprano
Nicolai Gedda, tenor
Rome Opera Orchestra/Thomas Schippers
