Porgy and Bess

L Y R I C O P E R A O F C H I C A G O

N O V E M B E R 1 7 - D E C E M B E R 2 0 , 2 0 1 4

Any great American opera company should have as part of its artistic mission the presentation of American works. At Lyric Opera

of Chicago we have presented memorable productions of operas by important American composers, but only one of those can be cited

arguably as

the

great American opera of the 20th century – Gershwin’s

Porgy and Bess

After its triumph here during the 2008-09 season, this opera is returning to Lyric by popular demand. Once again we will

demonstrate that

Porgy and Bess

, no matter what incarnations it has had in other venues, is unquestionably at its most persuasive when

performed in an opera house with all the vocal, orchestral, and visual resources that a major opera company can provide.

My own first experience with

Porgy and Bess

in a theater was at Glyndebourne, and it made a visceral impact on me – I was

overwhelmed by it both musically and dramatically. That initial contact with the work confirmed for me that it is, in fact, timeless,

communicating to audience as vividly today as it did when it premiered eight decades

ago. It presents characters whose humanity is palpable in every line they sing, and their

emotions speak to our hearts from first note to last.

Lyric’s production of

Porgy and Bess

makes abundantly clear that this opera

portrays a

community.

It does so in great depth, with a believability and a power that

can be legitimately compared with any other opera in which the idea of community is

central (Britten’s

Peter Grimes

, for example).Gershwin and his co-creators understood

this profoundly, the result being that the choral passages and the episodes for

supporting characters are presented with a vividness to match any of the scenes for the

central couple.

Any production of

Porgy and Bess

should confirm music as the theatrical engine

of the piece. Much of the score entered this country’s cultural fabric long ago – from

“Summertime” and “Bess, You Is My Woman Now” to “It Ain’t Necessarily So” and “I

Loves You, Porgy.” Hearing the piece in the theater for the first time, I was struck not

only by the wonderful solo episodes but by the cumulative power of the ensembles.

To my ear, the entire score boasts both the emotional immediacy and the melodic

inventiveness that I associate with the operas of Puccini.

Francesca Zambello’s captivating production, already acclaimed in the Lyric

premiere of this opera, is returning with an almost totally new cast. I’m delighted

to welcome back to our stage as Porgy – one of his signature roles – Eric Owens,

previously unforgettable in

Doctor Atomic

Hercules

, and most recently

Rusalka

(Eric has also been announced to sing his first Wotan in our upcoming

Ring

cycle).

Opposite him in her Lyric debut is Adina Aaron, the superbly gifted American soprano

whose impressive successes in both Europe and America precede her. On the podium

is Ward Stare, now established as one of the most important American conductors of his generation.

Those of you who have enjoyed

Porgy and Bess

before will, I’m sure, be thrilled to revisit both the music and the drama that make it

such a satisfying experience in the opera house. To our audience members who are new to this opera, I can say that there are few thrills

to be compared to discovering a masterpiece for the first time – and

Porgy and Bess

is truly a masterpiece.

Anthony Freud

From the General Director

STEVE LEONARD