I feel especially compelled to praise Tracy Cantin as the maid Berta: so great was her finesse and projection that when I first looked closely at the program after the performance, I was stunned to read that she is still only in the Lyric’s training program (the Ryan Opera Center) – certainly a name to watch from now on!
The brilliant part of this Lyric Opera of Chicago’s streaming version of “Pagliacci” (directed by Peter McClintock, with film direction by Matt Hoffman and scenic design by Maria DeFabo Akin and Scott Wolfson) is the use of the Lyric Opera House itself as the set location.
Lyric Opera of Chicago has given us an excellent new film of Pagliacci that stirs the emotions of the viewer from the gorgeous overture conducted by Enrique Mazzola to Tonio's conclusive line. It is free to watch, too! Don't miss it.
‘Pandolfe [was] sung by bass-baritone Derek Welton, another fine artist from down under in his own American debut’
‘As Cendrillon’s wife-weary father, Derek Welton was impressive. His resonant bass-baritone supported the well-shaped lines with ease. The confidence Welton gave to the high passages stood out, along with this clarity in his lower register. In Act III, Welton approached the scene with Cendrillon with the intimacy some would associate with Verdi’s famous father-daughter exchanges.’