Photo Flash: First Look at Renee Fleming and More in Lyric Opera's CAPRICCIO

Lyric Opera of Chicago's spectacular 60th Anniversary season continues with Capriccio, starring Renée Fleming in one of her signature roles as Countess Madeleine and conducted by Sir Andrew Davis. Richard Strauss's final masterpiece reunites these longtime collaborators in performance and colleagues as Lyric's creative consultant and music director respectively. Check out a first look at the production below!

The stylish Art-Deco production, originally staged by renowned director John Cox, will be directed by Peter McClintock in this revival. It opened on Monday, October 6 and continues with 7 performances through Tuesday, October 28. Performance dates are Oct. 6, 9, 22, 25, and 28 at 7:30pm and Oct. 12 at 2pm. Capriccio will be sung in German with projected English texts.

Four presentations of this intimate opera will feature HD video to enhance the performance experience for balcony patrons on Oct.9, 15, 22, and 28. Each balcony will have two custom-made screens measuring 12 x 8 feet. They will hang on the sides of the theater so there will be no obstructed views of the stage or the projected titles.

Strauss (1864-1949) subtitled Capriccio "A Conversation Piece for Music." It is one of the most captivatingly sophisticated works in the repertoire that explores the fundamental question: which is more important, the words or the music? That question manifests itself in a vital decision in the life of the beautiful widow, Countess Madeleine (soprano Renée Fleming): Should she choose as her lover the composer Flamand (tenor William Burden) or the poet Olivier (baritone Audun Iversen, debut)? Meanwhile, Madeleine's brother, the Count (baritone Bo Skovhus), is intoxicated by the glamorous actress Clairon (mezzo-soprano Anne Sofie von Otter). Joined by the garrulous theater director La Roche (bass Peter Rose), the entire group gathers for conversation at Madeleine's home, where the hostess is deeply hesitant when the poet and composer ask her to decide the ending of their new opera.

Lyric's presentation of Capriccio features sets by the late Mauro Pagano,costumes and interior décor by Robert Perdziola, lighting by Duane Schuler, and choreography by Val Caniparoli. (There is no chorus in Capriccio.)

The Oct. 6 opening night performance will be broadcast live on 98.7WFMT and streamed on wfmt.com starting at 7:15pm. For those listening to the broadcast, live mobile titles will be available at lyricoperalive.org.

Operagoers can also enjoy the brand-new exhibit DON GIOVANNI: Past to Present before curtain and during intermission of all performances of Capriccio. Located in the Opera Club Wine Cellar on the lower level of the Civic Opera House, this new exhibit showcases the 60-year history of Mozart's Don Giovanni at Lyric and pays tribute to Lyric's brand-new production. It is free to all ticket holders and will on display through December.

For tickets and information call (312) 827-5600 or go to lyricopera.org. Watch video and read articles about this production at lyricopera.org/InsideCapriccio.

The Lyric Opera presentation generously made possible by an Anonymous Donor,Mr. and Mrs. J. Thomas Hurvis, Nancy W. Knowles, and Margot and Josef Lakonishok. Production owned by the Metropolitan Opera.

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