Music ReviewsOperaREVIEWSREVIEWS BYTom Williams

Lucio Silla at Chicago Opera Theater

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Lucio Silla

Music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Libretto by Giovanni de Gamerra

Stage Director Andreas Mitsek

Conductor Francesco Milioto

Produced by chicago opera theater

At the Harris Theater, Chicago

Stunning, melodic and wonderful voices fuel rarely staged Mozart opera.

First produced in Milan in 1772, Mozart’s Lucio Silla was an early glimpse into the genius of the 16 year old composer. As his 8th opera from the teen, Lucio Silla combines the best elements of baroque with early hints of the romantic bent that Mozart was to champion. The is a passionate, female dominated opera with one man, tenor Ryan MacPherson, as Silla and four women, two in trouser roles.

Press 12-1

Synopsis: “Lucio Silla, the dictator of Rome, desires as his wife Giunia (the golden voiced, soprano,  Maeve Hoglund), who is engaged to the banished Cecilio (soprano Christine Arand). Cecilio has secretly returned to Rome to reunite with his lover. Conspiracy against Silla ensues, in which Cecilio takes part. The conspiracy fails, and Cecilio is arrested and condemned to death — a fate that Giunia is prepared to share with him. But at the end, Silla, in a surprising change of heart, transforms himself from a dictator into a citizen.”

Press 8

Lucia Silla is an opera seria with deep psychological tones with youthful, melodic, exciting, yet mature music. lead by tenor Ryan MacPherson as Silla, featuring yeoman work by Maeve Hoglund and Christine Arand with fine contributions from Ava Pine (Lucio Cinna) and Valerie Vinzant (Ceilia), the opera plays powerfully as a wrenching melodrama. The twenty person chorus added deep emotionally wrenching singing that sounded heavenly!

This beautifully sung opera, especially by Maeve Hoglund. demonstrates the extreme skill-set that singers need to land baroque arias. We also heard the sheer genius of a teenage Mozart. Get to the Harris Theater to enjoy this rarely mounted Mozart opera – it is tuneful and the young voices will impress you. Note that there are on four more performances remaining.

Highly Recommended

Tom Williams

At the Harris Theater, 205 East Randolph, Chicago, IL, , call 312-704-8414, www.chicagooperatheater.org, tickets $35- $125, Saturday, Sept. 26 at 7:30 pm, Wednesday, Sept. 30 at 7:30 pm, Friday, Oct 2 at 7:30  pm, Sunday, October 4 at 3 pm, running time is 2 hours, 30 minutes with intermission.