Lyric Opera Premieres Much Anticipated LES TORYENS, 11/13

Lyric Opera of Chicago presents the much-anticipated company premiere of Les Troyens, a rarely performed masterpiece by French composer Hector Berlioz, as the third opera of the 2016/2017 season. The new production Les Troyens opens Sunday, November 13, with only five performances through December 3 at Lyric's Civic Opera House, 20 N. Wacker Drive, Chicago. Tickets are available at lyricopera.org/Troyens or at 312-827-5600. Performances are in French with English subtitles.

Soprano Christine Goerke is the war-weary Trojan princess Cassandra, who accurately predicts the Greeks' "departing gift" of the giant wooden horse will be a terrible disaster for her people. Tenor Brandon Jovanovich portrays the Trojan hero Aeneas, who escapes the Greeks and is destined to found a new Troy in Italy. En route, he leads Carthage's army to victory, and falls in love with Queen Dido, portrayed by Susan Graham. They enjoy glorious days until the ghosts of Cassandra, Troy's King Priam (David Govertsen), the hero Hector (Bradley Smoak), and Cassandra's lover Chorebus (Lucas Meachem) appear, urging Aeneas to leave Carthage at once for Italy, pitching Dido into desperate fury and despair. Bass-baritone Christian Van Horn is Narbal, the queen's minister, and mezzo-soprano
Okka von der Damerau is Dido's sister Anna. All are making role debuts except for Graham, who has triumphed as Dido previously at Paris's Théâtre du Châtelet, the Metropolitan Opera, and San Francisco Opera.

Lyric's music director, Sir Andrew Davis conducts and Tim Albery directs the new production designed by Tobias Hoheisel (sets and costumes) David Finn (lighting), and Illuminos(projection designs/Lyric debut). Michael Black serves as chorus master for the expanded 94-member ensemble, and Helen Pickett (Lyric debut) is choreographer.