Saturday at 1 pm, tune in to hear Alban Berg's gripping opera, Wozzeck, presented by the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The new David McVicar production stars Polish bass-baritone Tomasz Konieczny in the title role with soprano Angela Denoke as his common-law wife, Marie. Andrew Davis conducts.
Based on the German play by Georg Büchner, the opera follows the destitute solider, Wozzeck, who is routinely embarrassed, mocked, cuckolded and eventually driven to madness and murder. Too poor to be virtuous, he submits himself to demeaning experiments for extra money to support Marie and their child. However, Marie's affair with a drum major leads Wozzeck to murder her, as well as his own eventual death.
In reviewing the production, the Chicago Tribune said, "A superb ensemble cast and orchestra bring out all the unsettling beauty of Berg's great score ...".
Cast:
Wozzeck: Tomasz Konieczny
Marie: Angela Denoke
Captain: Gerhard Siegel
Drum Major: Stefan Vinke
Doctor: Brindley Sherratt
Andres: David Portillo
Margret: Jill Grove
Idiot: Brenton Ryan
1st Apprentice: Bradley Smoak
2nd Apprentice: Anthony Clark Evans
Soldier: Alec Carlson
Conductor: Sir Anthony Davis