A Wondrous Sound, Indeed…

By Flo Mano with Wes Hessel

Lyric Opera presented a one night only concert experience titled “A Wondrous Sound”; the phenomenal Lyric conductor Enrique Mazzola and choral director Michael Black led their respective orchestra and chorus in a night of classical opera arias and Broadway memorable songs. The program started with excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen: “Overture”, “La cloche a sonné”, and the exuberant “Chanson”, followed by Donizetti’s “D’immenso Giubilo” from Lucia di Lammermoor. Next were two from Rossini’s William Tell, “Gloria al poter supermol”, and the energetic, ever-popular “Overture”. Then Gounod’s aria “Soldiers Chorus” from Faust, the haunting “Va Pansero” from Verdi’s Nabucco, and then Wagners’ Tannhäuser – “Freudig begrüßen wir die edle Halle”. Ending the classical section of the program was Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” – the ever so delicate and difficult “Humming Chorus” was sublime.

The music transitioned to Broadway tunes, starting with Leonard Bernstein and Steven Sondheim’s “West Side Story”, which has been performed at the Lyric twice, both to rave reviews. Also, two by Rogers and Hammerstein, “Climb Ev’ry Mountain” from “The Sound of Music”, lastly, but most definitely not least, the concert closed with “Carousel” – “You’ll Never Walk Alone”. Afterward, I did not walk alone – the music remains with me. For future Lyric Opera offerings, please see www.lyricopera.org.

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