Shakespeare Sings

In early December, Chicago Opera Theater will present the Chicago premiere of Antonio Salieri’s Falstaff which gives an operatic treatment to William Shakespeare’s comedic play The Merry Wives of Windsor. While composer Antonio Salieri and his librettist Carlo ProsperoDefranceschi were among early adaptors of Shakespeare’s plays into operas, the Bard’s works were frequently adapted for the opera stage in the 19th century and continue to be a source of inspiration for opera writers to this day. The Merry Wives of Windsor alone spawned at least three additional operatic adaptations including Otto Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (1842), Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Sir John in Love (1929) and the most enduring version, Giuseppe Verdi’s Falstaff (1894).

Shakespeare Sings will take audiences on an unforgettable journey through the passion, comedy, tragedy, and romance inspired by the lasting genius of Shakespeare. Featuring a rich tapestry of arias and scenes from operas inspired by the Bard’s plays, the concert will showcase both beloved masterpieces and hidden gems from the operatic repertoire that have never been performed in Chicago before, including works by Rossini, Bellini, Nicolai, Gounod, Verdi, Faccio, Zandonai, Wagner, Hahn, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Sutermeister, Barber and more.

Soprano Meghan Kasanders, mezzo soprano Anna Laurenzo, tenor Yi Li, and bass baritone Peter Morgan bring this exciting program to life, with Yasuko Oura returning to COT as Music Director and Pianist. Tickets start at $25.