Lyric Opera of Chicago

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Verdi, La Traviata

After consulting with the bus driver, and checking a handy fold-out map of Chicago and environs, I formulated a strategy for my three-hour wander from the bus station. First came the 30 minutes confusion sorting out the electronic storage lockers, along with filling out a complaint form for the lack of AC from Detroit to Chicago: complaining’s not usually my thing, however I was concerned about the infants and elderly on the packed bus!

Finally, and with some trepidation, I set off into the big city. and with an assured sense of bearings caught a local bus and headed into the downtown core, a few city blocks east of the Sears Tower. The first building that caught my eye turned out to be the Lyric Opera of Chicago building, and I was like a moth to a flame.

From my experience in Regina, where I had politely asked permission – and then endured a three-day delay awaiting the green light to record – let’s just say I had learned my lesson! I discreetly passed the security guard and set up around the corner at the end of a bank of deco elevators. The foyer here is exquisite, breathtaking, really, and I felt I didn’t really have time to take it in properly. What could be more perfect than one of my favorite opera arias from my weathered copy of Marcel Moyse’ Tone Development Through Interpretation?

This recording explores that fine line between ones sense of public and private space, and I would discover variations on this theme throughout my trip. My playing is a little on the reserved side, perhaps feeling this was not as public a space as it seemed, with staff heading on and off the elevators. Upon reviewing the recording I wish to hear my repeat up the octave to fully bring out and revel in the live, reverberant acoustic. And as I suspected might happen, half-way through the repeat, the guard interrupted to inform me that flute-playing was not allowed in the building! Oh, to make bold in new situations!

As I politely packed up I’m not sure if I even made eye contact; a couple of stops later on my bus adventure, I would make ‘improvement’ in this regard. I learned to at least keeping the recorder rolling as I chatted amiably with the Security Guard who was escorting me from yet another incredible Century-Old foyer. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves: one city at a time!

Undeterred, I stayed on in the Opera Building: if impromptu flute music wasn’t permitted, there seemed nothing preventing this enthusiastic tourist from trying the vintage elevators? In the photo above, those aren’t clocks over each elevator, but rather they are deco ‘floor indicators’! Up a few levels in the imposing 10-12 story building, I introduced myself to staff at the Lyric Opera offices, who were receptive and welcoming, and invited me to keep in touch with any postings, as well as to take brochures for their upcoming season.

How’s this for serendipity? The first thing that caught my eye was the headliner for Lyric Opera’s upcoming season: Verdi’s ‘La Traviata’, which is exactly the excerpt I had selected quite by chance to play minutes earlier downstairs! Sweet vindication for the rather brusque treatment I had received in the lobby!

Or if Chicago’s a bit far to go, how about Ottawa’s Opera Lyra production of the same work?