Splendid opera concert
Opera Across the Atlantic, Manoel Theatre
When was the last time the Manoel Theatre vibrated to so many wonderful voices in one evening? Not in my memory. This evening was a most special one. It was the first time that the Richard Tucker Music Foundation was presenting a performance in Malta. Dubbed Opera Across the Atlantic, this was yet another first in that it was simultaneously broadcast and screened by satellite to an audience of some 1,600 at Washington DC's Lisner Hall. This connection is better understood because Michael Sonnenreich, who introduced the evening, is former director of Washington DC Opera and trustee of the Foundation. The president of the Foundation, Richard Tucker's own son Barry, also said a few words of appreciation and singled out the main sponsors Anadarko Petroleum, Inc., Air Malta and the Corinthia Group of companies and also Malta's former ambassador to the US, John Lowell, whose contacts with the Foundation made this evening possible. All proceeds were in aid of the Community Chest Fund.
Even if some had voiced disappointment at the announced absence of certain renowned singers, they were not to be disappointed with the singers who actually took part. They could not be... not with such established stars as sopranos Daniela DessG and Daniela Bruera and that splendid tenor Fabio Armigliato. If other members of this evening's group of singers are less familiar names, they certainly won over the audience because of their great talent for beautiful singing and acting. In fact, a common comment was that if they sing like that in concert form, how much more amazing they would be in a full production!
Of course, the most important elements were the conductor and orchestra. Our National Orchestra rose magnificently to the occasion and the man who held all elements together, director Eugene Kohn, proved to be a source of inspiration. The man lives opera, every phrase of it, whether vocal or instrumental, it is kneaded and woven through his very being and it showed, was felt, seen and heard. The orchestra actually started off the evening with a vibrant Overture to Bernstein's Candide - just a taste of what was to come.
Mr Armigliato was the first to take the house by storm, with his rendering of E lucevan le stelle from Puccini's Tosca and Ms DessG proved equally impressive in a different kind of despair and apprehension as voiced in Pace, pace mio Dio, from Verdi's La forza del destino. Sultry, agile, attractive and warm-toned, US mezzo Kate Aldrich made a hit with the Habanera from Bizet's Carmen... and the voices kept coming on, one after the other in a concerted assault upon the senses. For their diction, even with the non-Italians (and Ms Aldrich in Carmen), clearly projected what they were saying.
Uruguayan tenor Gaston Rivero made great impact with his singing of La mia letizia infondere from Verdi's I Lombardi and US bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi displayed the best qualities of a tongue-twisting, amusing basso buffo in Come un'ape from Rossini's Cenerentola. He was followed by compatriot baritone Scott Hendricks in a highly passionate, warm and very expressive Il balen del suo sorriso from Verdi's Il Trovatore. As expected, Fabio Armigliato floored the house with his rendering of Un dG all'azzurro spazio from Andrea Chenier which boded extremely well for the concert finale, but the finale of part one was the famous quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto. This had Gaston Rivero and Ms Aldrich on top form while US baritone Quinn Kelsey did not really make much of an impact here, as was the case with Sardinian soprano Daniela Bruera.
Heavens, did they not show their mettle in the second half, and how! Quinn Kelsey's rich, creamy, baritone bel canto was just that in Bellini's Ah! Per sempre io ti perdei from I Puritani. Daniela Bruera launched into a splendid cantabile in Ah! Non credea mirarti followed by the superbly coloratura caballetta Ah! Non giunge uman pensiero which provoked one of the evening's warmest of many audience responses.
There were a number of outstanding duets such as the one between Ms Aldrich and Patrick Carfizzi in Ai capricci della sorte from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri, and the even greater chemistry and complicity of Scott Hendricks and Georgian soprano Lina Tetruashvili in Nedda! Silvio! from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. The latter two had already given evidence of this as counterweight to the dialogue between Fabio Armigliato and Daniela DessG in the quartet concluding Act III from Puccini's La Bohème.
The orchestra launched into a very fine rendering of the evening's penultimate piece, the overture to Verdi's La forza del destino. Passion and warm tenderness exploded in full in the finale, which was the finale of Giordano's Andrea Chenier, featuring Ms DessG and Mr Armigliato. Simply superb. That there was a standing ovation is no wonder.
Even if some had voiced disappointment at the announced absence of certain renowned singers, they were not to be disappointed with the singers who actually took part. They could not be... not with such established stars as sopranos Daniela DessG and Daniela Bruera and that splendid tenor Fabio Armigliato. If other members of this evening's group of singers are less familiar names, they certainly won over the audience because of their great talent for beautiful singing and acting. In fact, a common comment was that if they sing like that in concert form, how much more amazing they would be in a full production!
Of course, the most important elements were the conductor and orchestra. Our National Orchestra rose magnificently to the occasion and the man who held all elements together, director Eugene Kohn, proved to be a source of inspiration. The man lives opera, every phrase of it, whether vocal or instrumental, it is kneaded and woven through his very being and it showed, was felt, seen and heard. The orchestra actually started off the evening with a vibrant Overture to Bernstein's Candide - just a taste of what was to come.
Mr Armigliato was the first to take the house by storm, with his rendering of E lucevan le stelle from Puccini's Tosca and Ms DessG proved equally impressive in a different kind of despair and apprehension as voiced in Pace, pace mio Dio, from Verdi's La forza del destino. Sultry, agile, attractive and warm-toned, US mezzo Kate Aldrich made a hit with the Habanera from Bizet's Carmen... and the voices kept coming on, one after the other in a concerted assault upon the senses. For their diction, even with the non-Italians (and Ms Aldrich in Carmen), clearly projected what they were saying.
Uruguayan tenor Gaston Rivero made great impact with his singing of La mia letizia infondere from Verdi's I Lombardi and US bass-baritone Patrick Carfizzi displayed the best qualities of a tongue-twisting, amusing basso buffo in Come un'ape from Rossini's Cenerentola. He was followed by compatriot baritone Scott Hendricks in a highly passionate, warm and very expressive Il balen del suo sorriso from Verdi's Il Trovatore. As expected, Fabio Armigliato floored the house with his rendering of Un dG all'azzurro spazio from Andrea Chenier which boded extremely well for the concert finale, but the finale of part one was the famous quartet from Verdi's Rigoletto. This had Gaston Rivero and Ms Aldrich on top form while US baritone Quinn Kelsey did not really make much of an impact here, as was the case with Sardinian soprano Daniela Bruera.
Heavens, did they not show their mettle in the second half, and how! Quinn Kelsey's rich, creamy, baritone bel canto was just that in Bellini's Ah! Per sempre io ti perdei from I Puritani. Daniela Bruera launched into a splendid cantabile in Ah! Non credea mirarti followed by the superbly coloratura caballetta Ah! Non giunge uman pensiero which provoked one of the evening's warmest of many audience responses.
There were a number of outstanding duets such as the one between Ms Aldrich and Patrick Carfizzi in Ai capricci della sorte from Rossini's L'Italiana in Algeri, and the even greater chemistry and complicity of Scott Hendricks and Georgian soprano Lina Tetruashvili in Nedda! Silvio! from Leoncavallo's Pagliacci. The latter two had already given evidence of this as counterweight to the dialogue between Fabio Armigliato and Daniela DessG in the quartet concluding Act III from Puccini's La Bohème.
The orchestra launched into a very fine rendering of the evening's penultimate piece, the overture to Verdi's La forza del destino. Passion and warm tenderness exploded in full in the finale, which was the finale of Giordano's Andrea Chenier, featuring Ms DessG and Mr Armigliato. Simply superb. That there was a standing ovation is no wonder.